Halloween (2018) Film Review
Halloween (2018) Review
“The night he came home” Even after 40 years on, John Carpenter’s horror classic remains an endearing part of Horror cinema. Not only paving for the way the genre was to change in years to come but just how marketable and financially successful a film with a minimal budget and fewer resources could be. The film, in the early stages, was going to be called The Babysitter Murders but the title Halloween is what stuck.
The story goes that a young boy named Michael Myers commits the ultimate evil by murdering his older sister with a big kitchen knife. As a result, he is put into the care of Doctor Loomis played by Donald Pleasence. Michael Myers subsequently escapes the confines of the asylum and flees to his hometown of Haddonfield on Halloween night. While in Haddonfield, local babysitter Laurie Strode played by then-unknown Jamie Lee Curtis, has to fight to survive Michael's killing spree before the night ends.
Earning early-on negative reception by the critics, the film overtime became revised as a brilliant piece of film-making and influence on directors and audiences to this day. As a result of the film’s box office success - several sequels were spawned - to capitalise on the ‘slasher’ craze that emerged during the 1980s. Most of these did not earn the respect of the critics or vast majority of fans of the original.
Halloween 2018 is the third attempt to bring out the series from the doldrums and to also bring back Laurie Strode into the core of the story once again. Starting with Halloween H2O in 1998, followed by Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake of John Carpenter's original. Neither of which ended up being warmly embraced by audiences and critics. The story here re-writes everything the sequels created and carries on precisely 40 years on since the original film’s timeline. Laurie Strode once again played by Jamie Lee Curtis, has become a paranoid mess since the events of the first film. Having been estranged from her daughter played by Judy Greer for whom she has fought to protect and train for what may come; along with her granddaughter.
Michael Myers has since been captured and held prisoner at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium where two journalists arrive and confront him with his trademark mask. After a prison transfer involving Michael goes wrong, it enables him to escape once more and go back to the town that made him a legend. After being left in doubt her for many years, Laurie soon gets word on his escape and is ready to arm herself. She will have to prep her family - for what she has been preparing them for - throughout their whole lives: the return of Michael Myers.
This particular sequel to the original is undoubtedly an affectionate one. Director David Gordon Green (Undertow, Stronger) and writer Danny McBride have expertly carved an entry that attempts to evoke the original film’s style and pace. The opening credit sequences and theme alone are made the same. The film contains nods to the original that are shown in certain scenes which evoke a feeling of homage but in the right way. Jamie Lee Curtis is fantastic in reprising her role, exuding a broken down but equally strong persona. Left scarred after her last encounter with Michael, she is clearly having a ball portraying Laurie Strode as essentially a ‘Sarah Conner’ figure in contrast.
The story goes that a young boy named Michael Myers commits the ultimate evil by murdering his older sister with a big kitchen knife. As a result, he is put into the care of Doctor Loomis played by Donald Pleasence. Michael Myers subsequently escapes the confines of the asylum and flees to his hometown of Haddonfield on Halloween night. While in Haddonfield, local babysitter Laurie Strode played by then-unknown Jamie Lee Curtis, has to fight to survive Michael's killing spree before the night ends.
Earning early-on negative reception by the critics, the film overtime became revised as a brilliant piece of film-making and influence on directors and audiences to this day. As a result of the film’s box office success - several sequels were spawned - to capitalise on the ‘slasher’ craze that emerged during the 1980s. Most of these did not earn the respect of the critics or vast majority of fans of the original.
Halloween 2018 is the third attempt to bring out the series from the doldrums and to also bring back Laurie Strode into the core of the story once again. Starting with Halloween H2O in 1998, followed by Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake of John Carpenter's original. Neither of which ended up being warmly embraced by audiences and critics. The story here re-writes everything the sequels created and carries on precisely 40 years on since the original film’s timeline. Laurie Strode once again played by Jamie Lee Curtis, has become a paranoid mess since the events of the first film. Having been estranged from her daughter played by Judy Greer for whom she has fought to protect and train for what may come; along with her granddaughter.
Michael Myers has since been captured and held prisoner at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium where two journalists arrive and confront him with his trademark mask. After a prison transfer involving Michael goes wrong, it enables him to escape once more and go back to the town that made him a legend. After being left in doubt her for many years, Laurie soon gets word on his escape and is ready to arm herself. She will have to prep her family - for what she has been preparing them for - throughout their whole lives: the return of Michael Myers.
This particular sequel to the original is undoubtedly an affectionate one. Director David Gordon Green (Undertow, Stronger) and writer Danny McBride have expertly carved an entry that attempts to evoke the original film’s style and pace. The opening credit sequences and theme alone are made the same. The film contains nods to the original that are shown in certain scenes which evoke a feeling of homage but in the right way. Jamie Lee Curtis is fantastic in reprising her role, exuding a broken down but equally strong persona. Left scarred after her last encounter with Michael, she is clearly having a ball portraying Laurie Strode as essentially a ‘Sarah Conner’ figure in contrast.
Judy Greer is also excellent, though not always given enough to do. As her screen time is often sidelined for Laurie’s granddaughter and her high-school friends. All of whom are ready to party and have a good time as the genre often features in these stories. David Gordon Green also knows how to light and direct Michael Myers as the haunting boogeyman in the most appropriate way. With scenes where Michael appears in shadow, or where Michael appears in jump scares involving a cupboard, evoking a sense of dread and foreboding. Nick Castle reprises his role as Michael Myers and clearly has lost none of that movement and menace that made the character famous formerly.
There are elements where the film falters. Such as, much of the film places bigger emphasise on teenage characters as a way that seems very marketable but takes away more important plot strands. Most importantly, the relationship between Laurie Strode and her daughter, which could have been explored more in-depth. Some of the pastiche elements of the film work for me. However, others may feel that it’s merely retreading ground; reminding of them of something better that came before this. There is also one plot device near the third act involving a central character. That when it was revealed, felt very mind-boggling and almost took me out of the film entirely.
Overall Halloween 2018 is undoubtedly a cut above the past sequels, which probably wasn’t that hard seeing as one entry involved Michael Myers facing off against Busta Rhymes (really!). The acting here is excellent, particularly from Jamie Lee Curtis. The atmosphere evokes dread and suspense, there is a good use of gore presented here and works as a decent follow up to John Carpenter’s bogeyman-fearing masterpiece.
Overall Halloween 2018 is undoubtedly a cut above the past sequels, which probably wasn’t that hard seeing as one entry involved Michael Myers facing off against Busta Rhymes (really!). The acting here is excellent, particularly from Jamie Lee Curtis. The atmosphere evokes dread and suspense, there is a good use of gore presented here and works as a decent follow up to John Carpenter’s bogeyman-fearing masterpiece.
3/5
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton
Director: David Gordon Green
Producers: Malek Akhad, Jason Blum, Bill Block
Writers: Danny McBride, Jeff Fradley
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