Directed by:
Christopher LandonScreenplay:
Scott LobdellCinematography:
Toby OliverComposer:
Bear McCrearyCast:
Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Charles Aitken, Rachel Matthews, GiGi Erneta, Ruby Modine, Rob Mello, Laura Clifton, Caleb Spillyards, Jason Bayle, Phi Vu (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
A young woman's birthday begins with a hangover and ends with her murder, only for her to wake up and relive the same bad day over and over again. (Netflix)
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Reviews (9)
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%
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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.
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At the end of the year, there will definitely be talk about how successful horror films have been. Most of them have taken the top spot at box office, most Stephen King adaptations in one year, and this year also belongs to teen horror, which seems very modern and I've liked them all so far, with the smart Better Watch Out, the fun The Babysitter, the scary It, the upcoming lauded Tragedy Girls, and now the group is expanded by Happy Death Day. Happy Death Day meets Edge of Tomorrow and Scream and it's mostly great fun. Jessica Rothe's alluring hottie and pretty bitch is having the biggest nightmare of her life. She's being chased by a killer with a very disturbing mask and razor blade who keeps killing her as she finds herself in a time loop from which she can only escape if she can guess the killer's identity. I'll mention at the outset that the biggest issue is the lack of gore, which with a premise this enticing is a bummer and will put off a lot of gore fans, but if you can get past that you're in for a decent time. It's very nicely shot, decently suspenseful, the soundtrack is great, the murders – although bloodless – are quite imaginative (the scene with the cop is one of the best), there is room for humor and the biggest attraction is the game of detective to guess the killer before the main character, which requires 120% attention because the final twist and reveal was very surprising. The director fucks with the viewer 360° and makes it clear that there are indeed intelligent filmmakers behind who definitely deserve success. The scene where the main character goes out into the yard naked and starts having an incredible time, I was wide-eyed like all the actors in the film. It won't suit everyone, but those who like to play with the genre and like Scream should be satisfied. 80%
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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%
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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.
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