20 Horror Movies Nobody Expected To Be Good

Christopher Landon's 2017 slasher Happy Death Day proved itself to be a fantastic genre-bending gem that saw a college student get trapped within a deadly Groundhog Day-style time loop on her birthday. Even with Landon returning to write and direct the aptly titled sequel, fans were skeptical of what else could be done with this premise for Happy Death Day 2U.

Picking up immediately where the first film ended, the follow-up sees Tree (Jessica Rothe) get sent into a parallel universe when a science experiment goes wrong, causing her to relive an alternate version of her birthday.

Although the sequel's sci-fi-heavy plot isn't as tightly written as its predecessor, Landon brings more than enough creativity to the table to build on the concept in intriguing new ways. Alongside its collection of ideas that take the narrative in unexpected directions, the script retains the same sharp sense of humour that made the original so much fun.

It's Rothe's performance that remains the sequel's strongest asset, as the actor brings so much energy and heart to the screen that it's impossible not to root for her to succeed.

Happy Death Day 2U demonstrated that this time loop horror was more than a gimmick.