HAPPY DEATH DAY
Cert 15 Running time 96 minutes
With unashamed cheek the director of this repetitive slasher romp describes it as “the horror movie version of Groundhog Day”.
That comedy masterpiece sees a selfish weatherman fated to live the same day again until he learns to be a better person. In this raucous retread, the dynamite deadpan delivery of Bill Murray is replaced by the agreeably frantic and determined Jessica Rothe.
On her birthday, the university mean girl is murdered by a latex mask-wearing slasher. Giving a new twist to many happy returns, she suffers the same day in a loop until she can figure out who is responsible for her death. And raising the question of where homage ends and plagiarism begins, the script has the gall to namecheck Murray, Groundhog Day and even his other hit Ghostbusters.
This is a more successful example of Hollywood remaking classic movies with a female cast than last year’s Ghostbusters, and is worth seeing.
But probably just the once.