Written and Directed by Christopher Landon
Based on characters created by Scott Lobdell
Cast: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Phi Vu, Suraj Sharma, Sarah Yarkin, Ruby Modine, Rachel Matthews, Steve Zissis, Jason Bayle, Missy Yager, Charles Aitken, Laura Clifton, Rob Mello, Tran Tran, Blaine Kern III, GiGi Erneta, Cariella Smith, Tenea Intriago, Jimmy Gonzales, Lindsey G. Smith, Ramsey Anderson
Soundtrack: Bear McCreary
One could easily be forgiven for having missed 2017’s Happy Death Day. Frankly, I don’t even remember seeing a trailer for it, which is a shame, because if I had I might’ve actually gone to see it, as a mash-up of Groundhog Day and Final Destination sounds pretty awesome.
Fast forward to my recent writing sabbatical (largely unintentional, to be honest), and I catch it on HBO in my hotel room, and, well, it’s fine. The concept is fun, Jessica Rothe is rather wonderful in the lead role, and I certainly don’t regret watching it, but overall it’s far from special.
Fortunately for Blumhouse and Universal Pictures, however, I’d already been sold on Happy Death Day 2U, as I had seen a trailer and was very interested in seeing a mash-up of Groundhog Day and Final Destination (are you having deja vu?).
Much like its predecessor, Death Day 2 isn’t life-changing. It’s probably a good ten minutes too long, some things don’t really make sense, certain stylistic elements feel very tired, and it would appear that many of the actors aren’t sure what movie they’re in (aka tonal issues).
HOWEVER, it largely redeems itself in the third act. Whereas the first movie combines horror and comedy, the sequel adds sci-fi to the mix, which at first blush sounds like it could be a disaster (it certainly doesn’t make any pure logical sense), but that was what I ended up getting the most enjoyment out of (like a good Twilight Zone episode without all the cynicism). With all the second installments out there that just rehash the first film (and poorly), Death Day 2 actually manages to go in unexpected directions; and, not unlike Logan, it’s surprisingly heartfelt.
Something else I’ll give the film credit for is being completely accessible for anyone who hasn’t seen the first movie. To be sure, much of this is accomplished through a shameless exposition dump, but given that we’re not making The Empire Strikes Back here, I’m willing to look past it. You’ll certainly get a bit more edification if you have seen the first movie, but there’s nothing in the main plot you’ll be lost about.
Happy Death Day 2U isn’t quite strong enough for me to give it a full theatrical recommendation. Like the original it’s a fun concept but the execution is lacking, but if you catch it on a matinee or a theater subscription program, you’ll have no regrets. And it’s not quite in “take your grandma” territory, but for a PG-13 “horror” flick I think it works pretty well for a general audience.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)