Happy Death Day (2017) - A cut above the rest

'Happy Death Day' is one of those movies that doesn't try to hide where it's taken its inspiration from - in this case 'Groundhog Day,' which it finally admits near the end, so there’s no mistaking where the “repeat the same day again and again” set-up comes from. But instead of just being a lazy copy, it takes that formula and mashes it together with a slasher storyline—and it works way better than it probably should.

At first, the main character is pretty unlikable. She’s self-absorbed, snarky and the kind of horror protagonist you actually may even want to end up on the wrong end of a serial killer's knife. But soon you realise that that’s part of the fun, because as she relives her death day over and over, she actually starts to change. Watching her growth gives the story more charm than most slashers ever bother with and by the end, you find yourself rooting for her.

It’s not groundbreaking, but there's definitely enough dark comedy mixed in with the slasher element to make it a fresh spin that makes it stand out from the recent flood of horror flicks.  Add in some genuinely fun moments (courtesy of the lead actress - who makes her performance stand out from the majority of 'scream queens!') and a surprisingly heartfelt arc and you’ve got a film that’s definitely a cut above.

7/10