Review of Happy Birthday to Me (1981) by Mark D — 14 Apr 2009

As far as '80s holiday slashers are concerned, Happy Birthday to Me is considerably more sophisticated than most. Relying heavily on a twisting plot and strongly developed characters to carry itself rather than pure body count, it's a refreshing change in an otherwise formulaic genre.

Unfortunately, its one downfall seems to be that it tries to be too sophisticated, and stumbles over its nonsensical final twist. Otherwise, however, Happy Birthday to Me is a surprisingly intelligent, well-acted, well-shot gem of the '80s that is often sadly overlooked.

Recommended to genre fans!