Well it’s back – again and again… And again. The film that depicts just how persistent death can be returns in this enjoyable, light-hearted sequel to the original Happy Death Day (2017). I initially expected Happy Death Day 2U (2019) to comfortably fall into my ‘terrible movie sequels’ category which has, over time, expanded to become a gargantuan black hole of regret, frustration and disappointment (mainly looking at Sinister 2 for this one…). But I am happy to report that not only did this comeback maintain my attention throughout its entirety, but it also had me excited for each twist and turn – and trust me, there are a lot of them.

Happy Death Day 2U isn’t your typical horror, replete with ghosts, ghouls and frights. It’s more of slasher comedy, verging on horror satire, if you will. What separates the sequel from the original is its ability to transcend one stock-standard genre, dipping its greedy fingers into a range of generic conventions and plot devices. Enter science-fiction, slapstick comedy, romantic plot points and surprisingly heart-wrenching moments of family drama. Tree (her name is one of my main pet-peeves in this franchise – I’m all for unique names, but not a fan of the whole inanimate object spiel like ‘apple’ or ‘blanket’) must properly delve into the loss of her mother and her changed family dynamic as she is confronted with an alternate reality where her mother has survived. The idea alone is enough to make a sensitive soul like myself well up a bit, but the way they manage Tree’s progression from relief/utter joy to confusion to hesitant acceptance is actually quite tasteful and realistic. That relationship is a strong emotional backbone to the otherwise ludicrously fun and ridiculous action and drama.

Now, I must admit that my shocking lack of science knowledge probably helped me to sit back and blissfully enjoy this movie. I admittedly am not an expert when it comes to alternate dimensions, time loops, parallel universes, yadda yadda yadda, and anyone that is could probably find a million things wrong with this film. But I appreciate their attempt to broaden out this otherwise shameless knock-off of the classic Groundhog Day. Happy Death Day 2U springs itself off the back of other existing pieces and really comes into its own space by playing with a variety of emotions, styles, pacing and genre. It was a risky move on their part, but one that I believe they more or less pulled off.

Although the ‘scare-appeal’ of the baby-masked killer is predominantly lost by now (thank you, desensitisation!), it still manages to maintain a snappy pace, build suspense through the constant twists from the first rendition and flesh out the secondary characters that we didn’t really get to know before. I also think that Tree (played by Jessica Rothe) was hilarious with her well-acted desperation, moments of apathy and general ‘pissed off-ness’. Was some of the comedy slightly forced and cliche? Yes. Could it have been a lot scarier? Sure. But did I leave feeling as if I had wasted nearly two hours of my life? Absolutely not. This movie is a lot of fun, it keeps you on your toes and you can’t help but laugh along at the quippy montages, refreshingly contemporary soundscore and its unapologetic ‘all in’ attitude.