A horror movie releasing on Friday the 13th with a premise very similar to Groundhog Day...this has all the makings of a cash-grab.

I'm happy to say, that's not the case here.

Happy Death Day is not ground-breaking. It's not trying for anything new. It's even pretty silly at times. But you know what? It knows all of this. Turns out this movie is far too self aware to be bad. With an incredibly well done lead performance from Jessica Rothe, navigating the repetitive nature of Happy Death Day is more enjoyable than obnoxious.

In fact, the best part about the film is the character development. Rothe opens the film as the protagonist you like to dislike. Carrying the stereotypical sorority persona, its awesome to see how her character learns about herself through living the same day over and over. There are some scares along the way, but there mild. There are some laughs too, and they're so perfect. And ultimately, there's a good time to be had.

A horror movie releasing on Friday the 13th with a premise very similar to Groundhog Day...this has all the makings of a cash-grab. I'm happy to say, that's not the case here.

Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 1 | Entertainment Value - 2 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 2