Item: Happy Death Day 2U
Rating: 7.4
Author: NextFlicks

Happy Death Day 2U is a sequel movie to the 2017 Happy Death Day. More of a sci-fi/dark comedy, with slasher bits thrown in, Tree must find a way to end a time loop that sees her reliving the same day she dies over and over.

A casual browse through Netflix and Happy Death Day 2U popped up, so I thought, ‘Why not?'. What I didn't realise was that it was a sequel – oops!

But, fear not, a few minutes into the movie the lead character, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe), gives us a handy little run down on the story so far.

Basically, it was like Groundhog Day, but it only ended when she got murdered. Think Natasha Lyonne in Russian Doll.

Each day Tree learned more about who wanted to kill her, and the only way she could make it stop was when she broke the time loop. And that's where the sequel picks up…

What Is Happy Death Day 2U About?

Fast forward a bit and Tree (Rothe) is still at University and dating Carter. All is going well until his buddy, Ryan Phan, creates an experimental quantum reactor as part of a college project.

When the reactor goes off, Ryan finds himself in the time loop. Reliving his own death day, Tree figures out that it is caused by the reactor.

They all think they have solved the problem until she wakes up and realises she is now the one in the time loop and is back to square one with somebody trying to kill her.

The twist is that not only is she in the time loop but in a different time dimension. One where she is not dating Carter, her best friend is still alive, and her life is very different.

So now she must choose to stay or go back with pros and cons for both. But of course, before she can do that, she must survive the person who is trying to kill her on a daily basis!

And that's where Happy Death Day 2U ups the comedy. The montage of all the ways she dies is supposed to be funny, and it is. As is her reaction each day when she wakes up still in the loop.

Happy Death Day 2U Official Trailer

Is Happy Death Day 2U Worth Watching?

Despite what you may think, Happy Death Day 2U is not a horror movie. It's more of a sci-fi/dark comedy with slasher elements thrown in.

Produced by Blumhouse and written by director Christopher Landon, it's a funnier follow-up to the first film and is a sequel worth celebrating, given how often they usually disappoint.

While the first film was primarily a slasher mixed with a time-loop narrative, the sequel incorporated elements of science fiction, expanding on the time-loop concept with parallel universes and quantum physics.

This fresh approach allowed for an expansion of the story while still keeping ties to the original's premise.

We also see Tree evolve from merely trying to survive her repetitive day to making significant life choices when confronted with the possibility of living in an alternate reality.

Jessica Rothe definitely enhances this character's journey to the point that you actually become invested in the decisions that lie ahead.

Overall, Happy Death Day 2U is a bit bonkers, the science is dodgy at best, but the laughs are there, and it's a very easy watch if you want to turn your brain off for a bit.

For a more serious time loop style short movie, check out Two Distant Strangers!