Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Many times, these words were uttered from my mouth while watching Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day 2 U. Some of these “whoas” were because of the absurdity of the film (more on that later), some were because of how dark it got, and others were based on how sweet it was. Happy Death Day 2 U is a strange film because it takes a lot of liberties, takes away a lot of the horror and answers questions from the first film in ways I don’t think anyone would have thought. I’m going to do my absolute best to keep this as spoiler light as possible.
Our hero, Tree (Jessica Rothe) returns, but it’s not her who is initially stuck in the time loop (don’t fret, she eventually will be). Instead, it’s her boyfriend, Carter’s (Israel Broussard) roommate, Ryan (Phi Vu). We get some backstory on Ryan, a graduate student who is working on a thesis project that is causing the rolling blackouts from the first film. Ryan is killed and wakes up again in his car, explaining to Tree and Carter that he is experiencing déjà vu. This sets off a chain of events that causes our three heroes to figure out who is attempting to kill Ryan—which ultimately ends with Tree being stuck in the same loop as before. Sound confusing? Good, it is, because Happy Death Day 2 U explains a lot of what is going on with a lot of scientific talk that most viewers will just nod in agreement to, even though the words make zero sense to us.
Yes, that’s right, 2U takes a scientific approach to explain the time loop and if you’re paying attention to this review, the Universal logo at the beginning or even any episode of Rick and Morty, you’ll be able to easily figure out what the little twist is.
So, with all that out of the way, is 2U a worthy sequel to its predecessor? Well, yes and no. On the positive side, it is still a bunch of fun. It’s no surprise that these films are more comedy than horror, and the comedy is great here. A lot of what happens to Tree revolves around her dying while trying to solve a mystery and those are always entertaining, even when some useless slow-motion is added in one scene. You can see Tree getting disgusted with what she sees, screaming at people and attempting to be the good person she changed into at the end of the first film. Rothe, again, owns this role. She’s sweet and snarky, trying her best to survive and save people including Carter, Ryan and even her killer from the first film, Lori (Ruby Modine). This was spoiled in the trailer, so I’m not ruining anything (and this should give you another hint). Tree also gets some much needed back and forth with her best friend and sorority sister, Danielle (Rachel Matthews), which is sure to keep the audience laughing with how bitter and offensive it is.
Sadly, there are things that don’t work. I mentioned the science aspect. First, let me say that science is probably the most important thing on this planet. That being said, I’m not going to pretend like I understand a good portion of it, especially the physics. Now, this plot point is very interesting, but I can see it being a little much for people who really just want to see this girl exit her time loop in the same fashion she did in the first film. I won’t pretend either of these movies is high art, but 2U does require a lot more attention to detail. There are also some scenes that drag, including all the decisions Tree needs to make near the end.
I won’t pretend that, at first, they came off as sweet, but the longer the film went, the more tedious they became before I just wanted the film to get to the climax. The last really annoying point has to do with Tree herself. She spends the last film and this one becoming a better person to her father and peers, yet completely attempts to ruin Danielle’s life in this one—even though she begs her for help at the end. It’s not very becoming of a character who we grow to love through her growth as a person. Yes, Danielle is a terrible person, but then why say you’re her best friend and require her to help with your plight, only to erase all that in the end?
Happy Death Day 2U is a mixed bag. I quite enjoyed it, even if I can find faults in it. The film isn’t quite as good as the first, but still enjoyable, to say the least. The horror and mystery aspect is almost nonexistent, as we focus more on Tree getting out of her loop than who is trying to kill her (and it isn’t Lori this time, though Tombs does make a very small return). When the film wants to be sweet, it is. When it wants to be funny, it is. And when it gets dark, it gets dark. If this review sounds a little off, it’s because, much like the film, it is. I guess what I’m saying is, if you wanted more of the same from the first film, you might not enjoy this film so much. However, if you want more of the same but jumbled up with stuff that will either make a lot of sense or none at all, then you’ll enjoy this. I did, but I guarantee I’ll need a second viewing to fully understand it.
Rating: 7/10
