It a splendid return to form with Halloween (2018).
Halloween (2018) Synopsis
Forty years after the events of the first movie, the captive Michael Myers i.e. The Shape is visited by two true-crime pod-casters at his asylum. When Michael is unresponsive, the two journalists seek out Laurie Strode, who receives them but brusquely refuses any additional insight. Days later, Michael escapes while being transferred to another asylum, in the process butchering several people. As Laurie anticipates, the personification of evil swiftly returns to Haddonfield to seek her out. She stands ready with her many deadly firearms and traps.
Snappy Review
In case you have not heard, Halloween (2018) is a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece. It wipes the slate for the franchise i.e. retcon/trashes every sequel from ’78 till now.
This makes it, for me, the best sequel in the Halloween franchise to date. Possibly one of the best slasher sequels ever too. It’s so because it returns the grim, oh-so-dark tale of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode to its horrific basics. No more witchcraft. No more undying murderer cursed with whatever.
Just the BASICS.
Yeah. If you’re into slasher movies, you would have discussed it, or at least read the lamentations. Terrifying as Carpenter’s ’78 masterpiece was, the franchise went into a steep decline when producers increasingly added exotic elements to the mythos just so as to have another sequel.
When Rob Zombie rebooted the series in the 2000s, things momentarily felt promising, but the addition of a reason, a sympathetic backstory to Mike equally fatally damaged the “feel.” Wasn’t that long before those reboots were hated for their hysterical approach too. I only watched the first Zombie remake; I couldn’t be bothered with the second.
When Rob Zombie rebooted the series in the 2000s, things momentarily felt promising, but the addition of a reason, a sympathetic backstory to Mike then fatally damaged the “feel.” Wasn’t that long before those reboots were hated for their hysterical approach too. I only watched the first Zombie remake; I couldn’t be bothered with the second.
This reboot by David Gorden Green has obviously learned from previous mistakes, thank goodness for that. Right from the start, the movie establishes it wouldn’t be bothering with convoluted explanations. Michael is Michael because he is no one else*. Ostentatious supernatural elements, one of the worst banes of the sequels, are also kept to a minimum, thus making Michael far more terrifying.
And then there’s, of course, PTSD-hardened Laurie Strode, who could possibly be more frightening than Mike should she go murderous. Gosh, how euphoric to see Final Girl Prime transform into this!
Who would have guessed, when watching the Laurie cowers in a closet in the original movie? For an 80s child like me, the transformation ignites a tremendous, uplifting joy.
* If I do not make sense, this simply means murder is most terrifying when it cannot be explained beyond, it happened.
Click here to view the trailer.
Review for Halloween Kills, the 2021 sequel.
Check out my other snappy movie reviews.
Check out my Yamaha Electone performance of the Halloween Theme too! Electone Score here!
 review. The franchise returns to its terrifying roots with this latest reboot of John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece.){kind=link}
Good review. Definitely agree with you. This latest Halloween movie was definitely a more pleasing one than past iterations. I personally found the movie to be quite entertaining.