It’s Halloween time, and what better way to celebrate than by watching everyone’s favorite horror movie icon, Michael Myers, murder countless people in his newest film, “Halloween Kills.” But is the latest film in the “Halloween” series worth checking out in theaters? Well, it depends on what you expect from the film.
Some context is needed to explain the overly convoluted chronology of the “Halloween” series. The first film, “Halloween,” came out in 1978 and would spawn seven less than stellar sequels. Then there was a remake in 2007 and a sequel to that remake in 2009. Then the 2018 film, “Halloween,” disregarded all of the past sequels and remakes, serving as a direct sequel to the original 1978 film. “Halloween Kills” is the follow up to the 2018 film.
“Halloween Kills” takes place immediately after “Halloween” (2018). Michael Myers is still alive and on a killing spree in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois. One aspect of the story that makes it stand out from the countless other slasher films is that it focuses on the trauma that Michael Myers left on the townsfolk. The film also tackles the theme of mob mentality and how the citizens of Haddonfield become just as ruthless as Michael Myers as they try to hunt him down. None of it is particularly subtle, but it does provide more substance to the film.
Anyone going into “Halloween Kills” with the expectation of a solid horror movie should leave satisfied. The title of the film is accurate: Michael Myers does kill, a lot. The movie does have some humor – it is co-written by Danny McBride after all – but it mostly has a serious tone that does a great job at making Michael Myers the horrifying character he should be.
The cast is another strong aspect of the film. The 2018 film brought back Jaime Lee Curtis in her iconic role of Laurie Strode, and she returns for “Halloween Kills.” While she has a smaller role in this new film, it is still great to see her character again. The entire supporting cast are all good quality actors and miles ahead of the performances usually found in other horror movies.
The aspect of the film that this review and many fans of the series will take issue with is the last act and what it means for the next film – which has already been filmed and is set to be released next year. Without spoiling anything, the film makes a big revelation about Michael Myers in the last few scenes, and thus takes away a lot of his mystique, something that fans of the original film love.
It is especially egregious considering that these past two films intentionally disregarded the past sequels because they explained too much, and yet, these new films are now doing the same thing. The simplicity and ambiguous nature of the first film is what made it so terrifying; each sequel that explains too much just ends up diluting the series.
While this film may frustrate those that love the original film, I’d still recommend “Halloween Kills” to those that are just looking for a good horror film. It is a very entertaining and well-made movie that should satisfy most people looking to get into the Halloween spirit.
3.5 out of 5 stars
