Director David Gordon Green’s take on the Halloween formula doesn’t strive for the nuance and subtle dread that John Carpenter put into his original film. But it’s hard for anyone to recreate the unique sort of atmosphere of the 1978 tale, even with Carpenter himself as an executive producer.
This new 2018 sequel is something of a reboot for the series- based on Carpenter’s personal dissatisfaction with many following Halloween chapters that didn’t represent the deranged Michael Myers how he’d hoped for, it retcons itself immediately after the very first film forty years ago and disregards the other series entries, serving as a “back to basics” vehicle for the Shatner mask-sporting maniac.
October 31 is approaching, and Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her role as an understandably more paranoid Laurie Strode, unwilling to have any sort of conversation with Myers after the tragic night that redefined her life as per a podcaster’s (Jefferson Hall) suggestion. In fact, she’s gone full blown Sarah Conner, building a bunker under her kitchen and arming herself to the teeth with anti-Myers firearms and weaponry, and her daughter Karen (Judy Greer has had to deal with the misfortune of being her John Conner.
After four decades on Karen’s ready to move past the Boogeyman and raise Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) to the best of her ability, who’s equally weary of Laurie’s worldview and is planning on having fun with her friends for the upcoming Halloween school dance.
Curtis delivers an effective and determined performance within this new twist on her character, a former Final Girl who still displays visible scars from her past. While this movie is primarily aiming to be a fun slasher movie experience, there’s enough insight to Michael’s status as a mysterious entity of evil that is far too dangerous to be left alive that sets him up as something to be truly feared.
We’d certainly like for Strode to be able to finally move on and find a sense of comfort and normalcy. But of course, that wouldn’t make for a very entertaining Halloween movie. Sure enough despite the efforts of Michael’s new psychiatrist Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), the silent and super-powerful monster gets loose while being transferred to a new prison, and makes his way back to his old stomping grounds of Haddonfield, Illinois to take back his signature night.
Perhaps the strong element of humor in this new Halloween shouldn’t be too surprising, given that Danny McBride was a co-writer of the script. But the comedy is mostly used to better establish and humanize the unassuming victims that the Shatner mask-wearing madman confronts.
One of his attacks on one of Allyson’s friends (Virginia Fardner) on holiday-babysitting duties showcases some funny banter between her and her client Julian (Jibrail Nantambu) that got some major chuckles from my audience, who was happy to get involved audibly with the film anyway.
But Myers fortunately still has an intense presence, with Nick Castle reprising his role along with some help from newcomer James Jude Courtney to make his way towards a dagger-versus shotgun final showdown with Strode. With John’s original score in the background, he leaves a trail of gore in his wake that, while not as graphic as the likes of the Saw series, is still considerably nastier and a bit more visible than the executions in Carpenter’s original classic.
This current incarnation of Halloween isn’t as patient as its predecessor, and it follows a standard formula that’s close to most of the films in the series, with the exception of the third movie (watch for a related Easter egg). But thanks to input from its original creator, it’s an entertaining and unsettling terror tale that builds to a pretty fun and thrilling conclusion.
There are some loose plot ends- especially the ones involving the podcasters, Sartain and his desire to get inside Myers’ mind and what fuels his desire for mayhem- that I would have liked to have been explored further. But this movie is basically through Laurie’s viewpoint, and she’s not interested in small-chat or nuance when it comes to knife-wielding maniacs.
Greer and Curtis’s performances especially are memorable, and there are points throughout this film where the heroic Laurie is equally as imposing as her iconic arch-nemesis. And while I won’t give anything away, it unfolds in a way that’ll easily allow for a potential new sequel. If you’d had the chance to see it, hop on @Official_FAN on Twitter and let us know your feelings as always!