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Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees: Walks, Climbs and Multi-Day Treks

Kev Reynolds

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Book

Essential guidebook of walks and climbs in the Pyrenees, with over 170 day walks, multi-day walks,...

Five-Star Apps: The Best IPhone and IPad Apps for Work and Play

Glenn Fleishman

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Book

It can be a concierge, camera, flashlight, game console, magazine, photo editor, panorama maker,...

My iPad for Seniors

Michael R. Miller

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Book

Covers iOS 10 for all models of iPad Air, iPad Mini, iPad Pro, and iPad 4th generation My iPad for...

Sake: The History, Personal Stories and Craft of Japan's Artisanal Breweries

Hayato Hishinuma, James Lang, Jason Lang and Elliot Faber

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Book

Sake: The History, Personal Stories and Craft of Japan's Artisanal Breweries is a compendium of the...

Afghanistan Declassified: A Guide to America's Longest War

Brian Glyn Williams

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Book

Nearly 100,000 U.S. soldiers were deployed to Afghanistan at the height of the campaign, fighting...

Gareth von Kallenbach (974 KP) rated Happy Death Day (2017) in Movies

Jul 11, 2019

Happy Death Day (2017)

2017 | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

6.9

(82 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Using familiar themes can be a risk. What we have seen in previous films that define a style, becomes cliché and bores the audience. Then there are times when movies turn the trope on its head and gives us a clever take on the familiar. Christopher Landon (Scout’s Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse) has directed a fun romp in suspense and horror. Yes, there is the blatant reference to Groundhog Day, but this film is definitely a homage to John Carpenter, the master of the genre.

We know from the trailer that this is a horror/suspense loop and there are expectations set in this type of film. The young, attractive, woman, stalked by an unknown, masked assailant with a penchant for cutlery. As we know, Tree (Jessica Rothe) gets killed repeatedly on her birthday. We know it’s a slasher flick, expecting to see lots of blood and gore. Putting the main character in a time loop is definitely a twist in the storytelling.

Using repetition in film can be a tricky, stalling the momentum of the film. There was a moment during where I wondered when the loop would end, creating the feeling of hopelessness. It is at that time where Tree’s through process shifts and we travel with her in this never ending day. It takes a few times in the loop for Tree’s character to become enlightened She does figure out that each return is a do-over, an opportunity to make different choices.

The film also tips it’s hat to the college/high school, mean girl movies and definitely a nod to John Hughes Sixteen Candles. It had humor, wit and clever character development, I certainly did not expect to enjoy the film as much as I did. I would definitely watch it again to catch all of the references.