Happy Death Day: A Clever Concept Muddled by Execution
The premise of blending “Groundhog Day” with a teen slasher film is inherently intriguing. However, the film’s soft PG-13 rating ultimately undermines its potential.
The story centers on Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe), a stereotypical, self-absorbed college queen bee who disregards everyone around her. On her birthday, she wakes up in the dorm room of Carter Davis (Israel Broussard), a seemingly unremarkable student, after a night of partying. Disgusted by her less-than-ideal “catch,” Tree’s day takes a turn for the worse when she’s murdered by a masked assailant that evening. But instead of meeting her end, she wakes up to relive the same day again. And again. And again. No matter what Tree does or where she hides, death awaits her every night.
.jpg “Happy Death Day Film Still”)
The initial buzz surrounding “Happy Death Day” was met with head-scratching curiosity. Why hadn’t anyone thought of applying the “Groundhog Day” formula to a slasher film before? The possibilities seemed endless: a plethora of deaths, ample room for gruesome creativity, and countless opportunities for postmodern deconstruction. The trailer further fueled the excitement, presenting “Happy Death Day” as a wickedly fun horror flick brimming with dark humor. Unfortunately, the film itself fails to fully deliver on its initial promise.
Jessica Rothe is slated to star in the remake of the 1983 classic teen rom-com “Valley Girl” next year, originally starring Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman.
Don’t get us wrong, “Happy Death Day” is by no means a complete failure. The core concept alone provides a decent level of entertainment. However, the script’s sloppy handling of the brilliant idea and the missed opportunities are undeniably frustrating. It’s common in horror films for viewers to mentally “advise” characters on their actions, but in this case, the urge to shout at the screen is almost constant. For instance, Tree stubbornly overlooks the most obvious solution – meticulously recreating the previous night while being prepared for the killer’s moves. Instead, she repeatedly tries completely new approaches, predictably stumbling into surprises.
Formulaic Approach
The film surprisingly adheres closely to the “Groundhog Day” formula (the annoying alarm clock, the persistent encounters each morning, the wild antics on certain days), which ultimately works against it. The tropes of romantic comedies don’t always seamlessly integrate into the slasher framework. It’s one thing for a character in a rom-com, where they face no real danger, to embrace positivity and change their perspective on the world. It’s quite another in a slasher film, where a maniac lurks around every corner. In such a scenario, one should be focused on survival, not enlightenment or reconciliation. The priority should be using one’s brain to avoid becoming the next victim!
Toning Down the Horror
The PG-13 rating is another point of contention, effectively neutering any potential for brutality. Deaths primarily occur off-screen, and blood is conspicuously absent. Coupled with the weak suspense (as the protagonist faces no real consequences) and some lazy writing (the killer always seems to know Tree’s plans), this significantly undermines the film’s genre credibility. At times, it feels more like a teen romantic comedy than a horror film.
Jessica Rothe’s Performance
However, Jessica Rothe’s charisma single-handedly smooths over many of the script’s and concept’s rough edges. While she had a small role in “La La Land” the previous year, she was overshadowed by Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and the soundtrack. In “Happy Death Day,” she’s constantly in the spotlight, and Rothe rises to the occasion. She’s equally convincing as a haughty mean girl and when simply goofing around, reminiscent of Rachel McAdams and Elizabeth Banks. Her smile could light up an entire city, suggesting that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Jessica Rothe in the future. As for the film itself… It’s a decent effort, but the initial promise was far more compelling.