Happy Death Day 2U (2019) Dir: Christopher Landon
- Ridley Coote
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
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After watching and very much enjoying the predecessor to this 2019 sequel, I was definitely encouraged to check out this follow-up, once again directed by Christopher Landon. The original had been such a pleasant surprise for me that I was legitimately quite excited to check out this second film, even if its reviews aren't quite as strong.
The visual and auditory aesthetics were fairly decent, similarly to the first film. I particularly liked the use of 'Hard Times' by Paramore - not only was it fit for purpose thematically, it is also legitimately a very good song by one of my all-time favourite bands. I wouldn't say the rest of the film was exceptional visually, but it was fine enough. I will, however, give credit for having strong continuity between the two films, from a costume and set design perspective.
The story was a bit wild, and not as good as its predecessor, but it still provided some good entertainment. On the one hand, going the goofy sci-fi way that the film did was a bit nonsensical and ridiculous, but, on the other, I honestly respected that the writers didn't want to make a rinse and repeat sequel. There was, unfortunately, a very frustrating plot hole that was seemingly just forgotten about and never addressed, which annoyed me a lot, but that was as bad as it got. The post-credit scene was funny, but admittedly very dumb.
Jessica Rothe continued to show the vibrance, personality, and charisma that won me over so fervently in her previous performance, and was just as likable once again. In fairness, she didn't show anything different, as such, however, I didn't really need much else from her. She was so easy to watch, and so much fun to watch as well. The film had its shortcomings, but Rothe wasn't among them.
The strength provided by the expanded nature of the narrative was that a lot of the supporting cast got to show a lot more of their character personas. Of those involved, I actually thought that the increased role of Phi Vu was a wise decision - he was great fun. Meanwhile, the likes of Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Suraj Sharma, and Rachel Matthews also proved to be solid sources of entertainment in their own rights.
Overall, whilst I definitely don't think this was as good as the first film, I did still enjoy it a fair amount, and was still left with a smile on my face when the credits rolled. Watching both of these films has been a really good time, and I think that's the most important thing. Neither film is an all-time classic, but they really don't need or try to be. They're just fun, and I really love that about them.
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