Happy Death Day

Far from great. The main character was unlikeable beyond belief, and there wasn’t a trace of a horror atmosphere. I decided to think of it as a student romantic comedy, and it worked quite well for me that way. As is typical for such films, I had a chance to see how much an average anorexic American woman can take, so I got to see her get up after a beating that would take down many a professional boxer, but I guess it kind of goes with the genre. (16/04/2018)

At the end of the year, there will definitely be talk about how successful horror films have been. Most of them have taken the top spot at box office, most Stephen King adaptations in one year, and this year also belongs to teen horror, which seems very modern and I've liked them all so far, with the smart Better Watch Out, the fun The Babysitter, the scary It, the upcoming lauded Tragedy Girls, and now the group is expanded by Happy Death Day. Happy Death Day meets Edge of Tomorrow and Scream and it's mostly great fun. Jessica Rothe's alluring hottie and pretty bitch is having the biggest nightmare of her life. She's being chased by a killer with a very disturbing mask and razor blade who keeps killing her as she finds herself in a time loop from which she can only escape if she can guess the killer's identity. I'll mention at the outset that the biggest issue is the lack of gore, which with a premise this enticing is a bummer and will put off a lot of gore fans, but if you can get past that you're in for a decent time. It's very nicely shot, decently suspenseful, the soundtrack is great, the murders – although bloodless – are quite imaginative (the scene with the cop is one of the best), there is room for humor and the biggest attraction is the game of detective to guess the killer before the main character, which requires 120% attention because the final twist and reveal was very surprising. The director fucks with the viewer 360° and makes it clear that there are indeed intelligent filmmakers behind who definitely deserve success. The scene where the main character goes out into the yard naked and starts having an incredible time, I was wide-eyed like all the actors in the film. It won't suit everyone, but those who like to play with the genre and like Scream should be satisfied. 80% (25/10/2017)

This likable, silly guilty pleasure ranks among the Blumhouse’s best (over)productions. The film proves that it’s hard to keep a straight face with a time-loop narrative, even (and perhaps especially) in the case of a slasher flick whose repetitiveness turns Happy Death Day on its head. Death is followed by a do-over and a new start, so we’re entertained by the protagonist’s (the great Jessica Rothe) endless dying instead of fearing for her (though that comes up a few times, but it’s really not the main point of the film, or rather I wouldn’t blame it for not making you fearful enough). Thanks to that, the classic “whodunit” formula plays first fiddle together with the relationships between the characters and the transformation of the protagonist from being terribly oblivious into a rather fine girl (so you can see the deep message in that – when confronted with one’s own mortality, one starts to behave sensibly). In the end, Happy Death Day is pretty much a high-school comedy in which the protagonist dies a few times on the way to finding love and self-confidence. Though the story outwardly starts from the beginning, the film holds together excellently thanks to its adherence to the classic narrative structure. Each successive variant is a response to those that came before it, we learn new information (or rather individual suspects are eliminated), the protagonist undergoes a transformation, thus giving the impression of smooth development. At the moment when the formula could become boring, a change occurs that reflects the culmination of Tree's transformation from prey to hunter. Yes, it’s a goof that doesn’t take itself seriously and quickly fades from memory, but it is definitely not a dumb movie. 70% (30/10/2017)

The American film Happy Death Day is a mainstream horror film, but I mean that in a good way. It's aimed at a wider audience because it's not particularly disgusting, and it has a story that captivates. The characters are also fine and you can relate to them and the finale is definitely worth it. The filmmakers made something really good with what they had in their hands. (23/03/2018)

I don’t understand the success of this teen would-be slasher flick. It starts out with an interesting concept involving the repetition of the day the female protagonist wakes up and is murdered, but it then develops into repetitive banality without the necessary build-up and with a surprise that doesn’t take it anywhere. I’m giving this a very weak third star only for Jessica Rothe’s picturesque face. (29/07/2020)