Tiffany Scott
Exec. Business Manager
“Happy Death Day 2U” fails to amuse audiences with a messy storyline and confusing Sci Fi tropes.
The film was written and directed by Christopher Landon. Produced by Blumhouse Productions, the movie was released to theaters nationwide on Feb. 13. The film features Jessica Rothe as Tree Gelbman and Israel Broussard as Carter Davis.
As the movie begins, we are brought back to the world where the first movie, “Happy Death Day,” transpired, but we have jumped into new characters. Ryan Phan, a supporting character in the first movie, gets killed by someone wearing a creepy baby face mask, similar to the killer in the first movie. Instead of dying he wakes up and has to relive the day over and over. In an attempt to solve his condition, he, Tree and Tree’s boyfriend, Carter, trigger a space-time event that restarts Tree’s repetition cycle. The main focus now shifts to Tree who has to fix the breach in time and stop the loop.
This film is essentially a copy of the original film but with seemingly random Sci Fi tropes such as time loops and parallel universes. Landon seems to lack decent knowledge of how all these things work and the result is a mess of a film.
Landon’s attempt to incorporate Sci Fi themes causes the film to lose aspects of both comedy and horror. While the original film had genuine scares amid the comedy, this one is neither scary nor funny. The movie feels sloppily constructed with gaping plot holes, as it barely explains who the characters are or what they do.
Still, the movie isn’t unwatchable thanks to the fun performance by lead actress Rothe, whose character’s emotions ranges from emotionally distraught to insane. However, even her good acting can not overcome the fact that this sequel drastically fails to live up to expectations.
The jump scares are boring and the horror elements are close to nonexistent, but Landon compensates with a few surprisingly effective dramatic moments and a philosophical dilemma that carries some weight. Unlike the first film, the time loops this time feel repetitive. It feels like being told the same joke repeatedly without ever reaching the punchline. And when the end does finally come, it is set up for a third movie.
With a bit more time and effort, “Happy Death Day 2U” could have been a worthwhile viewing experience. Unfortunately, the film feels more a collection of random ideas thrown together in the hope that it’ll work. There are occasional fun moments pulled off by Rothe, but they are overshadowed by the sheer absurdity of the script.
“Happy Death Day 2U” is rated PG-13 and is playing in theaters worldwide.
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