Halloween, John Carpenter’s original 1978 film, is a horror masterpiece, an impeccably crafted slasher bolstered by dread-inducing atmosphere and a chillingly iconic score. It also featured a star-making performance from Jamie Lee Curtis, as prototypical “Final Girl” Laurie Strode, and introduced a legendary boogeyman in the form of the implacable Michael Myers. Halloween paved the way for a legion of sequels, reboots, and imitations, none of which have come close to matching The Horror Master’s original film in terms of quality. It truly is unimpeachable.
Four decades later, we now have…Halloween, a sequel that continues the story of Laurie Strode. The twist here is that it wisely ignores every film in the franchise that followed the original. That’s right: no more sibling rivalry, no more Cult of Thorn, and definitely no more Busta Rhymes (though I will continue to uphold the belief that Silver Shamrock still exists somewhere in this universe). This new iteration also boasts participation from Carpenter, who not only executive produces, but returns to provide a newly revamped version of his iconic soundtrack.
On paper, these elements feel like a return to Halloween’s classic roots, and should have been an easy layup for director David Gordon Green. The reality is much more disappointing, with the helmer electing to play things completely safe and indulge himself in recreating the original film’s most iconic moments, all while getting bogged down in misplaced stabs at comedy. Based on a screenplay by Green, Jeff Fradley, and Danny McBride, the new Halloween delivers thrills, but only in sporadic bursts. Laurie Strode and Michael Myers are back for another confrontation, but the film is much more content with reheating leftovers than providing a proper showdown.
Return to Haddonfield, Illinois
Forty years after The Night He Came Home, true-crime podcasters Dana Haines (Rhian Rees) and Aaron Korey (Jefferson Hall) pay a visit to Michael Myers (played by James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle, the latter reprising his role) at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, where the killer has been incarcerated since the night of his rampage (thus negating the original film’s famously ambiguous ending). Under the care of seedy Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), Michael is unresponsive to the journalists’ questioning, offering a dead end to their investigation.
Meanwhile, sole survivor Laurie Strode (Curtis) is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Living as a recluse in a fortified cabin in the woods, Laurie spends her days engaging in target practice and drowning her paranoia in booze. A twice divorcee, Laurie also struggles to maintain a relationship with estranged daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), yearning to keep them prepared for the worst, should the worst ever arrive.
And arrive it does, in the form of a bus crash during Michael’s prison transfer. Breaking free from his restraints and reuniting with his mask, The Shape is unleashed on Haddonfield, reigniting his reign of terror during All Hallow’s Eve. Laurie, arming herself and facing her greatest fear, prepares for one final showdown with pure evil.
Halloween wastes no time with introductions, efficiently filling the audience in on everything that’s transpired between two of Haddonfield’s most famous denizens in the decades that have passed. Michael is a visibly older man, facing his remaining years rotting in a prison cell, but is still presented as a pillar of death, capable of striking at any moment.
More effective is the situation with Laurie. Utterly devastated by her single encounter with Michael, Laurie is depicted as a woman on the edge, battling inner demons as she faces the repercussions of her own actions, having lost her family to her paranoia and neuroses. Returning to the role that made her famous, Curtis is remarkable during these moments, carrying most of the film’s weight on her shoulders.
Old Haunts, Familiar Scares
The real draw of Halloween is seeing The Shape back in action, and the film does not shy away from his viciousness. The brutality is often captured in long, sweeping takes, as heads are crushed with a hammer, bodies are repeatedly stabbed, and one particularly gruesome encounter details the slaughter of two bystanders in a gas station restroom. It’s all slickly executed by Green, but there’s a lingering sense of familiarity that dulls the blade of Michael’s knife.
Green, Fradley, and McBride are clearly enamored with the 1978 film, paying lip-service to the series (Michael and Laurie are no longer siblings; Dr. Sartain is directly referred to as “the new Loomis”) and offering a host of visual cues as well (Laurie observes her granddaughter in school from a stationary position across the street; backyards are strewn with bedsheets drying on clothes hangers). Some of Michael’s kills suffer from an unfortunate staleness, including another teenager who gets pinned to a wall with a kitchen knife, and the eye-hole blanket makes a return appearance as well. Green and Co. get so caught up with making references that they forget to do anything original with them.
There’s also a bizarre focus on comedy for this go-round, and it hampers the film more than it helps. Supporting characters are turned into wisecracking clowns, extending scenes longer than they need to with endless repartees of bon mots that are often deadlier than Michael himself. The adolescent characters are the largest culprits, engaging in permissive behavior that could have used some attention in the editing room (I point the finger squarely at McBride and his contributions to the screenplay).
This might be a controversial statement, but perhaps the grandest disappointment of the film comes from that of John Carpenter, who returns to scoring duties alongside Cody Carpenter and Daniel A. Davies. The much-lauded Halloween theme returns in full, but it rings absolutely hollow when it finally plays. A missed opportunity.
Halloween: Conclusion
Green eventually tighten things up for the grand finale, pitting three generations of Strode women against The Shape in Laurie’s dungeon of traps. The switch to “haunted house” mode is effective, allowing Green to build genuine tension (and indulge in a few more visual callbacks to the original film along the way). Halloween ends strongly, which always helps, but the picture lacks imagination in too many other areas to have any lasting impact.
What do you think? Is this the best sequel the Halloween franchise has to offer?
Halloween released in cinemas on October 19th.
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