Halloween 2021 Review #20 – ‘Happy Death Day 2U’
Happy Death Day 2U is a 2019 sequel to the Blumhouse produced 2017 black comedy slasher directed by Christopher Landon. It’s also the twentieth movie in the Halloween 2021 challenge. With this, there are only ten days left to Halloween, and on that day I’ll be watching two movies.
The original movie tells the story of a university student being stalked by a masked assailant. It sounds cliché since most horror movies are like that. However, this one comes with a twist. Happy Death Day is what happens when slasher horror crosses paths with Groundhog Day.
Happy Death Day 2U stars Jessica Rothe, returning as Tree. Meanwhile, Israel Broussard, Suraj Sharma and Steve Zissis also return. The majority of the cast are from the first movie, but they might not be playing the exact characters we know.
Happy Death Day 2U starts with Ryan (Phi Vu) being forced to relive the same day over and over. However, things take a turn when his roommate’s girlfriend is none other than Tree (Rothe). Soon, she realises Ryan and his friends are the reason for the time-loop in the first movie.
That might sound like spoilers, but it’s not. A lot more happens in this horror-lite, compared to the original, sequel. Tree ends up having to relive the same day over and over again, with a familiar mystery taking a new turn.
To make matters worse, she might not even be in her universe anymore. Before Marvel and DC tackle it, Happy Death Day 2U uses the multiverse.
I love Happy Death Day. It’s a refreshing take on an oversaturated genre. It takes tropes and turns them into something surreal. Happy Death Day 2U tries to do that again but unfortunately, it tries to be more clever than before. To me, that’s its downfall.
The use of the multiverse and science convolutes the original. Instead of it being divine intervention, Tree is struck because of science. So, it goes from being a horror with some science-fiction elements to a science-fiction movie with horror elements.
With the third movie in development, it looks like the science-fiction route will only go deeper. I’m not against Sci-Fi, I love it, but it’s a shame when movies veer from their original stance.
But, it’s not all bad. The truth is, it’s not a bad movie. Sure, it’s nowhere near as good as the original and I have issues with it, but it’s still fun. If anything, it’s a rollercoaster ride with its ups and downs. That’s not to mention the emotional moments that Jessica Rothe elevates with her performance.
The cast is by far my favorite thing in both movies. This one only makes it better since they’re playing several versions of themselves. As someone who watches The Flash, it’s not my first rodeo. But, it’s always fun watching actors play the same character, but in a different way.
The comedy is golden too. Certain scenes have me in stitches. There’s one near the end that is slapstick and I have a soft spot for that sort of comedy.
All in all, Happy Death Day 2U doesn’t live up to its predecessor. However, as its own thing, it’s still good, and I’d definitely watch it again.
