‘Happy Death Day’: Horror film steeped in comedy

With mere days before Halloween, studios often scramble to throw cinematic chum into theaters in hopes of attracting hungry horror fans eager for a taste of cinematic adrenaline prior to the holiday. 

The past few years have been filled with sequels, prequels and reboots in the genre, from Ouijas to Paranormal Activities to ever-dulling Saws, there has been little growth outside the standard jumps and jolts we’ve come to expect. 

Every now and then, though, one film crawls out of the grue and manages to make a name for itself. And while it does not reinvent the Catherine Wheel, “Happy Death Day” offers just enough originality, and far more talent, than we’ve come to expect from the genre at this time of year.

With an obvious nod to “Groundhog Day,” “Death Day” sets up a premise in which main character Tree (played by Jessica Rothe) awakens on her birthday to spend the day as a self-serving, snotty sorority sister, only to find herself at the business end of a knife by the day’s end. 

But just as she’s about to take that last blink, she wakes up in exactly the same situation in which she started the day. When she steps back from her predicament, she realizes that the list of those who wish to do her wrong is extensive, and she begins to alter each day, attempting to prevent her internal birthday candle from being extinguished and reveal her assailant. 

This concept is one that may seem derivative at first blush, but you need look no further than 2014’s sci-fi flick “Edge of Tomorrow” to see how well this premise can be effectively adapted to different genres. It certainly helps that the cast, consisting mostly of little-known actors, commits fully to their roles and helps us invest our interest in their growth, despite them all being stuck on “repeat.”

Rothe is an absolute find as the lead. We watch her morph from an aggressively obnoxious party girl to an increasingly sympathetic victim with each new morning. The film also finds time to introduce us to the root of her initial behavior as she plumbs the depths of her death. She is aided by a sweet-natured schlub (played by a likeable Israel Broussard), in whose dorm she awakens each morning after a night of hard partying. And even though for him it's the same morning-after, the film manages to create an organic relationship between the two. 

While this film is marketed as a “horror,” it more frequently steers into the lane of comedy. Even the deaths that occur are, for the most part, bloodless, earning its PG-13 rating. Sure, there are plenty of stock scares that adhere to the genre, but it’s got much more on its mind. 

“Happy Death Day” reminds me of 2015’s “The Final Girls,” an underappreciated horror homage that respected its roots, was led by a strong cast and was able to mine tired tropes for new twists. 

The film was released by Blumhouse Productions, a company that has been building a reputation for releasing solid, low-budget horror that is perhaps a cut above (starting with the first “Paranormal Activity” in 2009, and including such breakout titles this year’s “Split” and “Get Out”). 

While “Happy Death Day” may not be in the same league as February’s “Get Out” (still one of the year’s best films), it is far more entertaining and engaging than one would expect from a film with such a title and premise. And unlike its lead, it is a cinematic scenario you won’t mind revisiting more than once.