Halloween (2018)

Halloween (2018)

7/10

Starring

Jamie Lee Curtis

Judy Greer

Andi Matichak

Directed by David Gordon Green

This movie is awesome! Of all the Halloween films, this one is by far the best. It has an unexpected twist that completely caught me off guard, and, as expected, Jamie Lee Curtis—the horror queen—delivers one of the most amazing performances.

This movie serves as a direct sequel to the original. Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle reprise their roles as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, respectively (though Nick, being much older, didn’t play the masked killer in action scenes). I really liked the approach they took—everything that happened after the first film is ignored. Michael Myers isn’t Laurie’s brother; he’s just a deranged psychopath.

It’s a cool thriller packed with all the necessary scares. While it might not terrify you, you’ll definitely be on the edge of your seat once Michael starts hunting Laurie’s family.

I appreciated how the script avoided making Michael seem supernatural. We see him get hurt—not that he screams or shows much emotion—but it’s clear how his injuries slow him down and affect his ability to kill so efficiently. Like in Halloween H20 (1998), I loved how Laurie gears up to fight rather than just running away.

The plot takes us back to Haddonfield, forty years after the original incident. Laurie Strode, the sole survivor of Michael Myers’ 1978 killing spree, is still haunted by the trauma. It’s been four decades, but the post-traumatic stress has left her isolated. She’s had two failed marriages and a daughter, Karen (Judy Greer), who wants nothing to do with her. Laurie lives in a heavily fortified house, cut off from most of the world. The only person she keeps close is her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak).

Meanwhile, Michael is locked away in a high-security facility. When a pair of podcasters revive his story, something in him snaps. He escapes, returning to Haddonfield and reigniting Laurie’s worst fears. As Michael resumes his killing spree, Laurie’s defensive instincts kick into high gear.

This movie wisely avoids continuing Rob Zombie’s reboot of the franchise, which was a great decision. Zombie’s version dragged the series into B-movie territory, but this sequel brings it back into the mainstream with high production quality and sets a new standard for the franchise.

The film grossed over $255 million worldwide on a $15 million budget, making it the highest-grossing movie in the series. Its commercial and critical success has already led to two sequels in development: Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.

Overall, this movie is an absolute thrill ride and definitely worth watching.