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Happy Death Day

Romessa Nadeem
Oct 17, 2017
3 min read

Rating: 7/10

Directed by Christopher Landon

Starring

Jessica Rothe as Tree Gelbman

Israel Broussard as Carter Davis

Happy Death Day sounds like some cheesy thriller flick and at first glance, it appears to be so. And is it cheesy? Yes, and it revels in this fact from the beginning of the film to the end. Before the credits, the Universal logo starts, stops and reverses, a wink to the audience about the plot of the film. It ends with a character referencing Groundhog Day. Self-awareness is clearly its strong suit.

The film tells the story of Tree Gelbman, a young university student who drinks hard, parties harder and is part of the sort of sorority one would think about when the word “sorority” is uttered. Think Scream Queens. She’s not exactly the nicest person around so is it any wonder when a man in a mask murders her within the first twenty minutes?

Tree finds herself awake again though, the next day and the next, as she realizes she’s reliving the same day in a loop until she can uncover the killer. Aided by an unexpected ally, she relives each day desperately running in circles (pun intended) to unmask her killer.

Each character is revealed carefully, cleverly, their motives and context within Tree’s life explained. You begin guessing almost automatically. But it doesn’t come together at the end the way it should. Instead of a “pow,” it lands with a “thud.” You’re not really sure how much of it makes sense, even though the reveal is clever.

This is a silly premise and while Happy Death Day might not do everything it can to play with it, it’s still immense fun to watch. It’s light on its feet and progresses with such ease and consistent pacing, the tiring repetitiveness of Tree’s perpetual day is never transferred to the viewers. In large part, this is due to Rothe’s delivery as mean girl Tree Gelbman. She’s sassy, funny and magnetic. There’s a nearly electric spark to her performance, and a unique charm, even when she’s dissing boys or mistreating those around her. Even at her worst, you like her and that attraction grows further as the details of her life are revealed and she develops as a character – much like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, the most famous film with this formula.

Screenwriter Scott Lobdell gives her individuality, agency and what’s rare in thrillers, intelligence. And the people around her like the snarky Queen Bee, or the kind roommate, or the older professor? Not so much. This however appears to be a clever allusion to the lack of personality and brainpower usually displayed by horror movie tropes. Tree, much like the audience while watching any other cliché thriller flick, is the only sane one in a cluster of archetypes.

Adding to Tree’s constant allure is the fun usage of an entertaining soundtrack, and surprising emotional depth. Happy Death Day is a film that’s a joy to watch and, while faltering occasionally in the development of its ideas, is always entertaining.

If you liked Happy Death Day, check out 2015’s The Final Girls, a comedy thriller about a group of teenagers that get sucked into the world of a second-rate horror film and must fend off the psychotic killer while defying cheesy character tropes.