2017’s Happy Death Day was an interesting entry to the slasher film genre, thanks to its unusual combination of comedy, science fiction and horror. Reviews of the first film called it a blend of Groundhog Day and Scream – two genre-defining films within their own right. Its sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, does little more than more of the same. That doesn’t mean Happy Death Day 2U is a bad film by any means, but it can cause viewers to experience their own bouts of déjà vu – not unlike Tree, the film’s own protagonist, played by Jessica Rothe.

Happy Death Day 2U: Repetitive, Yet Entertaining

While the first entry to this series leaned more slasher than comedy, Happy Death Day 2U definitely takes the more comedic route. Thanks to some expository science jargon, we discover that Tree’s time loop was not the result of some karmic exchange, rather the result of a science experiment gone wrong. After said science experiment malfunctions, Tree is thrust into a time loop yet again. Unfortunately for her, this new loop takes place in an entirely different dimension.

Of course in this new dimension, multiple things have changed. While attempting to break the time loop early thanks to knowledge gained from the first film, Tree discovers that this dimension’s baby-faced killer is not the same person it was in her own dimension. With help from friends, Tree is once again forced to die over and over and over again while attempting to solve this dimension’s mystery and return to her own universe.

The Last Word on Happy Death Day 2U

There’s no denying that Happy Death Day 2U is little more than a more comedic version of its predecessor. There’s also no denying that this film should be anything more than what it’s aiming to be: Fun. This film knows that it won’t be nominated for an Academy Award. It’s silly, and at certain points, it’s admittedly a little creepy. Ultimately, Happy Death Day 2U is even a little predictable, but that doesn’t take away from its self-indulgent silliness.

If you go into the theater expecting anything more than a fun sequel, you likely won’t enjoy the movie. If you go into this movie expecting anything new – outside of a nonsense science fiction component – you probably won’t enjoy the movie whatsoever.

However, if you accept that Happy Death Day 2U is just a fun, low-budget follow-up, you’ll end up with a handful of jump scares and a fair share of laughs. Take it from us: This isn’t a horror movie. It’s a sci-fi comedy with slasher elements, and it’s a fully self-aware film. I can’t say I would recommend Happy Death Day 2U over some of the other recent releases, such as Alita: Battle Angel, but if you’re not in the mood for mind-blowing 3D action then this sequel is an adequate substitute.

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