Only Treats This Halloween
By Paul Hall
Halloween has long been fertile ground for scary movies. Freddy and Jason, mysterious creatures and unexplained phenomena have all scared us in movies that not only inhabit October, but also definitely thrive during the spookiest month of the year. But one name stands alone for horror fans when you mention Halloween — Michael Myers. And the personification of evil that lives within Myers returns in the new film Halloween Kills.
When we last left Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in Halloween in 2018, she thought she had finally rid the world of Michael. Spoiler alert — as in every Halloween film — she did not finish the job. In Halloween Kills she will get that chance yet again.
At the hospital, getting treated for her injuries, Laurie, her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) are trying to recover from the final battle that left her compound ablaze. The fact that they were hurt does not dampen their enthusiasm for their accomplishment. They are satisfied — Michael is gone. The three are blissfully unaware that evil still lives.
While everyone else in town is enjoying another Halloween night, Michael has extricated himself and is set on continuing his rampage. As the town becomes aware of the fate of the first responders to the blaze where Michael was left to burn, an angry mob begins to grow. Led by Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall) along with other survivors of Michael’s past killing sprees, the entire town agrees that evil dies tonight.
And just wait until Laurie finds out Michael isn’t dead. Can the evil finally be sent packing from Haddonfield?
Halloween Kills is not your garden-variety horror movie. From the moment it begins, it feels as much like an old-fashioned ghost story as compared to a straightforward slasher film, only this ghost is walking among the living. Michael’s relative ease of movement throughout the small Illinois town is a staple yet again, and director David Gordon Green allows for a deeper story for both Michael and the town while not skimping on the carnage that one man can deliver.
It is great to see Curtis back. The veteran actor lets herself take a back seat for much of the film, as the story of Michael Myers has grown to be bigger than Laurie Strode. Surrounding Curtis with talented individuals and deep character backgrounds provides for a plethora of possibilities as the film unfolds.
Fans of story get all kinds of it here; fans of slasher visuals see a variety of displays of brute force; and fans of the spooky nature of the Halloween franchise will find decent rewards at every turn.
Trick or treat has never been the same since I saw the original Halloween over 40 years ago, and after Halloween Kills, that fact will not be changing. The boogeyman is scary in all forms. Michael Myers will live in my head for quite some time and that’s not a bad thing. Halloween Kills delivers only treats this spooky season.
Paul’s Grade: B-
Halloween Kills
Rated R
Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak
Director: David Gordon Green
Halloween Kills — In theaters and on Peacock 10.15.21
Content released to Syndicated Partners 10.15.21