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Happy Death Day 2U Review: Sci-Fi Sequel or Slump?
In this episode of Sci-Fi Graveyard, Joseph, Jeremy, and Josh return to the time loop to review the 2019 sequel, Happy Death Day 2U. Directed by Christopher Landon, the film shifts genres from slasher horror to sci-fi comedy, explaining the time loop via a quantum reactor experiment gone wrong.
The discussion explores the film's "Back to the Future Part II" vibe, as Tree (Jessica Rothe) is thrown into an alternate dimension where her mother is still alive, forcing her to make a heartbreaking choice between her past and her future. The hosts praise the expanded role of Ryan (Phi Vu) and his science team, the clever suicide montage where Tree kills herself repeatedly to reset the loop, and the emotional depth added to Tree's character. They also debate the identity of the new Babyface killer (Dr. Butler in this timeline) and the post-credits scene that teases a DARPA-led third movie. Despite box office struggles preventing a trilogy, the crew agrees the sequel stands strong on its own, offering a fun, inventive twist on the original premise.
Key Highlights
[02:44] The Sci-Fi Explanation: Joseph explains how the sequel introduces the "Sisyphus Quantum Cooling Reactor" (SISSY), turning the slasher premise into a sci-fi multiverse story involving Ryan and his lab partners.
[04:51] Tesla vs. Edison: A fun tangent where Joseph discusses the opening shot of a Nikola Tesla bobblehead and launches into a history lesson on why Tesla is the true father of the 20th century, not Edison.
[08:31] Multiverse Stakes: The crew discusses the emotional core of the movie: Tree entering a dimension where her mother is alive, forcing her to choose between staying with her mom or returning to her boyfriend Carter in her original timeline.
[13:20] The Killer Reveal: A breakdown of the twist that the Babyface killer in this dimension is Dr. Butler (not Lori), revisiting the original planned ending for the first movie.
[25:50] Suicide Montage: The hosts highlight the "Hard Times" montage scene where Tree creatively kills herself (drinking bleach, jumping into a wood chipper) to memorize the math needed to fix the reactor.
[40:48] Happy Death Day to Us: Joseph mentions the potential third film, Happy Death Day to Us, which would involve a DARPA time loop experiment, and expresses hope that it eventually gets made to complete the trilogy.
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By Joseph Gettinger
4.3
33 ratings
In this episode of Sci-Fi Graveyard, Joseph, Jeremy, and Josh return to the time loop to review the 2019 sequel, Happy Death Day 2U. Directed by Christopher Landon, the film shifts genres from slasher horror to sci-fi comedy, explaining the time loop via a quantum reactor experiment gone wrong.
The discussion explores the film's "Back to the Future Part II" vibe, as Tree (Jessica Rothe) is thrown into an alternate dimension where her mother is still alive, forcing her to make a heartbreaking choice between her past and her future. The hosts praise the expanded role of Ryan (Phi Vu) and his science team, the clever suicide montage where Tree kills herself repeatedly to reset the loop, and the emotional depth added to Tree's character. They also debate the identity of the new Babyface killer (Dr. Butler in this timeline) and the post-credits scene that teases a DARPA-led third movie. Despite box office struggles preventing a trilogy, the crew agrees the sequel stands strong on its own, offering a fun, inventive twist on the original premise.
Key Highlights
[02:44] The Sci-Fi Explanation: Joseph explains how the sequel introduces the "Sisyphus Quantum Cooling Reactor" (SISSY), turning the slasher premise into a sci-fi multiverse story involving Ryan and his lab partners.
[04:51] Tesla vs. Edison: A fun tangent where Joseph discusses the opening shot of a Nikola Tesla bobblehead and launches into a history lesson on why Tesla is the true father of the 20th century, not Edison.
[08:31] Multiverse Stakes: The crew discusses the emotional core of the movie: Tree entering a dimension where her mother is alive, forcing her to choose between staying with her mom or returning to her boyfriend Carter in her original timeline.
[13:20] The Killer Reveal: A breakdown of the twist that the Babyface killer in this dimension is Dr. Butler (not Lori), revisiting the original planned ending for the first movie.
[25:50] Suicide Montage: The hosts highlight the "Hard Times" montage scene where Tree creatively kills herself (drinking bleach, jumping into a wood chipper) to memorize the math needed to fix the reactor.
[40:48] Happy Death Day to Us: Joseph mentions the potential third film, Happy Death Day to Us, which would involve a DARPA time loop experiment, and expresses hope that it eventually gets made to complete the trilogy.