Review of Happy Death Day (2017) by Matt G — 19 Oct 2017

Happy Death Day comes from Blumhouse Productions, the studio made famous for the resurgence of horror in theaters (Get Out, The Purge, Insidious). However, this is the lightest of light thrills. Sure, it would fit in the slasher movie bin, but with its bubble gum aesthetics and goofy comedy, it's really more Freaky Friday than Friday the 13th. And in that sense, it's mildly charming...if not bright enough to be great.

For starters, the premise is pretty stupid, and the execution of that premise isn't much better. A brash and awful sorority girl is forced to relive the same birthday over and over, each one ending in her own murder by a masked killer. Imagine Groundhog Day or Edge of Tomorrow, but in the teen-screams genre and with a lot less complexity. In fact, most of its "originality" just comes in its blanket theft from other properties and throwing them all together: the youth world of Mean Girls; the comedy of "Scream Queens"; the protagonist from "The Good Place"; the scares from The Purge. It's not bad, just familiar, like we're reliving this recognizable movie just as the character relives her day.

Once our girl starts trying to solve the whodunit-mystery, things get more assured and fun, as we find it easier to root for her and her insistence on not dying each day ad infinitum. Even though the deaths and scares are wanting, the other elements work, especially the humor and (gasp!) the heart. It's harmless and forgettable October fare, made more for people who hate horror than me. In other words, my wife will love it.