Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

'Happy Death Day 2U' is once again directed by Christopher Landon and picks up directly after the first film, in which a young woman named Tree was stuck reliving the same day over and over again until she was killed by a mysterious figure in a baby mask. The stakes are raised even higher as one would expect in a sequel, but it takes such a hard left turn that it may turn off many fans of the original. I can at least say that I truly appreciate that Landon and Blumhouse are so willing to take risks and try to weave a unique idea, but for me one of the greatest sins a sequel can commit is explain too much and as you may have guessed 'Happy Death Day 2U' commits this sin. On top of the weird backstory, they don't leave any kind of mystique at all opting to just flat out tell the audience within the film's first act and while it's a good idea for a film, I really wish it was used for another project.

Any horror elements the original had are stripped away, opting more for comedy and science-fiction which do work thanks to the likeable cast of characters and tongue in cheek humor. But I feel rather left out when I was promised a supernatural horror film but instead getting more of a black comedy instead. When the film does call back to its horror tropes, that's just what they are: tropes and really poorly executed ones to boot. Jump scares and misdirection that is typical of the genre so for any fans of horror or slasher films in particular there's sadly nothing left for you here. But as I said, I do enjoy the comedic elements and the cast are better than before with our main lead (Jessica Roth) holding the film together. Her character of Tree gets a lot of added layers this time around and without spoiling things, she has to really struggle with the decisions presented to her and you see that struggle and mixture of emotions thanks to Roth's high energy performance.

I'm sad to say that I was a little disappointed with 'Happy Death Day 2U' in the end. It's not a terrible movie, in fact it's an excellent movie really. But it feels too much like a bait & switch and goes in a bizarre direction that makes me unsure of the future of this potential franchise.

7/10