(spoiler free)
Michael Myers, arguably the most iconic horror villain of all time has enjoyed a formidable forty years on screen. His countless outings have ranged from high to low in quality but his status as a horror icon has remained a constant. ‘Halloween’ (2018) sees Nick Castle’s Michael Myers reunite with Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode one last time. Retconning the already existing ‘Halloween’ sequels, this final chapter acts as a direct follow up to John Carpenter’s original 1978 classic.
After a brilliant initial sequence, which builds its momentum expertly, hearing that chilling ‘Halloween’ theme alongside the opening titles is nothing short of joyous. For fans of the series this should instantly induce goosebumps and provide one final burst of anticipation for the horror about to be unleashed. The set up for this sequel isn’t anything particularly groundbreaking, but it never needed to be. Fans want to see Laurie versus Michael and how the film gets us to this point in terms of plot is completely serviceable and complimented by its thoroughly entertaining content. The time gap between the films has allowed for some intriguing narrative and character developments too which really enhance the fairly standard concept. It’s not just Laurie this time, instead we have three generations of Strodes attempting to evade the deadly swipe of Myer’s kitchen knife. Laurie’s character development makes sense and her relationship and interactions with her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak) feel appropriate. So much of the film pays wonderful tribute to the original horror flick, providing excellent fan service in so many fun, clever and often subtle ways. Furthermore, and often as a by-product of this fan service, the film manages to include some really effective humour which works well alongside the horror.
This chapter of the ‘Halloween’ story isn’t for the faint of heart as with its ’18’ certificate the horror and violence is brutal to say the least. This merciless violence certainly adds to the atmosphere of the picture as it features some of the most savage and graphic deaths in recent slasher memory. As well as this the film is never short on tension with several sequences drenched in suspense being truly nerve shredding – introducing Michael Myers, Hide & Seek Champion 2018. Of course the instantly recognisable music consistently adds to this with John and Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davis’ updated score feeling simultaneously nostalgic and new. The same can be said of Jamie Lee Curtis’ swansong for Laurie being both reminiscent of her original performance but also showcasing her character’s thoughtful development whilst fully living up to her legendary scream queen status. The remaining cast are good and provide Michael with a fresh batch of babysitters and law enforcement to butcher. Judy Greer is the best of the rest standing out the most but this is all about Laurie versus Michael and it does not disappoint.
The film has an effortlessly brisk pace which actually makes ‘Halloween’ feel a good bit shorter than it is. Whilst it’s often good to trim the fat of a film’s run time on occasions here it feels like more could have made of this horror experience with potential for elongated sequences or even extra scenes. Its concise storytelling is most definitely a positive but I’m sure fans would have happily lapped up all the available screen time going for the final showdown between these two horror heavyweights even if that meant pushing the film to the two hour mark – this is less of a criticism though and more of a selfish longing for more of what this film so entertainingly delivers.
Only time will tell if this really is the final nail in the ‘Halloween’ film franchise coffin but at least for now this is an incredibly satisfying conclusion for two of horrors most celebrated characters. Despite the gap of forty years this sequel carries a remarkable continuity to the original film whilst also working expertly as a modern interpretation of the story. Director David Gordon Green has truly given fans a reason to celebrate not just the season but the series ‘Halloween’ once more. Watch out Haddenfield, the boogeyman is well and truly back and he means business.
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 9/10
Question: Other than ‘Halloween’ what is your favourite horror score?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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