 | MOVIE DETAILS • Name: Happy Death Day • Year: 2017 • Country: USA • Director: Christopher Landon • Main cast: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine • Runtime: 96 minutes • Production company: Blumhouse Productions, Digital Riot Media, Vesuvius Productions • TRAILER |
Coinciding with its opening in theatres in several countries in the world (which include the USA, but not Spain or Germany, where it will be out in November), Sitges Film Festival screened today the movie Happy Death Day. As many of you might now, this is some sort of new version of Groundhog Day (1993), but in the key of a teenage horror slasher. A college student relives the day of her murder with both its unexceptional details and terrifying end until she discovers her killer’s identity.
The movie doesn’t differ much from any other teenage slasher of this kind. The dull superficiality of American college sororities, the adolescents more focused on parties and sex than their actual studies, and a stupid killer that might make Michael Myers cry of shame. The plot is pretty stupid, although it is very much based on the already mentioned Groundhog Day (1993). It even includes a little joke about it at the end of the movie, that I found more absurd than smart. But I assume in a movie with this so similar plot, the little tribute was mandatory.
Happy Death Day is written by Scott Lobdell, experienced TV movies and series writer. Christopher Landon, whose more recent work until the date was Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015), another weak teenagers slasher, takes the directional duties. Jason Blum, via his company Blumhouse Productions, has produced the movie. That warranties the worldwide distribution and a good set of pretty unknown but competent actors who serve correctly to the porpuses of the film.
After seeing the trailer of Happy Death Day, I was pretty sceptical to face the movie. It looked like more of the same slasher flick, an insubstantial story and an unpersonal treatment that was too close to the masterpiece Groundhog Day (1993) is. And I was right, this is what it is. So if you like teenage slashers, definitely go for it. But I was expecting something with a little bit more essence, so I can’t rate it higher than a sheer 5.
RATE: 5/10
IMDB URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5308322
