Horror movie lovers — and horror distribution companies — rejoice: Friday the 13th falls in the month of October this year, and it’s arguably one of the best days to market and release a scary movie.

“Happy Death Day” nabs the pivotal spot this year, but luckily University Union hosted an advanced screening on Monday night for students to catch before the unluckiest day of the year rolls around.

“Happy Death Day” follows sorority girl Teresa, Tree for short, played by Jessica Rothe of “La La Land,” over the course of her birthday, filled with drunken awkward hookups, trivial sorority business, making out with her biology professor, the usual. The only caveat is that at the end of the day, she is brutally murdered, only to wake up to the same day all over again. And again… and again.

Now if this sounds a lot like Bill Murray came back as a millennial sorority girl and acquired a stalking murderer, you’re right. However, the writers give credit where it’s due and actually end the film with a clear “Groundhog Day” nod. And like its inspiration, we’re never given an explanation as to why Tree is subjected to this time loop.

She’s blacking out on Sunday nights, hooking up with a married professor and being an all-around nasty human being. If reliving a day over and over again is what’s going to turn a mean girl into a do-gooder, then sure, why not? Belief has been suspended.

The general theme of the movie isn’t the only thing it shares with its spiritual parent film. “Happy Death Day” is actually pretty funny. There’s plenty of dark humor surrounding college culture including a healthy dose of Greek life jokes and hook up humor.

The horror aspects presented here really don’t extend far past a few jump scares and creepy baby masks, and any threat of Tree dying is negated by the fact that she’ll just wake up again. But luckily the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, which saves it from falling into the wasteland that is the PG-13 young-heroine-led slasher flick.

That’s not to say this is the next groundbreaking horror film from horror titan Blumhouse Productions’ workshop. The film’s final act starts teetering into cliché territory with several convenient tropes that we’ve all learned to love to hate by now, including convenient news broadcasts that are vital to the plot, serial killers with no motives and dark, empty hospital hallways. Luckily, the end half of the final act pulls the film out of the dark, and taken as a whole “Happy Death Day” is a pretty fun ride.

Jessica Rothe and company act with kitschy self-awareness. This is pulpy entertainment, don’t expect much, and you’ll be plenty entertained. Sounds pretty happy to me.

Lilly Stuecklen is a senior television, radio and film major. Her column appears weekly in Pulp. She can be reached on Twitter @Stuecks or by email at lsstueck@syr.edu.

Published on October 10, 2017 at 10:17 pm