Happy Death Day

I don’t understand the success of this teen would-be slasher flick. It starts out with an interesting concept involving the repetition of the day the female protagonist wakes up and is murdered, but it then develops into repetitive banality without the necessary build-up and with a surprise that doesn’t take it anywhere. I’m giving this a very weak third star only for Jessica Rothe’s picturesque face. (07/29/2020)

The American film Happy Death Day is a mainstream horror film, but I mean that in a good way. It's aimed at a wider audience because it's not particularly disgusting, and it has a story that captivates. The characters are also fine and you can relate to them and the finale is definitely worth it. The filmmakers made something really good with what they had in their hands. (03/23/2018)

This likable, silly guilty pleasure ranks among the Blumhouse’s best (over)productions. The film proves that it’s hard to keep a straight face with a time-loop narrative, even (and perhaps especially) in the case of a slasher flick whose repetitiveness turns Happy Death Day on its head. Death is followed by a do-over and a new start, so we’re entertained by the protagonist’s (the great Jessica Rothe) endless dying instead of fearing for her (though that comes up a few times, but it’s really not the main point of the film, or rather I wouldn’t blame it for not making you fearful enough). Thanks to that, the classic “whodunit” formula plays first fiddle together with the relationships between the characters and the transformation of the protagonist from being terribly oblivious into a rather fine girl (so you can see the deep message in that – when confronted with one’s own mortality, one starts to behave sensibly). In the end, Happy Death Day is pretty much a high-school comedy in which the protagonist dies a few times on the way to finding love and self-confidence. Though the story outwardly starts from the beginning, the film holds together excellently thanks to its adherence to the classic narrative structure. Each successive variant is a response to those that came before it, we learn new information (or rather individual suspects are eliminated), the protagonist undergoes a transformation, thus giving the impression of smooth development. At the moment when the formula could become boring, a change occurs that reflects the culmination of Tree's transformation from prey to hunter. Yes, it’s a goof that doesn’t take itself seriously and quickly fades from memory, but it is definitely not a dumb movie. 70% (10/30/2017)

If this had leaned more into horror comedy, it might have turned out better. While there are plenty of light-hearted scenes, the film often takes itself too seriously, and that's where it falls flat. The suspense doesn't work, and a bloodless slasher is unforgivable. The characters, including the protagonist, are incredibly unlikeable, and some dialogue scenes, especially the reunion between the daughter and her father, felt like I was watching a Lifetime TV movie. I love time loops, but it's a shame this horror film couldn't be more creative with the concept. Ultimately, it's just another disposable teen horror flick. The only upside is that they're already working on a sequel. PG-13 horror movies suck! (09/26/2018)

A relaxed six-point mash-up of better and more-complete films, which is improved by Landon's thrilling directing, dynamic editing and properly crunchy "biotch" Jessica Rothe. On the other hand, the film is brought down by the second half, where screenplay can no longer rely on stolen ideas and has to give some point to the whole loop. At the same time, it starts going off the rails in all directions. But it’s good fun. A strong three stars. (11/01/2017)