Halloween (2018) Review

It’s weird to think about how much longevity the Halloween series has had over the years. The series is 44 years old this year and was initially intended to be a single movie. It’s been a wildly inconsistent series as far as quality is concerned, yet many people (myself included) get excited with every new film in the series. It’s hard to believe that before 2018’s Halloween, the last release was in 2009. People had been waiting a long time for a new movie and were salivating at the prospect of a continuation of the story from all those years ago. That’s precisely what we got with Halloween (2018), a pleasantly surprising return to form for a series that long ago lost its way.

Story

In a slightly reimagined timeline (what else is new? In Halloween’s four different timelines, they have locked Michael Myers away in an institution for the last 40 years, where he has not spoken to anyone and has patiently waited. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has been fully consumed by the trauma of that murderous night 40 years ago. She’s obsessed with security, creating a compound complete with a secret basement room out of her paranoia. This has strained her relationship with her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer), and her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak).

To no one’s surprise, Michael Myers escapes while authorities transfer him between institutions, which happens to be the night before Halloween. Of course, Michael heads home to Haddonfield after acquiring his signature outfit in a particularly intense gas station scene, setting the tone for what to expect from the masked killer for the rest of the film. Michael systematically starts to take out anyone remotely close to any of the three Strode women, leaving them to fend for themselves in a suspenseful showdown at the end of the film, full of moments that will make you hold your breath.

Characters

Laurie Strode

Jamie Lee Curtis is excellent in her return to the role that launched her career all those years ago. You start to feel for Laurie at the beginning of the movie. Her inability to cope with her trauma leads to her alienation from her own family. Laurie doesn’t care if she’s hated by the ones she loves if that’s what it takes to keep them alive. She’s a much more mature version of the character this time, learning to become a predator herself instead of the prey. I enjoyed the complexities of this character as she balanced intensity with vulnerability. Her whole life was spent waiting to deal with the evil that she knew would eventually come for her, no matter how long it took, but she wasn’t just going to crawl into a hole and die. She was ready to fight for her life.

Karen & Allyson

Judy Greer played a largely annoying character, Karen, who was crucial to the story. She provided a realistic viewpoint, as she is simply trying to live her life and believe in the good in the world, despite a difficult childhood in which she was forced to prepare for the return of Michael Myers. Karen was taken away from Laurie as a teenager and never returned. She seems to harbor some resentment for how her mother treated her more like a warrior than a daughter. Andi Matichak doesn’t have nearly as many layers and plays Allyson. This is simply a teen trying to forge a relationship with her grandmother without all the outside forces trying to fill her mind with what she should think. I think the main characters in this movie are solid and help to solidify that there is a very cohesive story here.

Michael Myers

Michael Myers is allowed to be Michael Myers in Halloween (2018). There isn’t some overarching reason why he does what he does. Two podcasters wish to explore this at the film’s beginning, and they don’t get to live to tell the tale. Michael Myers is simply a killer. He destroys everything in his way swiftly and without mercy. That’s something that I’ve always enjoyed about this villain. Michael doesn’t talk. He doesn’t have a wordy explanation for his actions. He is simply the boogeyman who comes out on Halloween to wreak havoc.

Supporting Cast

The supporting cast is equally important in this movie, providing comic relief and occasionally changing the film’s tone (except for Dr. Sartain, whose story seemed utterly ridiculous). Every character in the movie feels meaningful and helps make Haddonfield feel like a community more than in previous films. The pacing builds up to big scares or action elements (usually just moments after a humorous sequence). The film’s climax is one of my favorite chase scenes in the entire series, and it cleverly swerves you to the end.

Final Thoughts

Halloween (2018) is easily one of my favorite films in the entire series. It’s not perfect, but it was an excellent return for the series and a catalyst in completing a new trilogy. This series could have easily died after this movie, but this film breathed new life into what was a fading franchise.