Despite many sequels and reboots, some of which the world could’ve done without, Halloween is back. Director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Stronger) decided to take on the story of Michael Myers and disregard every other Halloween film besides the 1978 original — and it pays off.
Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode for the first time in 16 years, which is the best part about the reboot. The 2018 film is set back in Haddonfield, Illinois, where Strode gears up for a fight if Myers were to ever escape a mental institution — cue the plot. Green also introduces Strode’s daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), which introduces a next generation of female firepower.
The film’s score thrives all due to the iconic John Carpenter. Working with his son Cody and previous collaborator Daniel Davies, Carpenter returned to his originally concept of Halloween and created another haunting score. From the monumental theme song that preludes every appearance of The Shape to the many synth-heavy sequences that make each scene 10 times more stressful, Carpenter shows why he’s one of, if not the best, at what he does.
Though Carpenter isn’t in the directing role, Green succeeds in paying tribute to Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece. Throughout the the 106-minute film, Green references iconic parts from the classic and even pokes fun at the overdone idea that Myers is actually Strode’s older brother, a plotline Green decided to disregard in his sequel. Between the sheet-ghost costume, falling off a balcony and dying only to be gone a second later or other simple references, it’s obvious that Green aimed to pay homage to Carpenter with his film.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Green’s Halloween contains much more gore and much more comedy than its source material. Green includes imagery of broken necks, bloodied faces, smushed brains and even a decapitated head as a jack-o-lantern. At times, it’s impossible not to recoil at the amount of violence and gore, yet viewers should presumably expect that from a horror flick.
Juxtaposing the gore and guts is a bit of comic relief. Green is no stranger to comedy, and with a writing credit from the likes of resident funny man Danny McBride, it’s a no brainer why there was underlying comedy that the 1978 film lacked. Though the comedy is quite welcomed due to the tense atmosphere of the film, at sometimes it’s just a bit silly. With lines like “I’ve got peanut butter on my penis,” it’s easy to roll your eyes. Yet, that doesn’t take away from the film overall.
Regarded as one of the better films out of the franchise, there’s no doubt that Green’s rebirth of the series should be watched by film fans far and wide. The film earned a $77.5 million domestic box office total over its opening weekend. The film marks the biggest debut for Blumhouse Productions to date, with 2011’s Paranormal Activity 3 following, not adjusted for inflation. Curtis took to Twitter to boast about the success of the film:
Halloween reminds those who grew up with the films and viewers of a new generation one thing: Michael Myers is utterly terrifying. He has zero remorse and kills at his own will; he’s hard to kill (if he can die at all) and most of all, he possesses the creepiest mask of any horror film.
Depending on the personalities of audience members, the film will either make people scared to leave their houses Oct. 31 or it’ll inspire way too many Michael Myers costumes. Nonetheless, Halloween is a sure way to spook yourself before the autumn holiday rolls around.
Rating: 4/5
