© 2019 Universal Studios credit: Michele K. Short/U.

The year was 2017, and a little film called Happy Death Day hit the screen. I was shocked that this out-of-left-field teen horror/comedy found a way to entertain me and give me that much enjoyment. So the sequel Happy Death Day 2U can’t find a way to do it again — can it?

Tree (Jessica Rothe) is back, and she has put the nightmare of her birthday —which she relived in a time loop until she successfully prevented her own murder — behind her and is focusing on her new relationship with Carter (Israel Broussard). But it’s happening again to someone else: Carter’s friend Ryan (Phi Vu), who is stuck reliving the day after Tree’s birthday.

Tree wants to help, but when her efforts put her back inside that repeated birthday in a different universe, well, get ready for your minds to be blown as our little horror/comedy turns into a sci-fi parallel-universe romp with a twist or two and some good-natured fun along the way.

I never expected to like this sequel as much as I did. In fact, the day after viewing it, I ran to my library and watched the first film yet again, and it was amazing. All of my thoughts about the viewing I just completed were verified. The filmmakers do a magical job of arranging the pieces from the two movies into a cohesive puzzle. Viewed together, they feel like a really cool and delightful unison of horror, comedy and science fiction thrown together in a magical recipe.

I loved seeing Rothe back on the screen and experiencing the way that writer/director Christopher Landon organized the pieces. The film makes the genre bigger than itself. It’s not just a rehash of your typical slasher film. In fact, this new installment is hardly a horror film at all.

It’s such a fun ride, but for once, I must insist you see Happy Death Day before you experience this sequel. Without knowledge of the original, this film is just another average entry in the movie landscape. Sure, they try to rehash the first film in a 30-second montage, but there is so much more to take in.

And yes, there is an extra mid-credits scene to show where the franchise may eventually head. Watch all of it — I did. And then, see the first film again, and then see this film again, and then — well, you get the point.

Happy Death Day 2U is available On Demand and on DVD beginning May 14. Check your cable system for availability