Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
(On Cable TV, October 2019) The first Happy Death Day was a tricky mixture of comedy and horror, and it took a while before it started firing on all cylinders. Happy Death Day 2U isn’t that different, although the first few minutes do promise a more interesting sidequel than the outright sequel it ultimately settles on. But there’s only so much deviation that a series can tolerate, and this sequel does ultimately change the tone and genre of the series a bit, going for a thankfully more comedic approach and reaches for outright science fiction (even if nonsensical) as an explanation for its time-looping weirdness. Jessica Rothe once again captures our attention as the heroine (once again hitting the film’s peak during a bouncy montage), especially given how Happy Death Day 2U unusually digs deeper into her dramatic back-story and provides her with a heartbreaking choice. The result is fun bouncy entertainment with enough depth to it to keep things interesting. Toning down the serial killer shtick only improves the sequel, and while it does fall prey to a certain sense of deja vu, it’s an impressive continuation by itself. Writer-director Christopher Landon is a clever filmmaker, and the results here outdo anything we may have hoped for a sequel.