Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Comedy
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard Phi Vu, Suraj Sharma, Sarah Yarkin, Rachel Matthews, Ruby Modine, Steve Zissis, Charles Aitken, Laura Clifton, Missy Yager, Jason Bayle, Caleb Spillyards, Jimmy Gonzales, Peter Jaymes Jr., Rob Mello, Kenneth Israel, James W. Evermore
Description: Tree Gelbman (Jessica Roth) discovers that dying over and over again was surprisingly easier than the danger that lie ahead.
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 5: A HORROR MOVIE
Review: Although a lot of sequels have been made for slasher films over the years, this type of film doesn't always lend itself to that. After all, many such films end with the unmasking and killing of the killer, which means that the makers have to wriggle into particularly strange curves in order to reduce this threat. Resurrections, copycats, successors... it's all been done before. The sequel to “Happy Death Day” actually uses a method that has probably never been used before in slasher history: a new killer because of an alternative universe. That probably sounds completely ridiculous, but actually fits perfectly in a series like this. After all, playing with time and space is already in the DNA of the first film.
A sequel to “Happy Death Day” may seem like a pointless undertaking because by the end everything was perfectly finished, but of course there was still a pressing question: why did the protagonist Tree constantly relive the same day? Admittedly, the main source of inspiration for “Groundhog Day” didn't explain why the grumpy weatherman Phil Connors kept waking up on the same day, but the approach of that film was that this protagonist had to learn how to become a better person and could use some resits. It is therefore quite plausible that there was a higher power behind it. In “Happy Death Day”it’s a little different, because it was a completely different type of film: a slasher with a wink, in which it was all about unmasking a murderer. Personal growth as a result of the situation was more a bonus than a requirement.
Fortunately, “Happy Death Day 2U” doesn't take long to figure out what it was all about: three of Tree's fellow students developed a machine in their university lab that accidentally created the time loop. Why exactly Tree ended up in it, and how she managed to leave it by surviving the day, are follow-up questions you shouldn't think about for too long. Tree sighs at a certain moment when she herself thought that her constant repetition of the same day might have had a comical reason, but now she just has to accept that she is the victim of the scientific banter of some overzealous students. So if you're disappointed with this statement: rest assured, the main character doesn't know what to think either.
There's no time for more contemplation, because to her great frustration Tree ends up back on the day she had to experience so many times in the first film. Maybe a somewhat easy-going starting point for a sequel, but fortunately there is variation in the circumstances. The day may be the same, but due to interdimensional travel some details differ in the well-known scenes. For example, Trees' boyfriend is now together with her bossy roommate, Tree is not having an affair with her teacher and her roommate is not going to let her live. Simple variations, but all so workable that this sequel does not become a predictable repetition of moves. From a meta-textual perspective, this approach fits pretty well. The attraction of sequel films is for the most part in the recognition, but without any variation, viewers soon get the feeling they are being bought. “Happy Death Day 2U” plays nicely with that...
By the way, the film starts with a nice piece of deception, by hinting that this time a supporting actor from the first film acts as the main character who gets caught in a time loop. This might have worked, even if you end up in the segment of the remake sequel: the same story but with different characters. In hindsight, it's a good thing that the familiar main character has been retained. All the knowledge and assertiveness that she acquired during the previous film is retained. Tree ends up in a universe where her mother is still alive, causing her to face a dilemma: stay here and settle into a life that is not quite hers, or return to the familiar life with all the loss that goes with it? Of course she will make the right decision at the end, but her development in the previous film is indispensable.
Many horror series gradually become a parody of themselves and although “Happy Death Day 2U” hasn't reached that point yet, this time the self-mockery is a lot more prominent than last time. This is also possible to neutralize the scientific hocus pocus, although it is also noticeable that in the humor the edge is regularly sought out. Tree always has to reset the day, which results in a remarkably corny montage of creative suicides. Even the nowadays almost obligatory set up for a future part turns out to be a part of a fun encore. “Happy Death Day 2U” may not be a hilarious comedy or a blood-curdling horror film, but in today's horror landscape it is at least one of the few films that dares to wink at its audience with pleasure.
Rating: 3 / 5
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten