The road to Halloween is paved with good films. Wherein we countdown to the spirited season with a hundred doses of horror. 20 days to go.
Trigger warning: Suicide in Happy Death Day 2U
Happy Death Day was one of the many cinematic surprises that came out in 2017. It was quickly a hit and proved itself essential viewing during the Halloween season. But while it wasn’t the only film stuck in a time loop that year — speaking namely of Before I Fall — its premise brought something fresh to the horror genre. And while it seemed unlikely that Happy Death Day 2U would manage to pull something off to the same effect, it proves wrong, as it ups its game by throwing a parallel universe into the mix.
While the first film focused primarily on Tree (Jessica Rothe), the sequel opens with Ryan (Phi Vu) getting murdered and stuck in a time loop of his own. If you’re going into this without having seen the first, Tree gives a good rundown of what happened to her in the first installment.
It soon becomes clear that Ryan is the cause of his own loop. Himself, along with two new characters, Samar (Suraj Sharma) and Andrea (Sarah Yarkin), have been building a machine to prove the existence of multiverses – resembling something out of a sci-fi movie à la Back to the Future II. It’s assumed that instead of splitting time, their creation has looped it. But turning on the machine in an attempt to fix the loop causes even more problems.
“Yeah, it’s my birthday. And now you gotta pick up the phone…” Tree’s in Carter’s (Israel Broussard) dorm. He stands up. Tells Tree he wasn’t sure if she wanted to sleep in, and explains that he folded her pants. It’s her birthday.
We’ve seen and heard all this before, and Tree realizes it, too. But as her birthday passes, it’s clear that moments in time and people’s relationships are different than they used to be. In her search for answers, her friends conclude that she must be living a version of her life in an alternate dimension.
A killer hiding behind a baby mask is still on the lose, but Tree is no longer the target; however, she still dies. Again, and again, and again. How this is handled, though, is questionable.
In order to correct time and get Ryan’s machine to work again, they must test different equations, and Tree is literally killing herself memorizing all of them in order to restart the day and narrow down the right one. Some people won’t like this because suicide shouldn’t be made into a joke, and others will probably hate themselves for getting enjoyment out of watching Tree jump half-naked out of a plane in a montage set to “Hard Times” by Paramore.
Happy Death Day 2U really didn’t have to be made, and other than to provide some good popcorn entertainment, it may seem pointless, but it’s genre-blending gold. Introducing a sci-fi element to the story may go above viewers’ heads at times, but it proves just how smart this series is. While the horror element may take a back seat, as Tree is no longer the murderer’s target in this parallel, the thrills are still there, while hitting some comedic beats.
Additionally, the sequel also brings tear-jerker moments, as Tree grapples with choosing between staying in this parallel world — which exists something she misses — or going back to where she belongs. But what lingers is a lesson of letting go, and how it’s an essential part of life.
Jessica Rothe delivers another incredibly enjoyable performance, as she shows off her impeccable talent at drama and comedy, proving once again why she’s bound to strike Oscar gold one day.
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