This weekend, I saw the brand new Halloween movie. Even before I saw the movie, I knew I needed to do a review on it because how could I not? The Halloween series is probably one of, if not my favorite, horror film series ever. There are a total of 11 films in the franchise and they are all very different. If I’m being completely honest I can’t say I’ve seen every single Halloween film, but I still have my favorites. Either way, I had no idea what to expect from this movie but I went into it with high hopes, and did not find myself disappointed!
Disclaimer: This article includes spoilers! Don’t read the next paragraph if you don’t want to know!
40 years after the Halloween night that Laurie Strode survived the wrath of Michael Myers, Michael returns after making yet another escape. After a series of unfortunate events, a bus transferring inmates to a new facility, including Michael, ends up crashing. Those who had wandered off after the crash were said to be harmless for the most part because they were too mentally out of it, all except for one who ended up being unaccounted for; Mr. Michael Myers himself. This is where things get interesting. Michael then goes back to his old ways, sneaking into houses and killing his victims one by one on Halloween. It’s not until nearly the end that Michael finally decides to pay a visit to Laurie’s home. I don’t want to give away too many details of what happened, but I am about to give away the most major spoiler of the movie! Michael breaks into Laurie’s house looking for her and her family to torment, and Laurie, who has been preparing her whole life for this moment, is ready. It’s not until Michael discovers Laurie’s secret basement set with booby traps to detain him that he falls into her trap and becomes locked in the basement. Laurie then lights a fire to the house with Michael trapped inside.
Personally, I felt like the beginning of the movie was extremely long. There were quite a few parts I felt were irrelevant, but once Michael came onscreen none of that mattered. When Michael escaped and was out causing chaos on Halloween night, that’s when it really got good. I felt that Michael was just as vicious with his attacks as he was in the original 1978 film I fell in love with. I got some good scares out of this movie, and also noticed that there were quite a few jump scares incorporated as well. I feel like these days it’s difficult to make a slasher movie actually scary, but while watching this one the anxiety of not knowing what would happen next reminded me why I love horror movies so much. Another thing I wasn’t expecting but also wasn’t opposed to was the humor in the movie: at times, it was laughable. Also, Jamie Lee Curtis was phenomenal as Laurie.
The original Halloween (1978) will forever be a classic, but if you are expecting the new Halloween to be just like the original you will definitely be disappointed. Over the years there have been several remakes of Halloween films and obviously, we can’t expect them all to be the same, especially since it’s been 40 years since the first one came out! However, if you are a true fan of the Halloween movies, I can promise that you will enjoy this one.
Overall, if you love the Halloween movies or just horror movies in general, this one is a must watch. It takes a little bit to get going, but once Michael is free and back to his old tricks, the movie gets intense and truly, enjoyably frightening. Just like any other horror movie or any movie in general, this one did have its flaws, but it was entertaining and not disappointing at all. It was the perfect mix between an iconic slasher film and modern horror film. I would 10/10 recommend.