Not only is a sequel meant to continue a story, but it typically should also go bigger and better. So how does one make a story like Happy Death Day - a movie that focused around a time loop where a woman attempts to discover the identity of the masked figure killing her at the end of each day - bigger and better? Well, by doing it all over again. With a twist.
The original Happy Death Day was a surprise hit, receiving positive reviews for its comedic horror send up of Groundhog Day and other similar movies. Though with its fairly straightforward story line, it didn’t seem like lightning could strike twice for Blumhouse Productions. And the film’s sequel is set up to head in the same direction. Though thanks to a few tricks up its sleeve, the film veers from being a rehash and manages to be another wickedly good time.
The film once again follows the protagonist from the first film Tree (Jessica Rothe), who discovers that her boyfriend’s friend Ryan (Phi Vu) has been working on a power reactor that created the time loop from the first film, as it’s now creating a second time loop the next day. When the reactor is activated, it sends Tree into a new dimension and back to reliving the same events of the first film with a few new twists, such as her roommate no longer a murderer and her boyfriend Carter (Israel Broussard) now dating someone else. However, Tree decides to stay when she discovers her mother is now alive in this alternate universe. Though when she realizes she’s back in the time loop once more, with her death occurring at the end of each night, she works to get herself back to her original dimension.
Despite the sequel once again being about a time loop that ends with the death of the protagonist at the end of each day, it manages to feel surprisingly fresh thanks to its new sci-fi approach. The screenplay is wildly ambitious, and despite a couple of clunky plot points - mostly in the beginning revolving around the power reactor - it works exceptionally well. The film is much less of a horror movie than the first film, with the focus being more on Tree working to get back to her original timeline rather than trying to figure out who the new killer is. While the latter is still an important part of the plot, it is used more for character development rather than being the entire film’s focal point.
Which leads to the major reason why this movie works so well. Happy Death Day 2U builds on what the first film established and fleshes out characters who we’re already heavily invested in. It’s a little more serious in tone than its predecessor. And while the first film worked because it was a straight-up campy experience, it’s fine that the second movie goes for this more serious route - despite getting a little heavier, it consistently still maintains the franchise’s manic energy that makes it an enjoyable watch.
While the first film solely focused on Tree’s redemption from snotty sorority girl to someone much more likable, the sequel focuses on several characters’ redemptive paths as their stories - and in some cases, personalities - are now altered in the new timeline. With that, the film manages to touch on a few interesting themes, such as how much is one willing to sacrifice in order to be truly happy, as well as really touching upon how some of the darker events of one’s life can still shape the person one is today.
Everyone here gets a little more fleshed out and has a little more to do than they did in the first film. Though at the center of it all is still Jessica Rothe, who manages to turn in a performance that was even better than in the first film. The scenes that focus on her family life are some of the movie’s more emotional moments and really allow her to expand her acting chops immensely. The film offers a little bit of tenderness in these moments, breaking just a bit to depict these characters more as real people with real emotions, rather than just the objects of over-the-top slasher death scenes.
Despite the film’s more emotional themes, it’s not a jarring tonal shift, never completely turning into a different sort of movie. These moments work well because they’re necessary for our characters to gain more depth, though the film doesn’t lose focus on its overall plot to devote a longer amount of time than needed to these scenes. Plus, the film keeps its wicked sense of humor. While some moments can be a bit cheesy at times, the film still offers up plenty of gloriously over-the-top laughs and campy humor that balance well with some of the more serious scenes, including its heavy reliance on pop music in its soundtrack in order to help keep a sense of fun (especially in a montage sequence that’s arguably even funnier than the first film’s montage).
Happy Death Day 2U takes a lot more risks than its predecessor did. It may veer away from the first film’s horror elements but it uses this to its advantage. It keeps its ridiculous sense of humor well intact, but now offers plenty of depth and emotion to go along with the laughs. The characters are a little more fleshed out, and everyone has their moment to shine this time around. This is a rare sequel that’s actually an improvement over its predecessor.
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