I never thought writer-director Christophe Landon’s instant cult-film, Happy Death Day (2017), would have been green lit for a sequel. With every sequel that is released, there is a question on whether the next installment will be worth watching and satisfy those who were fans of the first film. I adored Happy Death Day, and am pleased to report the sequel, which I saw at a sneak preview here at UCLA, delivered the same fun and humor as the first. A bonus of the sequel is that there is less slasher elements and more science fiction elements. Minor spoilers for the sequel below!
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Comedy
Rating: 8/10
Happy Death Day 2U continues the story of sorority girl, Tree Gelbman (played by the talented Jessica Routhe), who finally believes she has escaped the “Groundhog Day” time loop she was stuck in during the first film. Of course, this sense of relief is short-lasting, and Tree is forced into another death-day loop. The twist this time is that Tree finds herself in a parallel universe. To paraphrase, the famous line heard on Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride, the loop and parallel universe offers Tree a chilling challenge…to find a way out!
Oftentimes in horror films that feature girls, the characters never really evolve. Sure, they go through horrendous events and adapt to those situations but, they never arc as characters. Here, Tree is allowed a proper character arc. In the first film, she is seen as cold and bitchy to those around her. But as the film plot deepens, she learns how terrible she has been to others after her mother’s death. She begins to realize it is not the rest of the world’s fault her mother died, and she begins to reconnect with people. In the sequel, Tree continues her journey of trying to let go of the past and realizes there are different choices to make in different moments. Tree is not a pristine virgin or a flawless badass. She is, for horror film viewers, a beacon of hope because she is messy and the story allows her to become the better version of herself.
The sequel also expands on at least one of the side characters from the first film. Ryan (played by Phi Vu) is more fleshed out as a scientific genius student whose machine has been the reason for the time loop Tree was stuck in the first film. In the first few minutes of Happy Death Day 2U, we see Ryan stuck in his own loop of death, and it begins to dawn on the viewer that Ryan is the cause of Tree’s looping nightmare. Why Tree is thrust into a different loop and alternative universes is a spoiler too far for this review. The mean sorority president is back to add to the continuing tension. There are, however, other plot developments to see in the sequel, which builds upon the original film. The character, Carter (Israel Brossard), returns, and is the same good guy he was, but now, in parallel universes, we find the relationship between Carter and Tree has different trajectories and backgrounds. Happy Death Day 2U, however, is not a cast reunion. There are new characters such as Sadam (Suraj Sharma) and Anna (Sarah Bennani), friends of Ryan who also worked on the machine. The new characters provide many sources of fun and humor, which helps with the pacing and overall tone of the film.
The film is bursting with comedy, and it will very much make you laugh even in the darker moments. However, one potentially discordant note for the sequel is, with the focus being on parallel universes than a time-limited loop, less tension in trying to figure out the identity of Tree’s killer. This is likely a consequence of mashing up a slasher film with a parallel universe sci-fi film. The dialogue remains sharp, but with a film about college students, there are a few cheesy moments. Of course, the alternative fail would be for scared college students to speak like middle aged adults with lots of life experience behind them. In other words, we’ll take some cheese over pretense.
The audience for the UCLA sneak preview was very reactive in the showing I attended, which confirmed I am not the only one who sees the creativity and joy in this otherwise dark-sounding nightmare plot line. Happy Death Day 2U is being released the week of Valentine’s Day. This may be, despite the film’s slasher origins, the perfect film to see if you are going out with a group, or looking for a “date” film. There is romance amidst the parallel universes and slashing, and it is overall, a wild and fun ride. One of the great things about a great sequel is that it may elevate a first film that may not have had as much success. I am hoping this is the fate of Happy Death Day 2U and Happy Death Day.
Here is a trailer for the film: