Happy Death Day (2017)

Happy Death Day (2017)

2017

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

A college student relives the day of her murder over and over again as she tries to discover her killer's identity.

Overall Rating

6 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • Happy Death Day is serviceable as a comedy/horror crossover, but feels all too familiar. Even with the concept of replaying the same day injected into the horror genre, I couldn't help but slide into my seat thinking "oh damn this is predictable". Essentially a young girl (who happens to be the most unlikeable teenager in the universe) is murdered. However, she relives the same day over and over again where her death resets the day. With unlimited lives, she must attempt to find her killer so that she can escape this time loop. Whilst this never ending time loop is never truly explained, and really just feels forced as a gimmick, take the film with a pinch of salt and you'll enjoy it. A combination of 'Groundhog Day' and 'Scream', it feels more like a comedy than a horror/slasher. So if you are hoping to be on the edge of your seat...you'll be disappointed. Fancy having a laugh? Then you'll love this. We all know I'm emotionless, so for the film to evoke laughter from me is an achievement. Jessica Rothe was flat out excellent, carrying the entire story on her shoulders. Her dialogue execution was on point and her comedic timing was sublime. The supporting cast...not so much. It's all focussed on Rothe and it works. The antagonistic serial killer is your average horror movie mask-wearing maniac. The reveal was underwhelming but a small little twist at the end makes it more memorable. Replaying the same scenes repeatedly with slight differences is always a love/hate affair. I love the small details that change each time, however watching the same scene over and over again may not always be engaging. Having said that, I was compelled for the most part. Oh, and one small line of dialogue that jests about deaf people and sign language did somewhat have me in stitches...does that make me a bad person? Overall, Happy Death Day is enjoyable as a comedic slasher flick albeit flawed in concept and occasionally underwhelming.