Happy Death Day is the latest Blumhouse production. In it, we follow popular, clique-y college girl Tree (short for Teresa) on her birthday. Most people would be happy on such a day, not Tree though as it brings with it some sad memories from her past. At the end of the day, a masked killer murders Tree and sets off a wild chain of events where Tree is forced to relive her death day over and over again until she is able to uncover the identity of her killer and stop him/her from murdering her (Yes, it's another twist on the Groundhog Day formula. Just roll with it).
Happy Death Day is the latest in a long line of PG-13 "horror" films. Most times, I find that PG-13 horror films kind of suck. They pander to the dumb teen demographic, rely on annoying jump scares, and just aren't all that scary. Happy Death Day is one of the rare PG-13 horror films that actually works though, mainly because it's more-so interested in being funny than scary. That's right, Happy Death Day is a horror-comedy who-dun-it, with an emphasis on the comedy. The film is creepy, atmospheric, and tense at odd moments, but is really more concerned with having it's own personality. The death's aren't focused on all that much (There's really only one cool death in the film, and it's spoiled in the trailer), and it's a fairly blood-less film. Normally, this would not bode well for a horror film, but Happy Death Day's focus on fun over scares helps save the film.
Happy Death Day stars Jessica Rothe as our heroine Tree and Israel Broussard as film nerd/regular guy Carter. Tree starts out as a pretty unlikable character (she's not the worst girl I've ever seen, but she's still pretty mean and self-centered). She is having an affair with a married professor/doctor, makes out with her roommates crush in front of her (just because she can), wakes up in Carter's bed after a drunken night and basically shrugs him off (not even having the courtesy to remember his name or even care), and is a member of the bitchy sorority on campus. Yeah, you want to see her die many times over and the killer could really be just about anyone on campus (she has a way of making enemies). It's not an easy task to take an unlikeable character and find a way to bring the audience fully on her side by the end, but Happy Death Day does just that. The film slowly peels away her layers, revealing more about her backstory and the reasons why she hates her birthday. A large part of the plot is about Tree learning the error of her ways, and taking steps to become a better person (much like Groundhog Day). I am completely in love with Jessica Rothe and her character of Tree (Not to mention Rothe can also sing as evidenced in her small role in La La Land. Just more reason to love her). I found her to be sympathetic, and super hot and cute (both in personality and looks) by the time the end credits roll.
Israel Broussard is completely winsome and likable as the warm-hearted nice guy who has a love for film (as can be seen by his awesome choice in movie posters that adorn his dorm room). He continually assists Tree in her attempts to unmask the killer throughout the film. The two actually have some chemistry together, and I loved them as a duo. I won't say if they wind up together (though the answer is pretty obvious right from the opening of the film). I also loved the Baby-Mask killer, and the design of the mask he/she wears (It's the mask of the school's mascot, which is being handed out en masse thanks to an upcoming sports game). However, I wasn't crazy about who the killer winds up being and I found his/her motivation to be silly and stupid.
Happy Death Day is not a great film, but seeing as I went in reluctantly, expecting another shit PG-13 horror film and I walked out smiling, I'd say it's a success. It's not scary, but it is silly, goofy, funny, and fun. It also has some clever moments (one example: Tree always wakes up with residual trauma from her previous deaths. This doesn't really lead to anything, except that it's implied that eventually Tree will die for good and she winds up feeling pretty sore and tired by the end of the film. I also loved the choice to set it in college instead of high school.) Our two main leads are likable, the direction is fairly strong (from Christopher Landon who previously directed Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. This is his best film), and the script (by Scott Lobdell) is good. Happy Death Day is a film with it's own, fun personality. It's definitely one of the more memorable entries in the PG-13 horror film craze.
3 STARS
Side Note: The film replaces 50 Cent's catchy "In Da Club" with a short, generic, goofy and forgettable Happy Birthday ringtone. A missed opportunity if there ever was one.
No comments:
Post a Comment