It was fun until it wasn’t.
That’s how I felt about the latest effort to keep the twisted legacy of Michael Myers going.
In 2018, David Gordon Green and his “Eastbound & Down” buddy Danny McBride were unlikely choices to reboot the “Halloween” franchise, but they managed to bring the series back to life with a fascinating exploration of personal trauma that was equally measured and brutal.
For the follow-up, they leaned heavily on the brutality but left the script feeling like a parody of a horror sequel. That is probably the hardest element to overcome here. Since it was intended as a new trilogy, “Halloween Kills” was always going to feel half baked. It exists to bridge the gap between movies and, never fear, “Halloween Ends” (which it most certainly will not) is already scheduled for an October 14, 2022 release.
Even hardcore fans might need a map at this point to determine what is canon in the series. When you have as many sequels as exist in the “Halloween” universe, you have to start picking and choosing what elements you’ll accept and which you won’t.
Michael Myers really shouldn’t be immortal or impervious to attack, but we get a handy speech here to let us know how he gets stronger with every kill. He isn’t human, because if he was, the series wouldn’t be much fun.
Taking place as a direct sequel to the 2018 film, we pick up exactly where that film left off. Everybody thinks Michael is dead – spoiler alert: he never is!
Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken to the hospital by her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), but it’s the 40th anniversary of Michael’s original killing spree and he wants to get back to the scene of the crime(s).
One of the more bizarre plot points feels ripped from the headlines, but the mob mentality of the residents of Haddonfield who try to usurp police power to go after Michael themselves was just oddly prescient. Shot months before the January 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C., David Gordon Green manages to perfectly capture the fury of a wild mob who insist they are right even when none of them are.
Otherwise, it’s pretty standard stuff here. Michael’s kills are extraordinarily brutal and the film mostly plays out the way you expect until an ending that almost feels tacked on. The final sequence has infuriated many viewers (myself included), so I was not surprised to read that the upcoming home video release will also feature an alternate ending.
“Halloween Kills” is now playing in theaters nationwide and is streaming exclusively on Peacock (premium subscription required).
About Author
