Happy Death Day (2017) Review – A Fresh and Fun Slasher Time-Loop

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing the time-loop slasher movie Happy Death Day (2017).

Wake up, die again!

My fiancée and I spoke about this a lot. How perfect would the Groundhog Day concept be for a horror movie? I mean, it’s almost a horror movie in itself. Imagine waking up every morning only to have to repeat the same day indefinitely. Along comes the fantastic Christopher Landon with Happy Death Day and it is pretty much everything I hoped it would be.

“Happy Death Day is like Scream meets Groundhog Day. It’s a proper nod to 90s teen slashers while also feeling fresh thanks to the time loop shenanigans.”

We follow Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) as she wakes up, on her birthday, in classmate Carter’s (Israel Broussard) bed. Trying to work out where she is and how she got there, she heads to lessons and goes about her day. Later on that night, Tree heads to a party where she is lured into an alley by a present on the ground. A masked killer appears behind her, stabs her, and ends her life… Or maybe not as she wakes up again in Carter’s bed just to relive the day all over again.

This is a story with a large cast and an even larger whodunit theme. There’s a good reason for that, though. Over time it becomes clear to Tree that she needs to find out which person is responsible for killing her. Indeed, it is the only way she can end the cycle and carry on her life. In that respect, Happy Death Day is like Scream meets Groundhog Day. It’s a proper nod to 90s teen slashers while also feeling fresh thanks to the time loop shenanigans.

A fun whodunit!

Obviously the repeated killings make for some exciting slasher vibes but it’s the mystery element that keeps things tight. The suspense is drawn out throughout the length of the movie and you are left with plenty of opportunities to guess who is responsible. I think Happy Death Day does this really well. The repeating day acts as a very convenient time capsule for this trope. Events can be changed ever so slightly to facilitate different potential killers and it supports significant narrative rug pulling.

The cycle repeats but it doesn’t get repetitive. In much the same way as other great time-loop movies do, each day feels unique. Along with Tree basically deciding to let her hair down a bit due to the lack of consequences, we also have a drip feeding of clues that deftly stretches the slim story over an extended period and keeps it feeling interesting and fresh. That’s something that deserves mention, too.

The ability of Happy Death Day to keep you guessing really masks the fact that the film has a pretty hefty 96 minute runtime. I can honestly say I was never bored or wondering when it was going to end. We watched this for the first time in the cinema and it felt like it absolutely flew by. Obviously this is a credit to the director Christopher Landon as there is barely a down moment in the entire movie.

“The cycle repeats but it doesn’t get repetitive. Along with Tree deciding to let her hair down, we have a drip feeding of clues that keeps the story feeling interesting and fresh.”

The kills are a ton of fun, too. They are handled in a slapstick manner at times but they can also be quite shocking, too. Tree tries to fight back but it’s mostly all for naught. The killer manages to adapt when she does rather than following the same predictable formula. It’s just a ton of fun.

It’s funny too, but that might prove divisive

There’s a keen sense of humour throughout Happy Death Day. The setup, itself, is fertile breeding ground for laughs but the characters are hilarious, too. Jessica Rothe has great comedic delivery and absolutely owns the subtle laughs throughout. Rachel Matthews has some fantastic moments. She made the entire cinema gasp-laugh with one slightly non-kosher line. She’s brilliant. This does raise another issue, though.

Objectively, I can imagine the mixing of styles is going to put a few people off. A lot of horror fans like their horror to be one thing or another. Happy Death Day is like Scream did it with Clueless while every slasher from the 80s watched. A lot of people will not enjoy these blending of styles and will likely be put off by the attempts at humour.

There’s also a very blatant romance plot that could have been ripped right out of a 2000s Ryan Reynolds movie. It’s a bit pointless and feels like filler. Speaking of which, there’s a whole narrative arc featuring Tree’s late mother. This felt really redundant. We already have slasher shenanigans, comedy, and romance. Do we need an emotional side story too? It felt like Landon was ticking boxes on a few occasions.

Excellent acting

I just loved Jessica Rothe as Tree. I don’t know how she would do in a serious drama or something but here she is in her element. She oozes charisma and attitude and brings a ton of energy to the role. We just watched Happy Death Day 2U and she did a really nice job there, as well.

“Jessica Rothe oozes charisma and attitude and brings a ton of energy to the role. She is always great, whether she is being a damsel in distress or turning the tables on killers.”

Whether she is being a damsel in distress, walking through the grounds of the school naked, or turning the tables on potential killers, she is always great. This is obviously very important. The movie focuses so heavily on Tree that, without a decent actor, it would be difficult to enjoy. Maybe some viewers won’t like her due to how much attitude she has but her performance is unique and lots of people will love her character.

Happy Death Day‘s side characters are also really good. Carter, played by Israel Broussard is very likable. Phi Vu as Ryan is funny in a limited capacity and, thankfully, has his role massively expanded in the sequel. Danielle, played by Rachel Matthews, as mentioned earlier is a total hoot.

The entire cast is great and they all bring something unique to the film. I am really looking for something to complain about here and there is honestly nothing. Characters are more fleshed out in the sequel and some of them are a little underdeveloped here but it isn’t really anything that interferes with the movie.

Great direction and cinematography

Movies that follow this kind of theme are particularly hard on directors. Deciding how events should flow and how to frame things is difficult enough on a regular movie. When it is one featuring a repeating sequence of events, however, it is even harder.

Christopher Landon does a fantastic job here. You are never really left feeling as though events don’t flow or make sense. The timeline is well maintained and there are very few goofs in the shots. I can’t wait to see more from him as I thought Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones was a pretty bloody underrated movie as well.

Cinematography in Happy Death Day is maybe easy to overlook. I actually think it is fantastic. Scenes jump from happy college life to comic slow motion shots to scenes that wouldn’t feel out of place in an 80s slasher movie. Throughout there is barely any noticeable decline in quality. When Happy Death Day needs to be a horror, it is a very good horror. When it needs to be a slice of life comedy, it is a very good slice of life comedy. It is very well done.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.