The slasher genre is one that has followed the same basic formula for some time. There’s always a killer that seems impossible to kill, and they’re always hunting down a group of people as they slowly pick them off one by one. It’s not that common to find a slasher movie that changes things up some in a good way. Happy Death Day is that rare slasher that brings a fresh new twist to the genre, even if the movie isn’t a revolution.
Happy Death Day follows college student Tree (Jessica Rothe) on her birthday. She goes through the day as normal, but ultimately ends up getting killed by a masked stranger at the end of the night. Much to her surprise though, she wakes up that morning again and realizes that she’s forced to relive this day every time she dies. It then becomes Tree’s mission to find out who her killer is and stop them so that she can end the loop.
The movie, while not amazing or groundbreaking, is still plenty entertaining. There’s a good amount of humor to be gleaned from reliving the same day over and over, and the movie delivers. Whether it be the ways in which Tree goes about discovering her killer, or the interactions she has with others, there are many moments in the movie that’ll get a laugh out of you.
Of course, you can’t have an entertaining movie without a likable lead character, and Jessica Rothe certainly makes Tree someone that you’ll like. Although she starts the movie as a selfish sorority girl, she grows throughout the movie into someone that you’re rooting for to beat the killer.
As for the kills themselves, they aren’t that creative. Many of them are of the stabbing variety, with only a select few being different. It’s a shame though that there weren’t more inventive kills, especially since the premise of the movie lends itself to it so well. Even with this in mind, it doesn’t make the movie any less entertaining. Thankfully, the movie is only about an hour and a half, so it doesn’t overstay its welcome, nor do the kills get tiring to watch.
Happy Death Day may not be a must see slasher movie, but it is a pretty good one. It has a unique hook that makes it stand out from other movies in the genre, and it’s pretty funny as well. It won’t blow your mind, but it will keep you engaged and entertained the whole time.
Happy Death Day is in theaters now.
TheComfySpot 