There are some movies that try to create a sense of realism within them. There are other movies that lean into character/situational cliches to play for comedy or hijinks. Simply put, "Happy Death Day" squarely falls into the latter category. As such, your enjoyment of this film will likely come down to how much you can suspend disbelief at the over-the-top characters to dig into a plot that can actually be intriguing.
For a basic plot summary, "Happy Death Day" focuses on the story of Tree (Jessica Rothe), a college student who wakes up one morning (her birthday, of all days) in the dorm room of Carter (Israel Broussard) after an apparent hook-up. Tree then goes about her "normal" routine, only to be stalked that night (on the way to a party) by a mysterious masked figure. When this figure stabs her and death looks certain...she once again wakes up in Carter's room. It is again her birthday, the date is the same, and the day repeats itself almost exactly the same. As such, the rest of the film entails Tree's struggle first to figure out what the heck is happening, and then finding ways to remedy it.
In terms of plot, there are indeed some interesting things happening in "Happy Death Day". It is very reminiscent of "Groundhog Day" (even outright admitting that fact at one point!) and has a number of fake-outs that shake things up and keep it from being too predictable.
Unfortunately (at least for viewers like myself), that plot intrigue is really just a front for a film made for teens heading to the multiplex on a Friday or Saturday night. As I mentioned in the opener, most of the characters are so over-the-top as to be cringe-worthy (at least for more "seasoned" film fans), an approach that will not phase younger viewers nearly as much. I watched the movie with a sibling 13 years my junior, and she loved it!
I know that "Happy Death Day" was probably never meant to be anything more than it is, so that's why I won't drop it down under a middling 5/10 stars. At the same time, the trailers for the film are a bit misleading, as they connote a film that looks like a serious thriller with a time-loop component. You just have to know going in that this isn't exactly the case, as "serious" is far from the adjective I would use to ever describe the film.
For a basic plot summary, "Happy Death Day" focuses on the story of Tree (Jessica Rothe), a college student who wakes up one morning (her birthday, of all days) in the dorm room of Carter (Israel Broussard) after an apparent hook-up. Tree then goes about her "normal" routine, only to be stalked that night (on the way to a party) by a mysterious masked figure. When this figure stabs her and death looks certain...she once again wakes up in Carter's room. It is again her birthday, the date is the same, and the day repeats itself almost exactly the same. As such, the rest of the film entails Tree's struggle first to figure out what the heck is happening, and then finding ways to remedy it.
In terms of plot, there are indeed some interesting things happening in "Happy Death Day". It is very reminiscent of "Groundhog Day" (even outright admitting that fact at one point!) and has a number of fake-outs that shake things up and keep it from being too predictable.
Unfortunately (at least for viewers like myself), that plot intrigue is really just a front for a film made for teens heading to the multiplex on a Friday or Saturday night. As I mentioned in the opener, most of the characters are so over-the-top as to be cringe-worthy (at least for more "seasoned" film fans), an approach that will not phase younger viewers nearly as much. I watched the movie with a sibling 13 years my junior, and she loved it!
I know that "Happy Death Day" was probably never meant to be anything more than it is, so that's why I won't drop it down under a middling 5/10 stars. At the same time, the trailers for the film are a bit misleading, as they connote a film that looks like a serious thriller with a time-loop component. You just have to know going in that this isn't exactly the case, as "serious" is far from the adjective I would use to ever describe the film.