My spoiler free review of HALLOWEEN KILLS. I've seen it a couple of times now, and have really taken the time to try to look at it and review it for what it is, a sequel and a slasher film. For some background context: I love the original HALLOWEEN. It is my favorite horror film. I love HALLOWEEN (2018), though can see it's flaws. I like Halloween 4, I think Halloween II is merely okay, and think every other entry is complete ****e. Again, this is completely my opinion, and I stand firm in it having let the film sink in.
HALLOWEEN KILLS
Let me get this straight out of the way. As if the title did not reveal it to be as such, HALLOWEEN KILLS, is a slasher film. The ultimate slasher film, when you really look at all that it packs. Anything anyone ever wanted from an actual SLASHER film is here. Again, not a horror film, but a slasher film. David Gordon Green clearly understands the audience here. Whereas HALLOWEEN (2018) was a film that focused majorly on Laurie from her perspective as she gripped with the trauma she experienced from that night 40 years ago, HALLOWEEN KILLS is Michael's film. It is the ultimate Michael Myers film. You want 1978 Michael? You get that. You want a brutal, brute, unstoppable force (who still keeps his overall essence as a character from the original; no motivation, a playfully sadistic sense of cat & mouse), you get that. It delivers in spades in every aspect. As one reviewer put it, it ticks off every box for a slasher film and then some.
Getting deeper into my thoughts, simply put, I loved this film. Though there's slasher tropes galore, there's still not 'quite' a slasher film like it. While processing the film after the fact, I've failed to recall a single slasher film that has this epic sense of scope and scale. There is simply... none. This film is dense. It is heavy with kills, and set pieces. Yet it moves at an incredible pace, and never once manages to feel like too much. It's just right. When looking at it as a trilogy (and for reviewers that refuse to do so, or act like every film needs to 100% stand on itss own), the film REALLY works. Off the back of HALLOWEEN (2018), HALLOWEEN KILLS delves right into the action, introducing new Haddonfield residents (some expanded from the previous entry), reintroducing characters from the first (shout out to Anthony Michael Hall and Kyle Richards portrayals as Tommy and Lindsey), and reestablishing the whereabouts of our main trio. This film isn't meant to be anything more than an entertaining slasher film that sometimes (depending on how invested you are in the characters, and of Haddonfield in general) goes deeper. I am clearly part of the latter group. The film centers around how fear can spread through a community, and how a community grapples with that fear. Whether it's watching loved ones mourn the brutal loss of a close one, or seeing that fear turn into determination and anger, the film is a gripping portrait at Haddonfield as a whole, something Halloween 4 barely scratched the surface with, but for slasher standards, this film runs with.
What will surely be the most divisive thing about this film is the violence, gore, and the kills. There are a lot of kills in this movie. It has the highest kill count of any individual HALLOWEEN film and majority of them are on screen. As a (mostly) HALLOWEEN (1978) purist, the gore/violence did not bother me one bit for a couple of reasons which I'll quickly explain. Though the film is gory, and Michael is at his most sinister and brutal, the overall mystique of The Shape is still in tact. No, he is not a member of the Cult of Thorn. No, he was not a little kid who killed animals while getting yelled at by his white trash step Dad. He is simply, as established in the original, evil. Evil incarnate. No motive. No nothing. The blackest eyes. The Devils eyes. That the film manages to make that abundantly clear, while amping up his brutality and kill count manages to make him the scariest version of The Shape yet. One that does hide behind corners, and wait for the right moment, but also one that will brutally murder you for no reason other than... well, he's evil. That combination really works here, especially as the theme of fear throughout Haddonfield needed to be established ten-fold. There are several death sequences that are as Christopher Nelson described HALLOWEEN (2018)'s deaths, 'postcards'; kills that will be etched in your brain long after the film is over.
Let's talk characters a bit. Though the dialogue is a bit stilted at times (some more than others), the acting throughout is excellent. Everyone in this film is committed to their roles. There are several death sequences that make even more of an impact just due to how the actors portray their grisly demise. For our main trio, Jamie Lee Curtis stuns as always, though she does not get as much meat to chew on as 2018. But that's okay! This film really belongs to Judy Greer and Andi Matichak, both, who step up to the plate and into their well-deserved spotlights gracefully. Andi Matichak is a force here, solidifying herself as a great torch carrier for the new generation. She plays Allyson as a teenager, reeling from the loss of her friends and father, bloodthirsty (as is the rest of the town) for some sort of retribution, some justice, some kind of answer to such a horrific night. Judy Greer, who is arguably the most complex character of the film, reigns supreme in her commanding force through the screen. At certain points, in my opinion, she even outshines Curtis in their scenes together. Anthony Michael Hall is a standout in his commitment, though a bit one note. Though his Tommy Doyle is a far cry from the original, it has been 40 years, and I thought the take on the character was quite interesting. Kyle Richards, as some of my own friends pointed out, really surprises here. One might think she'd be one of the weaker performances, but she fits right into the cast. Her portrayal of Lindsey isn't a damsel in distress either, despite her fear of The Shape being palpable. It is also to be said that Robert Longstreet (Lonnie Elam) and Dylan Arnold (Cameron Elam) really shine as a father and son duo, providing a much needed personal and emotional connection between the two. Oh, and they're both quite like-able (Lonnie is probably the nicest guy in the entire franchise), So, screw you Cameron Haters! LOL
On first watch, in the test screening (mind you, I was completely spoiler free watching it), the film felt like it had way more stakes and conversely, it felt as if it was way more character driven. To me, it still has the best ensemble cast of a HALLOWEEN film, and I definitely still feel that it does not sacrifice character for gore completely, but on rewatch, it kind of took the punch out of it a bit, sans a couple of characters. But that's again, just because I went in first with no spoilers, and had no idea what was going to happen first time around.
I do need to take a moment to really give praise to Michael Simmonds as a cinematographer. For those who longed for a film that looked close to 1978 in cinematography throughout, this is your film. This might be a bit controversial, but I argue that for majority of the film, the film looks more like Halloween (1978) than even Dean Cundey's own Halloween II does. The way the camera captures the blue moon, the near-deserted streets of Haddonfield, there's a beautiful cool and unsettling tone to the film. It is in my opinion, next to HALLOWEEN (2018), the most beautiful Halloween film (Despite HALLOWEEN (2018) lacking a 'blue' hue, I consider the shots, and overall cinematography to be the most beautiful, yes, even over the original! Still love you Dean!). The flashback (it seems like common knowledge on this forum) is a SIGHT to behold in it's cinematography, as it feels ripped straight out of the 1978 film.
With that all being said, I'll dive into some closing thoughts. The film is paced incredibly well (again, keeping in mind that it is a trilogy, but even outside of that, it works). The first and third act shine as highlights, and though the second act doesn't quite reach those highs, it still manages to be engaging and is a great pre-cursor to the finale. This is one of the best finales/third acts in a slasher. It's suspenseful, it's packed with atmosphere, and it allows for characters to really show who they really are. It's great. I'd place it currently at #3, just behind Halloween 4's excellent finale, and of course, the original.
This is my second favorite HALLOWEEN film as things currently stand. It is nearly tied to HALLOWEEN (2018), as this film has made me appreciate that film even more, but I will also imagine that those who weren't too big on HALLOWEEN (2018) will enjoy this MUCH more. This is much more of a HALLOWEEN film than 2018, for better (and maybe for some, for worse). But for me, the film is a great counterpart to 2018. It amplifies it, it complements it, and it gives HALLOWEEN (2018) an even more layered viewing experience on rewatch. HALLOWEEN KILLS is again, the ultimate slasher, one filled with tons of kills, and likeable characters, and despite some stupid decisions (IT IS A SLASHER!), it's genuinely a masterclass in pulling off such a daunting task of following up a critically acclaimed, and overall well received sequel to a classic. If you're a fan of HALLOWEEN (2018) and/or a fan of HALLOWEEN 4, and the old 80s slasher classics, you will adore this film.
HALLOWEEN KILLS is an excellent second installment to a slasher trilogy, one that when everything is said and done when HALLOWEEN ENDS releases, will only continue to be fondly remembered over time as a 'classic' horror trilogy. It is damn good. However, that is all contingent on if HALLOWEEN ENDS actually ENDS this incarnation and direction of the franchise. And for it to really stick, this franchise sure needs a rest. This is about as far as you can take the character and giving it a bit of a fresh new spin, while still delivering what the audience wants.
That is all!
squeeknessI'm a poor lost puppy
Lily Adler#forthecontent! 📹 (she/her)
SwordOfMorningSuper Moderator
