Movie

Happy Death Day (2017)

Teen slasher movies have been done to death (pardon the obvious cliché), so it’s always welcome when someone injects a dose of originality. This 2017 film mixed familiar genre staples (girl in peril, masked killer, everybody a suspect) with the time loop plotline from Groundhog Day (1993). The resulting crossover had the heroine Tree reliving (and dying) the same day until she solved her own murder.

This setup allows Tree to meet many sticky ends at the hands of the mascot-masked psycho, instead of the plot immunity normally afforded to final girls. One nice element was Tree’s progression from hapless screaming victim to determined investigator, and then to leather-clad badass by the finale.

It takes a dozen minutes – with plenty of exposition – before the first kill, when Tree stupidly wanders into a darkened tunnel to investigate a music box. Only to get knifed by the murderer. The heroine goes through a period of denial before she wises up and avoids the death trap. Taking refuge at a party isn’t a bad idea, but it doesn’t save her from a second skewering.

Many characters are presented as potential killers, including boyfriends and sorority girls. Tree crosses most off her suspect list, usually when she sees them (or their body) at the same time as the murderer. There’s an attempt to pin the killings on a crazy serial killer, but it’s not hard to figure out he’s just a red herring and who the real psycho is. Despite the predictable outcome, this is an entertaining romp with a nice twist on the usual slasher affair.

Villainess

Lori Spengler (Ruby Modine)

The girl behind the mask turns out to be Tree’s roommate, Lori. She conveniently works at the hospital where the serial killer was a patient, making him an ideal patsy. Seasoned horror fans will peg Lori as the killer long before the reveal, given her open hostility to Tree. Her motive is a wacky mix of jealousy over Tree’s affair with a doctor / teacher and “just because”.

Despite the insane monologue, Lori’s kills are inventive. Besides basic stabbings, Tree is drowned in a fountain and incinerated in a flaming police car before she figures out the mystery. The villainess’ initial plan was to poison her victim with a birthday cupcake, but Tree doesn’t eat it until she thinks she’s won. Then the day repeats, and she realises the nutcase male isn’t the killer.

There’s a decent deduction speech with Lori unmasked as the villainess, and the climax is suitably crazy. Tree and Lori have a massive dorm room fight, which culminates when Tree grabs a light fixture and swing kicks the murderess through a window.

Honourable Mention: Teen Slashers

Happy Birthday to Me (1981) – Ann Thomerson (Tracey Bregman)

A more traditional slasher flick from the early 1980s, and a quirky one. The varied kill scenes include a scarf thrown into a spinning bike wheel and, most infamously, a shish-kebab through the mouth. Production values are higher than usual for teen horror, too.

The main character is Ginny, a girl with a traumatic past. About two-thirds of the way through, she’s revealed as the killer. Or so it seems, since the actual murderer is her friend Ann wearing a latex mask. This is a cop-out, as the lead actress plays the role prior to the reveal. The motive is a confusing revenge tale about a birthday party years ago, Ann being half-sister to Ginny, and an affair with Ginny’s father.

The climax is completely out there, with dead bodies arranged around a birthday party table. After such a bizarre setup, it’s disappointing that the struggle between Ginny and Ann is brief. This ends with Ann stabbed in the chest and Ginny with plenty of explaining to do.

Girls Nite Out (1982) – Barney / Katie Cavanaugh (Rutanya Alda)

Another psycho dressed as a university mascot is the highlight of this 1980s slasher (also known as The Scaremaker). An inmate at the local nuthouse commits suicide, inspiring an unknown killer to “borrow” the bear costume (after they stab the owner), attach razor claws to the furry gloves, and turn a scavenger hunt into a student hunt. On the dark campus, the teens are easy pickings.

Production values are high for the era, with an impressive college arena scene and dozens of extras when the police are finally called. Before that, the killer phones the student radio station and whispers about whores in a cackling, gender-neutral voice. The head of security dismisses it as a prank (surprise!) until he connects the murders to the dead inmate’s twin sister.

The cafeteria lady is the killer, suffering from a split personality. A creepy outfit and some eerie stalk and slash scenes are undone by the “resolution” that resolves nothing. The minor guard character confronts the slasher who’s ditched the costume for bland casual clothes. She opens a freezer to reveal the body of her brother wearing a bear claw.

After that “what the hell” moment, the credits roll, leaving Barney’s fate ambiguous. Where’s a gutsy final girl confrontation when you need one? Honourable mention for the bear, shame about the ending.