Happy Death Day 2U
by Christopher Landon
Probably the first horror movie of 2019 that I was genuinely looking forward to for some time is Happy Death Day 2U. The first film in the franchise, 2017’s Happy Death Day was an absolute treat, so I couldn’t wait to feast my eyes on the sequel and see what was in store for Tree and her friends as she finds herself trapped once again in a murderous time loop.
I was worried that things would seem regurgitated since the sequel was sticking close to its concept from the first film, but I was instantly at ease once the ball got rolling. The concept was changed just enough to offer new elements to the plot with new scenarios and problems to solve. There’s a great twist, an emotional conundrum if you will, that occurs about halfway through the film and Tree is forced to make a choice no one would ever want to face. I even found myself saying, “what are you doing? Horror films aren’t supposed to make me sad!”
The sequel is full of great laughs and just as the first film gave great nods to Groundhog Day, the second installment is heavy with the Back to The Future references. Like Tree, I have to admit that I have never seen a BTTF film in its entirety. I know, what’s wrong with me, right? Anytime I tell anyone this it’s like they’re ready to burn the witch, but it’s great to see that the main character that I’ve grown to adore also has never seen the movie. It only makes Tree more relatable for me. Jessica Rothe once again is amazing in her role as Tree.
Happy Death Day 2U is filled with comedy, violence, entertaining death montages, and never left me wanting for more. Don’t stop watching as soon as the credits roll! There’s a great mid-credits scene that either sets the franchise up to be a trilogy or wraps it up in true Happy Death Day form. Though it’s only a rumor, I for one, would love to see where they could take this series with a third film, but perhaps they should leave well enough alone as they already have two hits on their hands and a third film could ruin everything.
(This review was originally published on Horror Metal Sounds.)