“HAPPY DEATH DAY” was a film that reminded me asking too many questions can often lead to disappointment. There were entertaining moments in this film. As well some directions that didn’t really work for my personal tastes. The premise was interesting, it felt like “Groundhog’s Day” meets “Scream” and at times that is what it delivered. Some fun genre moments of violent killing that did entertain.
But there were other times it went in a different direction tone-wise that made it blatantly clear, this was not a film aimed for my demographic. The lighthearted shifts to romantic-comedy this film took will play much better among the teen crowd than an older audience. Because I found them out of place, noticeable cheesy, and counteractive to the intensity of the plot.
There were also some questionable choices made in the musical score with some scenes that further pulled me out of the story as they felt like the beginnings of the MTV Films run in the early 2000’s. Music intended to deliver some sass, but really just deflated the darker tone the story-line it had in its corner.
The performances were serviceable for the needs of the characters. The progression of the story does have a nice pace early on. But the second and third-act are one in the same since the story greatly lacks in development of any kind. It forces the viewer to simply take things at face value with really no explanation to how this girl was waking up in the same morning. Why it was her specifically, or if more were facing the same torment she was. There was virtually no effort in explaining the who, what, where and why, of this story and for me, it was a let-down.
It has some fun horror violence, but overall it was a forgettable film with inspiration in coming up with a unique idea, but no ambition in developing it to a compelling narrative. There was certainly potential here, but as it was “Happy Death Day” was yet another forgettable teen horror romp.
Grade: 60%
