Halloween Kills, 4.5****

Universal Pictures

Running Time: 105 Minutes

Review: Matthew Alicoon, Monday 18th October 2021

Halloween Kills picks up from directly after the last one ended and it follows the Strode family and the residents of Haddonfield as they try to put an end to Michael Myers.

Halloween Kills takes an intriguing turn in terms of the narrative, as it was interesting to see how Michael Myers can not just rip through an individual psychologically such as Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in 2018 but how it can tear a whole community apart with fear. Seeing everyone coming together to fight Michael Myers actually made the threat seem more terrifying. It paved the way for a fast-paced and nail-bitting experience.

As for Michael Myers, he is simply a ruthless predator in this film. The movie definitely delivers on the title. It is far more brutal than the 2018 Halloween which it needed to distinguish Michael Myers, as in the 2018 version the killer did have not much dominance. However, there felt such a strong on-screen presence from Myers here.

Seeing the community come together allowed for great nostalgia as a few of the characters from the very first 1978 Halloween are back in this. Their characterisations felt very strong and it did not feel like they were back just for the sake of it. The returnees served their own purpose to the story.

Arguably the most impressive part of the film were the 1978 flashback sequences, as the way they were constructed is quite mind-blowing, as they felt so authentic and seamless.

The film’s biggest problem is Laurie Strode is brushed to the side a bit. However, after what happened to her in the last film it was not too surprising.

Halloween Kills is a very intense but great throwback to classic slasher films that sets itself up well for what is hopefully going to be a thrilling end to the franchise.

Cast

Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode

James Jude Courtney as Michael Myers

Judy Greer as Karen Nelson

Andi Matichak as Allyson Nelson