Film of the Week: Happy Death Day

We’ve had what is the most notable and therefore most popular time loop film, Groundhog Day. Countless films have explored the concept of a time loop, but not many do it perfectly. Before I watched Happy Death Day, the last perfect time loop film was Edge of Tomorrow. Groundhog Day is a family friendly, feel-good film that everyone can enjoy; Edge of Tomorrow is a science fiction, action story, which is highly entertaining and anyone who’s into science fiction and action can enjoy. Happy Death Day is a horror version of the time loop concept, and, like the previous two mentioned films, is done perfectly.

Being a time loop film, there’s a basic formula people have gotten used to. Starting with the initial confusion, gradually building up the montage of having fun and not caring, before becoming bored having achieved all that could be done, and ending the loop having successfully solved what the mystery was. The structure was there, thus the writers can build the original story around it.

As well as the horror element, we do get a couple other genres woven throughout. Romantic comedy and satire of the college campus. It’s a risky move to include multiple genres, as it’s possible to focus too much on one at any point in the movie and make the story’s progress clunky.

Even then this film included even more elements. Keeping the audience questioning on how the time loop began. Those subtle hints throughout that can be expanded upon and theorised for pages upon pages keeps the audience second guessing – and the overall mystery of who the killer actually is by throwing in a few hints here and there – and one or two side characters that, whilst are basically throwaway scenes, do go through some development.

Happy Death Day is bursting to the brim with content, and that’s blatant. In this film, it’s easy to spot when including that much at once does show some strain. It does feel as if it’s always on the edge of breaking, and ruining itself. However, Scott Lobdell’s writing and Christopher B Landon’s directing keeps the three genres in harmony with each other. Jessica Rothe’s acting as Theresa “Tree” Gelbman helps it along massively, as she has to flit between the three genres all the time as well as gradually going mad from the constant repetition of Monday 18^th – and she does so brilliantly.

In conclusion, Happy Death Day is a film that gives you much more than you would expect. I believed it to be a plain horror movie with a murder mystery, but there’s so much more to be had, and all the elements are organised expertly to keep the film enjoyable, and re-watchable. There are enough time travel films for anyone who prefers specific genres only, then I can see why you won’t like this. However, I see it as a film that takes a familiar concept and makes something original out of it. I’m happy to watch all three films, Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, and Happy Death Day back-to-back – neither will make the marathon boring.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)