“Happy DeathDay 2U” Review

Mikey Reif, Writer for The Scoop

In 2017, director Christopher Landon released Happy Death Day. Eerie and comical, Happy Death Day gained success as a solid thriller. Now, Landon’s Happy Death Day 2U has hit theaters. Attempting to emulate his first film, Landon retains the same humorous but creepy approach to the storyline, but changes up the plot.

 

Tree Gelbman, played by Jessica Rothe, is still the central character of the series. In the first movie, Tree, a college student, becomes trapped in a continuous repetition of her birthday, with each cycle ending with her being murdered. While being stuck in the loop, Tree begins unraveling the identity of her killer and forms a close relationship with a fellow student Carter. Therefore, some background information from Happy Death Day is required in order to understand the progression of the sequel’s storyline.

 

At the start of Happy Death Day 2U the audience meets a newer character —Carter’s roommate Ryan. During the first few minutes of the movie, the viewer becomes re-familiarized with the plot of Happy Death Day as Ryan faces a similar conundrum to what Tree once experienced. However, this time, Ryan’s time repetition loop is caused by an experimental quantum reactor. In an attempt to solve the problem, Ryan detonates the reactor, releasing large amounts of energy.

 

The story then suddenly returns to Tree. As she wakes up, she realizes that she has been transported back to Monday the 18th —the very day she had been forced to relive in Happy Death Day. However, in this version of the time loop, her life is altered. Carter is dating a different student and Tree’s mom is still alive. Despite being once again trapped in a loop, Tree opts to continue repeating the day because her mom is still alive within the alternate reality.

 

As the movie progresses, Tree becomes faced with the choice between choosing the loop with her mother or choosing to return to her true identity. The loops become increasingly strained, and Tree’s situation becomes perilous. The final moments of the film are definitely suspenseful.

 

Happy Death Day 2U, much like Happy Death Day, is a fun and exciting film. Although the movie stops short from attempting to develop its characters or interject deeper themes, it is still a worthwhile view. The cast is not extremely established but they come across as convincing and earnest. Overall, Happy Death Day 2U is an excellent thriller film and is the perfect movie for a casual viewing.