In 1978, John Carpenter’s Halloween laid the foundation for one of the longest-running horror franchises of all time. Since then, there have been 11 films, three different timelines, and one underrated anthology film. While they’re not all great, they’re always in the pop-culture discussion. When David Gordon Green and Blumhouse rebooted the franchise once more in 2018, every sequel in the franchise was eliminated from lore and, in turn, became a direct sequel to the original immortal classic. While mostly enjoying 2018’s Hallowgreen’s themes revolving around PTSD and generational trauma, I found myself rolling my eyes at some character developments in this film. I am looking at you, Dr. Sartain. As the middle part of Green’s trilogy, Halloween Kills, arrives, it’s refreshing to see that Green’s examination of generational trauma continues while exploring the negative aspects of mob mentality.
Halloween Kills undoubtedly feels like a spiritual reboot of the original Halloween II. It ups the gore and body count. It takes place in Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. Laurie Strode is bedridden for most of the film and it begins immediately after the events of Halloween. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer), and her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), locked Michael Myers in the basement of Laurie’s survival compound and lit the entire complex on fire. Laurie is wounded and en route to a hospital, thinking she vanquished Myers four decades after the first Haddonfield murders. Unfortunately for Laurie and company, their plan doesn’t quite work out as the Haddonfield Fire Department rushes to the scene and, in turn, assists in Michael’s escape. What follows is a murderous rampage with some of the most brutal kills in the franchise.
What the film gets right is its rapid pacing, as unlike the first entry in Green’s trilogy where a bit of character development is implemented, Halloween Kills wastes no time jumping into the action and serves as a solid build into next year’s final film, Halloween Ends. To my surprise, one of the film’s biggest highlights was the flashback sequence that recounts the events of Halloween night in 1978 and how Michael was caught. Effectively capturing the feel of 1978, we are treated to one more scene with the iconic Dr. Sam Loomis and it removes any notion that Michael was quickly apprehended after the film’s events. It immediately jumps into one of my favorite moments in the franchise.
Dr. Loomis is not the only original character that makes an appearance in the film. Tommy Doyle, Lindsey Wallace, Marion Chambers, Lonnie Elam, and Leigh Bracket all return. Each of these characters is welcomed and provides a deep connection to the lore of the 1978 film. What made their recovery even more remarkable is that Charles Cyphers, Nancy Stephens, and Kyle Richards all reprised their roles from the original movie. Each sprinkles in highlights that fans will be talking about once the film concludes. That’s not to say that Robert Longstreet and Anthony Michael Hall are slouches as both are pretty enjoyable, and Hall’s Tommy indeed grew up from the timid boy we first met in 1978.
It’s certainly a mixed bag of results when it comes to the trifecta of heroines from 2018. I can’t fully say Jamie Lee Curtis is a true highlight of the film as, unfortunately, being sidelined for much of it hurts the development Laurie went through in the 2018 film. However, being the middle film in the trilogy, Laurie’s treatment makes sense in the eventual setup for the final film. Judy Greer also feels underutilized as she mostly sits around contemplating the transpiring events until the third act. At the same time, Andi Matichak begins to fully transition into the film’s heroine as she has quite an amount of badass moments here.
While the screenplay is quite messy and some character choices are eye-roll-inducing, Halloween Kills is a worthy sequel to the beloved franchise. It’s certainly better than many of the sequels in the franchise and sets up a showdown between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers next year in what indeed will be a big box office draw. The Halloween and slasher fan in me leave Haddonfield already planning a return trip next October.
