Story by Grant Dillard, Staff writer
“Happy Death Day” was one of the biggest surprise hit films of 2017. The film turned out to be a well-written and clever film with a solid lead actress, Jessica Rothe. With its sequel, “Happy Death Day 2U,” things are taken to a whole new level.
The film picks up right where its predecessor left off, with Tree Gelbman (Rothe) having escaped from the dreaded time loop of Monday the 18th. She is now in a strong relationship with her new boyfriend, Carter (Israel Broussard.) But due to unexpected events, Gelbman ends up back in the time loop. Only this time, certain events from Monday the 18th are different from before, meaning that she will have to come up with new ways to escape her current predicament, along with finding her way back to her own dimension.
While the first “Happy Death Day” had more of a focus on comedy than straight-up horror, it still contained enough traditional horror movie tropes that it qualifies as a horror film. With “Happy Death Day 2U,” while there are still a few horror tropes present, mainly a masked killer on the loose, it would be more appropriate to describe the film as a science-fiction film because topics like alternate dimensions, doppelgangers, and multiverse theory are present.
The story itself keeps viewers guessing thanks to its changes to the first film’s plot in this new alternate dimension. Some of the twists and new ideas are very interesting and create fascinating storylines. The film also answers a few questions the first film left unresolved, including how exactly Gelbman ended up in the time loop to begin with. Overall, the story is much more engaging and interesting to see than the last film.
Once again, Rothe is excellent in the lead role; not only genuinely expressing feelings of fear, frustration and determination, but also having good comedic timing whenever it’s needed.
“Happy Death Day 2U” surprisingly turns out to be a really good sequel thanks to its clever storytelling and another great performance from Rothe. It also acts as another success for Blumhouse Studios, which has been turning out more and more good films in its lineup such as “Get Out” or the recent “Halloween” film. Once in a while, a dud like “Truth or Dare” manages to creep in, but Blumhouse still looks to be making a name for itself in terms of quality productions, rather than generic and forgettable horror films. As for “Happy Death Day 2U,” those who liked the first film will be pleasantly surprised and enjoy the sequel even more.
