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Halloween Kills
(Universal Pictures/Miramax Films/Blumhouse Productions)
By Lucas Allen
2018’s “Halloween” didn’t just reboot a horror franchise that started 40 years earlier, but also retroactively retract all the way back to John Carpenter’s original vision. It also started a brand-new trilogy, bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis to the fold, and resurrecting a screen legend who kickstarted the slasher genre to the new millennium. That trilogy continues with “Halloween Kills,” once again directed by David Gordon Green, who co-wrote the script with Danny McBride and Scott Teems.
The sequel begins where the previous film left off after Laurie Strode (Curtis) along with her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) left masked killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle) for dead in a burning fire. However, as in most sequels in this series, Myers survived and resumes his bloody rampage. While the Strodes are in the hospital, the story mainly focuses on other residents of Haddonfield during that night. Every Halloween, Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall) leads a support group of those who survived Myers’ rampage 40 years earlier, which also includes Lindsey (Kyle Richards), Lonnie (Robert Longstreet), and Michael’s former nurse Marion (Nancy Stephens).
But when they hear of Michael’s ongoing rampage in the news, Tommy organizes the town to form a mob to take down the killer once and for all. They soon figure that the killer intends to return to his old house, which was the site of the shocking murder that shook the town. Unfortunately, the place is now owned by a couple named Big John (Scott MacArthur) and Little John (Michael McDonald), who don’t realize what Halloween night has in store for them.
The movie further attempts its retroactive franchise building by explaining how Michael got caught 40 years earlier from the perspective of Deputy Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) when he was a rookie officer. We do get an appearance by the late Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis through the magic of makeup and special effects, but the flashback takes up the film’s first 10 minutes and feels like padding when parts of it could’ve spread throughout the middle act for better effect. Other than that, Green and his team do a fine job of continuing the story from the end of the 2018 film into this one. Of course, being a sequel, it’s no surprise it adheres to slasher film formula with an unstoppable killer and brutal kills to boot. The buckets of blood it spills is also to be expected to please fans of the franchise.
It also tries to add social satire involving a vengeful mob going after Myers even though it has been done before in “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.” Considering the movie was originally supposed to be released last year and we’re still feeling the repercussions this year, this whole subplot comes off as hollow and trite especially during an intense scene in the hospital. But everything comes together in the final act, where the residents finally confront the killer in an intense showdown. The ending doesn’t hold back on the shock value, and it’ll have you wanting more.
Although she’s top-billed, Curtis is relegated to a supporting role and stuck in a hospital bed like she was in “Halloween II,” which will definitely disappoint those wanting to see her in action. Nevertheless, she gives it her all in her limited screen time like her little speech in the end. Both Greer and Matichak also give it their all leading the cast, while Hall proves to be a more believable grown-up Tommy Doyle than Paul Rudd in “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.” Besides Castle back in the mask, this movie also happily brings back some of the actors from the 1978 original including Richards, Stephens, and Charles Cyphers as ex-sheriff Brackett for a nice little reunion for the fans.
“Halloween Kills” basically bridges the 2018 reboot and next year’s “Halloween Ends,” while it tries to mix story and formula. The result is a fine enough sequel that works as a fun, bloody slasher film, but doesn’t retain the same magic that the ’78 and ’18 films had. Still, it’ll be interesting what Green and his crew will come up with for the trilogy’s conclusion after this film’s truly shocking ending.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for strong bloody violence throughout, grisly images, language, and some drug use)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3 Stars (Out of Four)
