#MovieMonday: Happy Death Day 2U Review: Shoddy Plot That’s No Longer Refreshing

It’s 25 Feb, and you know what that means:

It’s Monday! Yayyyy.

Well alright, I concede; it’s difficult to be happy on Mondays. With it just being the start of the week, you’ll effectively have to spend four more days buried in copious amounts of paperwork and whatnot.

Horrible? Horrible.

But hey, cheer up! Goody Feed’s here to help you out, and what better way than a crudely written piece of #MovieMonday to chase those pesky Monday Blues away? 🙂

Happy Death Day 2U (Not literally)

This week, we’re reviewing Happy Death Day 2U, the sequel to the hit 2017 mystery/slasher flick Happy Death Day.

Happy Death Day 2U opened in local cinemas on 21 Feb.

Synopsis:

Collegian Tree Gelbman wakes up in horror to learn that she’s stuck in a parallel universe. Her boyfriend Carter is now with someone else, and her friends and fellow students seem to be completely different versions of themselves. When Tree discovers that Carter’s roommate has been altering time, she finds herself once again the target of a masked killer. When the psychopath starts to go after her inner circle, Tree soon realizes that she must die over and over again to save everyone.

Film trailer:

General response:

Review

Two years ago, we were treated to the slasher/regeneration flick that was Happy Death Day.

Although its plot device wasn’t exactly the most original (it comes after Edge of Tomorrow, which popularised the entire ‘time loop’ thingy), it did breathe fresh air into the stale horror genre. And the results showed too; the film, that was produced with a USD$4.8 million budget, and managed to earn profits nearly thirty times over, with a respectable box office revenue of USD$125.5 million.

And then two years later, the film got the sequel it deserved. Released overseas on 13 Feb, it was officially launched on 21 Feb in local cinemas. But the question remains:

Is it worth a watch?

Intriguing, yet messy

You know the plot. Tree Gelbman, the female heroine who died roughly 13 times in the prequel, is back for another adventure. And after a freak accident with a time loop machine, she’s once again stuck in a time loop.

Albeit against her own wishes.

Like the first movie, Tree has to go through a series of nail-biting experiences in order to uncover the real identity of the killer. But this time around… there’re some new twists and turns.

First things first, the movie’s pretty alright. Scenes were in place, the actors and actresses did their job well and there were no real instances in which I was tempted to walk out of the cinema. Like Starving Games. So yeah, in that sense the movie’s pretty alright.

And then we head to the plot. Which is really just shoddy at best.

First off, we get a complication that required some thinking. Did we get a change of the main character? What happened?

And then the movie started playing into some good old familial values. Which weren’t bad, but they did somewhat feel out of place in the whole context.

Last but not least, as the movie reaches its climax, we were left with several questions unanswered.

Honestly speaking, I’ve no idea how Happy Death Day 2U acquired such a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes, considering the bevvy of films with much better quality but lower ratings. Of course, you can argue that it’s acquired taste and whatnot, but with all things considered, surely I’m not that different from everyone else.

But of course, it has its perks too

The soundtracks, for example, were pretty on point. And while lacking in numbers, the jump scares did strike home when they were delivered. In this aspect, Happy Death Day 2U performed well, and considering how it’s a horror film to begin with I think that’s pretty darn important.

Now I know this is kind of a controversial take, but the movie’s comedy bits did feature some over-the-top segments as well. One, for example, involved the main character committing suicide in a suggestively ‘hilarious’ manner. And while I’m aware of just how societally touchy the subject is, I have to say that the movie did do it in a way that probably wouldn’t trigger anyone. Cleverly done and executed to tasteful and truly comedic effect, this bit of satire is what formed the backbone of the story, and perhaps one of the only saving graces of the film.

So… should you watch it?

Well, if you’re in the mood for some light thrillers that will enact some laughs as well as scares, I dare say Happy Death Day 2U is the one for you. Just take care, however, not to pay too much attention to the details.

It might just make your rationality go ‘wtf’.

Rating: 2.5/5