Happy Death Day 2U: Killer Sequel Loses Novelty of the Original

Happy Death Day 2U is the sequel to Happy Death Day. Tree (Jessica Rothe) is once again caught in a Groundhog Day-like time loop, and is forced to live the same day over and over. Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day) wrote and directed this film, while Israel Broussard and Phi Vu reprise their roles from the original. Happy Death Day 2U is rated PG-13.

When Happy Death Day rolled into theaters just before Halloween a couple years ago, expectations seemed appropriately low for this horror-comedy seemingly inspired by the premise of Groundhog Day. Expecting a train wreck, I was treated to a clever and witty scream fest, which made for an excellent date night flick. Apparently I was not the only one to be surprised, as a sequel was quickly approved and put into production.

That brings us to now, where Happy Death Day 2U is trying to repackage the same premise, humor, and style just in time for Valentine's Day. After all, who doesn't love a good romantic-horror-comedy?

It's cliché, but there really is a reason that sequels almost never quite live up to our expectations. In general, it's hard to recapture the tone that made a movie great, while still keeping the sequel fresh and original. Unfortunately, Happy Death Day 2U fails to walk this line, and devolves into nothing more than a messier alternate of the first.

To me, the most glaring issue with this film was the way it attempts to manufacture an explanation behind the time loop. Simplicity was key to the success of the original, and enabled that film to focus on the characters and story. This time around, the film feels too focused on explaining its own premise, and does nothing to push the story along. Science fiction elements are haphazardly thrown about, resulting in something far more confusing than has a place in this film.

The story involves common horror tropes throughout, and repeated scenes of Tree being attacked by the mysterious killer clad in a baby mask. One scene takes the cruelty to a completely new level though, when it shows Tree killing herself in a variety of ways. This particular attempt at offbeat humor really misses the mark and left a sour taste in my mouth.

Another disappointing aspect of the film was the potential it had to tell an emotionally driven story. Tree must ultimately decide whether she should fix certain aspects of her life prior to resetting her timeline for good. Instead of exploring the moral complexities present in such a situation, the film surges ahead to a ridiculously fabricated conclusion, and avoids any chance to make a connection with the audience.

Despite the pulpy entertainment Happy Death Day 2U was at its best, the film told me what I should have realized based simply on the ridiculous title; that it is not worth seeing. A prime example of studio ambition, it felt more like a cash grab than a sequel, and never came close to living up to its predecessor. Given the surprising quality of the first, I went into this expecting something clever, or scary, or at the very least, fun. What I got was more or less, a train wreck.

Final Verdict: ⭐⭐

Reel Recommendation: Not worth your time

Happy Death Day 2U opens in cinemas on Feb. 13