‘HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U’ Review

2017’s Happy Death Day was a fun surprise. It ended up on my “Best of 2017” list, which we talked about on the podcast. It was a fun mixture of slasher films and Groundhog Day. What made it great was Jessica Rothe’s portrayal of Tree which was a character that was so pivotal to carrying the film and she did it with likability and humor. When a sequel was announced, I was unsure of how they were going to do it but the fact that the actors from the first one were coming back for it made me happy that we were probably going to get a continuation of the first film and not just a cash-in sequel.

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When Happy Death Day 2U starts, fans may be leery of the first 10-15 minutes as it seems like we follow another character (who was in the previous film) who seems to be going through the same thing that our main character, Tree, went through in Happy Death Day and while the character is ok, he lacks the some of the charisma that Jessica Rothe brought to the character. Luckily, Tree catches on to what is happening pretty quickly and the film shifts focus back to her as the main character. While we actually get a reason on why the time loops are happening, it doesn’t stop a killer who is using the mask of the university’s mascot from trying to add some more bodies to his body count. However, we quickly find out that the person revealed as the killer from the first film is definitely not the killer in this sequel thanks to an alternate dimension explanation – where some little details change.

Director Christopher Landon takes over writing duties for the sequel from Scott Lobdell and the sequence of events that play out in this one when you watch both films back to back are pretty well done – so much so that one may wonder if Landon wrote a sequel to it prior to filming the first one. There are answers that lie in the sequel to things you may have not batted an eye at from the first one – think of the lights that turn off during Tree and Danielle’s conversation about Tree’s surprise birthday party. The script is smart and doesn’t take the easy way out nor does it really negate the backbone of the first one. Even with the complicated timelines and sequence of events, it is definitely a continuation and not a cash-in. What some viewers may dislike about the sequel is that the slasher angle takes more of a backseat to a 80’s sci-fi college-comedy angle (ala My Science Project) that really takes shape with Happy Death Day 2U. The sequel also tends to lean more towards comedy but it fits because the first one is pretty funny thanks to Rothe. There are some great plays with the alternate dimension angle that poses some serious questions to Tree’s decision making. Some of those scenes and setups may feel a bit schmaltzy but if you dig the characters introduced – mainly Tree and Carter – from the first film, you’ll stick with it and see that it expands the characters even more.

Even if the horror/slasher portion from the first one is more diluted in the sequel, if you enjoyed Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U is definitely up your alley. It is a fun return to the characters that you liked while still being as smart (if not smarter in order to not keep it stale) as the first entry. Also, stick around for a mid-credits stinger.