More than you might expect from a modern-day slasher, Happy Death Day is sure to deliver plenty of genuine laughs whilst sending shivers down your spine.
While it may feel like a rather familiar premise: live, die, repeat (as is the tag line of another similar film, Edge of Tomorrow), Happy Death Day takes this premise to a place where it hasn’t been seen before – a sorority. The perfect combination of slasher pioneers like Scream and teen flick Mean Girls, this is a film that might just manage to bring a smile to the sternest of critics.
This surprisingly positive reception is in no small part due to the production company behind the film, Blumhouse Productions. Founded by Jason Blum, this is the company that has produced such genre-bending contemporary horror classics such as Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Split and Get Out; and they have once again delivered with an unexpected hit.
An improvement from director Christopher B. Landon’s previous efforts (including Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse), this is a film that largely stands out as a clever re-invention of the slasher genre. While many slasher’s start with the grisly murder of a young, attractive, college/high school student; Happy Death Day keeps this architype alive (more or less), as the film becomes more of a journey of identity and self-discovery than a mindless thriller.
This connection to themes of adulthood and morality allow the film to neatly fit into that of a modern slasher without being too derivative of the genre as a whole. The same can be said for the film’s apparent connection to Groundhog Day, as the self-aware humour distances itself from such predecessors without discrediting their influence.
As for how the film told its story, it certainty differs greatly from prior films within the genre. The use of cinematography was inventive, particularly as we re-watch the same morning unfold after multiple deaths. While finding a different way of portraying this re-occurring event is necessary for a film of this nature, it was good to see nonetheless. The storytelling around this ‘one day’ was also engaging, with the mystery of who the killer was taking multiple turns and constantly misdirecting the audience, leading to a fulfilling conclusion.
While this isn’t the perfect movie by any stretch, Happy Death Day is definitely worth the watch. Between its comedic and at times shocking characters, its underlying journey of self-discovery, the true matters of life and a few gory death scenes, it might just be something you didn’t expect.
Sometimes, your birthday is just not at all what it’s cracked up to be.
