"Halloween" (2018) Movie Review

After Michael Myers dons his iconic mask in the new Halloween sequel, there’s a beautifully filmed single shot sequence that captures the hiding-in-plain-sight terror that Myers embodies.

This, however, is the only segment of the film I enjoyed. The rest of the film comes off as silly.

Seeing the Strode women take on Michael Myers together should be satisfying, but unfortunately, they all lack a confidence that prevents them from being the ultimate family squad goals.

Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is so paranoid that even when she’s inevitably correct about Myers’ return, she still seems mentally unstable. Karen, Laurie’s adult daughter, doesn’t transition into the badass militant her mother raised her to be; instead, she’s a skeptic, then a fearful victim, then an assassin, each change more jarring than the last. And while Allyson, Laurie’s granddaughter, holds her own against boys, she’s practically helpless otherwise.

But the biggest problem I have with Halloween is that it sets the slasher genre back a couple decades. While slashers have evolved into under-the-radar gems like Better Watch Out, Upgrade, Creep and Super Dark Times, this Halloween is a “sharp” reminder that the only thing scarier to Hollywood than Michael Myers is endorsing originality.

Acting and Casting - 1 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 0 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2 | Reviewer's Preference - 0 | What does this mean?