“I met him, 15 years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this… six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and… the blackest eyes – the Devil’s eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil.” – Dr. Loomis
Since the release of the original in 1978 every subsequent release has been debatably questionable in quality. While I for one am a fan of the original five films, Halloween III notwithstanding, there’s no doubt that none of them can compare to the original masterpiece. This is why, after forty years it makes me so happy to say that finally we have a sequel that lives up to everything the original created.
Halloween (2018) is a prime of example that the slasher genre is far from dead. It’s like any other genre. If you have strong characters navigating an interesting story no matter the simplicity of that story, a serial killer on the loose, it can still be engaging and possibly most important fresh. Written by Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) himself and directed by the man behind Your Highness (Seriously) this sounds like a bad joke waiting to happen. Instead their powers combined have given the horror loving world a movie that not only lives up to but surpasses expectations.
The first step taken to bring back what made the original great is the leading lady herself, the Scream Queen of Scream Queens, Jamie Lee Curtis who makes a triumphant, brilliant return as Laurie Strode. After that they brought back the maestro himself to oversee the process, John Carpenter returns not just to help steer the ship but to score the film. Through confident direction from David Gordon Green and an impeccable score by Carpenter the vibe of 70’s horror shines with a healthy mixture of modern pacing and logical story progression.
The smartest thing they’ve done with the franchise is to take what worked before, cut off what hasn’t and to emulate but not outright copy its predecessors. They utilize what has come before allowing for the legend of The Shape to precede his every moment on screen creating tension filled story moments that are both entertaining, violent and even shocking. Early in the film a death occurs that sets the tone for the rest of the film. It proclaims that the gloves are off and the squeamish best look away.
So much of the film is reliant on the story of what’s transpired on the hallowed grounds of Haddonfield. The power of his reputation elevates the story to greater heights making it a stronger film overall. At this point in the mythos of Michael Myers his reputation is so larger than life it brings about questions that the citizens of this sleepy town must ask themselves; primarily is he really that dangerous? It would seem that after forty years of captivity nothing but pent up anger and aggression have built into a bomb about to explode on the innocence of anyone caught in his path. After forty years he is just as evil and dangerous as ever.
Everything about this film just works. From the script to the direction to the enthralling performances from Curtis and cast The Shape is back in top form ready to break necks and slash throats. I was so excited for this return to what made the franchise great and it exceeded everything I was hoping it would deliver. The twists and turns are logical and compelling allowing for believable growth in both story and character. It respects what has come before it while not remaining in awe of it thus stalling any kind of evolution. Halloween (2018) is the sequel we wanted and the cast and crew were all too happy to give us what we asked for. The Shape has returned in top form.
Rated R For: horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use and nudity
Runtime: 106 minutes
After Credits Scene: No
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Nick Castle, Andi Matichak, Haluk Bilginer
Directed By: David Gordon Green
Out of 5 Nerdskulls
Story: 5/ Acting: 4/ Directing: 5/ Visuals: 5
OVERALL: 5 Nerdskulls
Buy to Own: Yes
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