Happy Death Day 2U

Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Phi Bu, Suraj Sharma, Sarah Yarkin, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken, Rachel Matthews, Steve Zissis, Laura Clifton, Missy Yager, Jason Bayle
Directed by: Christopher Landon
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Mystery
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Free from repeating the same day over and over, Tree (Jessica Rothe) faces another life-threatening experience when she discovers the source of the time loop.

Review:

Tim: So, Happy Death Day proved to be a success for a few reasons. 1. It wasn't afraid to embrace a unique spin by giving us a time loop horror film. 2. Christopher Landon's direction worked quite effectively. 3. Jessica Rothe gave a breakthrough performance. Two years later, we get the sequel and the ante has been upped. This is even more of a crazy, unique idea. Landon once again delivers from the director's chair, and Rothe once again impresses. Horror sequels are notoriously difficult to pull off, so you have to applaud Happy Death Day 2U (which also has a great title) for succeeding and maintaining the same level of quality as the first one.

So, I have to give the story a ton of credit. It was certainly an unexpected twist on where we'd expect a sequel to go. The movie spins off and becomes a science fiction horror film. I did not anticipate that when I sat down to watch this film, but I was impressed by this movie's ability to adapt and combine different genres. Some of the ideas presented here are fairly ludicrous, so this movie also becomes even more of a comedy than the first one. It's bizarre to see a film that manages to stay true to the original while not being afraid to chart a completely different direction. It felt like Landon was able to hit the right balance- he doesn't abandon what made the first movie so good, but doesn't take an overly conservative approach by giving us exactly more of the same. I loved the ambition and the craziness of the story. That helps immensely, because it doesn't always work. The goodwill from the first film and the confidence in doing something different make up for those weaker aspects.

The story is really too much for me to detail in this fairly short review. I didn't expect the movie to embrace the science fiction side by explaining where the time loop in the first film originated from. Can you image a sequel to Groundhog Day where they explain why Bill Murray was trapped in Punxsutawney? Of course not. Yet that's what happens here and it works far more than it doesn't. Now, you could argue that college student inadvertently inventing a machine that loops time is absurd. You would be 100% correct. That's one of the most outlandish aspects of this story. As mentioned, I was mostly able to overlook this because of the zany, unexpected ride this movie takes us on. It's ballsy to explore alternative realities, but I enjoyed this path. It allowed us to revisit many of the moments from the first film, while giving them new and unexpected twists. This film absolutely didn't play it safe with the story and I so appreciated that.

Once again, Jessica Rothe is excellent as Tree. Her contribution to the film cannot be overstated. It's nice to not have her be unlikable for a chunk of the film, as we had in the original. We know this character and are invested in her. I appreciated how the film, despite its sci-fi and horror aspects, still ultimately was about the growth of this character. That was enjoyable to see. Rothe gives another all-in performance and really makes the movie work. Israel Broussard also gives another strong performance. I really think this guy has a big career in front of him. He's able to convey strength and sensitivity. It was fun seeing him in this role once again. I'm looking forward to seeing more from him in the future. I also enjoyed that Phi Vu got a significantly larger role this time around. He stole scenes in the first film and his increased premise is a major boon for this movie. The rest of the supporting cast- both returning and new members- work quite well.

I really appreciated how Landon's script, directing, and the cast all embraced the same tone for this movie. It's fun, it's lighthearted. It doesn't take itself too seriously. There are legitimately fun and funny moments throughout the movie. There's death and murder and all that, but there's a lot of humor as well. Some of this is a bit much (the skydiving scene was funny but ridiculous and illogical) and not all the jokes connect, but enough of them do to create an enjoyable sense of levity. It's like the movie is saying, "We know this is all completely absurd, but man is it going to be fun!" It's entertaining and unique and that feels so refreshing.

While the movie does push the boundaries of our ability to suspend disbelief, it generally keeps on the right side of that line. I do suspect that if we get a third film, that may be the big challenge it faces- pushing things too far, to the point where you can't take anything seriously and it acts as a disengaging factor. This movie mostly avoided that fate, but it's one to keep an eye on. Speaking of potential sequels, I certainly hope this becomes a trilogy. This movie sadly did about 50% of the box office of the first film, so that's no guarantee. These are fun movies, though- I would absolutely be up for another trip with these characters. Happy Death Day 2U is certainly unlike any horror sequel I've ever seen.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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