Happy Death Day

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)

Far from great. The main character was unlikeable beyond belief, and there wasn’t a trace of a horror atmosphere. I decided to think of it as a student romantic comedy, and it worked quite well for me that way. As is typical for such films, I had a chance to see how much an average anorexic American woman can take, so I got to see her get up after a beating that would take down many a professional boxer, but I guess it kind of goes with the genre. (04/16/2018)

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)

Yeah. The idea is great, I fell in love with Jessica Rothe, the execution has a few weak spots, but I had quite a lot of fun and was always curious about what the next day would bring (and surprisingly, even the development of the relationship between Tree and Carter was good). The reveal of the villain comes from the screenwriting school of “it has to be someone”, but the film has earned my sympathies for its carefully dosed levity and also for holding together as a unique genre experiment... Beauty! 70% (02/28/2019)

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)