Filmology Rating: 3 out of 4 

Some people wish that they could relive certain days of their lives over and over again; the day that one first fell in love, seeing a child walk for the first time, reuniting with a loved one after a long period apart.  All of those days would remind a person of the happiest moments of their life,  but what would happen if those people instead had to live one of the worst days of their lives?  What if those people had to keep reliving the day that they died?

Tree Gelbman, played by Jessica Rothe, wakes up on her birthday loathing the day.  She would rather just ignore it all since it reflects on her mother who was killed on the same day a few years earlier.  Tree is your average sorority sister only worried about her status on the campus rather than think about what her life might be like after school.  Tree ends up making many enemies at the school so when she ends up being killed on the night of her birthday, the suspect list is extensive.  However she is given a second chance when she wakes up again and realizes that she is forever stuck on her death day.  

Happy Death Day is one of those films that you know within the first few moments that you will enjoy the journey of this film.  For most films you need to focus on the first act of the film for the gimmick to be relieved but within moments of starting director, Christopher B. Landon grabs you forcefully and says this is the film and you will either join in for the ride or feel compelled to leave.  While some might not like a director who is so assertive, I’m finding it rather refreshing, especially when watching films that are never confident in their tone.  Landon’s previous film Scouts Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse was one of those films that wasn’t confident with its comedy or its horror,  leaving the film lacking both leading to a forgettable film.  Landon learned from his mistakes on that film, so with Happy Death Day he makes one of the most memorable horror comedy films since The Cabin in the Woods.  

The film wouldn’t work without the great performances from the leads Jessica Rothe and Israel Broussard.  Rothe who has appeared in films like La La Land but really hasn’t broken out with a starring role is fantastic as Tree Gelbman.  At first you will find it incredibly hard to sympathize with her because she is world class narcissist; but then you will start to become invested in her.  You will want her to figure out a way to stay alive, just as you begin to root for Ebenezer Scrooge in a “A Christmas Carol”, while he is one of the most greedy misers to ever grace the written page.  The fear that Rothe shows each time she is brought back, hoping to have gotten out of the infinite time loop, but never managing to cross the invisible line.  The other side of the coin is the love interest Carter Davis, played by Israel Broussard who was one of the ensemble members of The Bling Ring.  The reason that Carter is so relatable to is because of how horrible Tree is; you cannot help but want him to succeed because of how understanding and compassionate the young man is.  When he is brought into the pure insanity of Tree’s horrible day he does everything in his power to help, even if the suggestions he gives aren’t the most helpful.  

Montages are rather tricky, while they can advance the story at times and are often a great way at showing time pass quickly, they can also feel like a lazy attempt at passing story without giving any actual motivation.  A good example of a film montage would be Rocky in which Rocky is training for his upcoming boxing match or in X-Men: First Class when Charles and Erik are going around finding mutants to come to their school.  A bad example would be Peter Parker walking around the streets of New York in Spider-Man 3, since it offers nothing but fluff to the movie and it adds more baggage to a movie already bursting at the seams.  Happy Death Day offers one of the most entertaining montages that I can remember in recent memory.  Playing the song “Confident” by Demi Lovato while having a character conquer every negative aspect that she had drowning her life is rather on the noise,  yet it still works for a quick and entertaining way to tell a story.  

Happy Death Day is one of the best rides of the year so far.  If you liked films like Kong: Skull Island or Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies then you will have a blast with this film.  Happy Death Day never takes itself overly seriously, yet it give us characters who are relatable and for the most park likeable,  letting the audience have a breezy fun time at the cinema,  leaving with a huge smile on their faces.  

Rating: See It

-Jonny G