‘Happy Death Day’, directed by Christopher B. Landon, was released October 13, 2017 and is the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit. This horror-comedy is about a young college student and sorority member, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe), who is continuously reliving her birthday, However, it is no ordinary birthday, and each day she relives ends with her being murdered by an anonymous killer disguised in a terrifying baby mask. After each murder, she wakes up in Carter Davis’ (Israel Broussard) dorm and has a quite serious case of deja vu. She must reveal and stop the mysterious killer in order for her life to resume back to normal.
The film is rather humorous and upbeat 99% of the time, which makes it less scary, however, there are still some frightening moments throughout it. If you are not a huge fan of getting scared, you will still enjoy this movie. One thing ‘Happy Death Day’ definitely does not struggle with is creating many puzzling questions and keeping you thoroughly entertained from start to finish. This film makes you laugh, cry, and jump in your seats all in just one hour and 30 minutes.
This film does not rush through and really gives the audience a chance to connect with Tree. At first she is easy to dislike, but there is more to her than what is shown in the beginning. Like many people, her cruel, self-absorbed exterior is a mask for her feeling of sadness and heartache. While they succeed at creating the complex character of Tree, some moments in the film are random and far fetched. The motive for the killer is far from creative and more comedic than anything, but unexpected and shocking, nonetheless. There is a huge, impressive plot twist at the end as well, which was clearly well thought out.
This film also surprisingly gives off a touching message about being the person you want to be, and is much deeper than a “stupid” “cheesy” movie as some describe it to be.
I recommend ‘Happy Death Day’ to everyone; it will not fail to disappoint!