Halloween Kills is the is a sequel to the 2018 Halloween soft reboot film and the 12th in the series of the Halloween franchise itself. Taking place immediately after the last film, we find Laurie Strode has been taken to the hospital after the events of the last movie in a small nod to the last Halloween 2, which took place entirely in a hospital. This new version finds her stuck in the hospital due to her injuries and being forced to sit in the sidelines as she watches her daughter, granddaughter, and the whole town of Haddonfield rise up to stop Michael Myers once for all. This could have been an interesting theme to explore, but just ends up being a mediocre slasher film.
The movie isn’t bad, it’s actually a fine slasher film, it’s just not a good Halloween movie. And that’s saying something in a franchise that has had three soft reboots and has gone off the rails many times in its history. This installment in the series will probably go down as The Last Jedi version: where you either hate it or love it but is endlessly discussed by fans until the end of time.
One of the major flaws with the film is that is doesn’t have enough Jamie Lee Curtis. Due to plot and her injuries from the last movie, Laurie isn’t in this a lot. But when she is, she makes you remember why she is the ultimate “final girl”. The movie really centers on her family and the survivors of the original 1978 film. The two kids that Laurie babysits in the 78 film have grown up and are now putting themselves in harm’s way to stop Myers and protect Laurie, like she did 40 years ago. The movie has some great cameos from some of the original actors from that 78-version, keeping up somewhat of a continuity. Well, as best as it can anyway.
The main character in the survivor plot would be Tommy Doyle: played by Brian Andrews in the 78 film, he was then reprised and recast in the now unrelated part 6, Halloween: The Curse of Michael by Paul Rudd, and yet again here has been recast by 80s nerd icon Anthony Michael Hall, playing a completely different character than we are used to seeing. He’s dark and brooding, being haunted by his own personal “boogie man” for 40 years. So, when the Myers comes home once more, he jumps into action to protect his town. Unfortunately, he creates a mob that really does become more of problem than the big psycho in the white mask going around killing people. The movie does really capture the idea and theme of mob mentality, where right and wrong no longer matter. Out of all the disturbing things in this movie, this is the one that made me stop in horror.
The man himself Michal Myers was kind of given a third dimension in the 2018 flick, losing all hope of growing in character in this one. But really, what’s there to grow? We know why we come to these movies and it’s to see him do what he does. And boy does he do what he does best in this.
Probably the most violent and brutal of all the films in the series, once Michael gets out of the burning house, he is on killing rampage unlike any we’ve seen before. Just moving from set piece to set piece massacring whoever gets in his way. It is why we go to see these movies, but this one felt a little off. He typically has a reason why he does what he does, but this film he feels like he’s channeling his enter Jason Voorhees rather than being the slasher that we know and love. The kills are so brutal in this, it almost feels like the filmmakers sat around going “…well, what hasn’t he killed someone with?” The kills are fun, but after the 15th one you are basically numb to it.
The movie is full of characters making some of the worst decisions I’ve have ever seen. And that’s saying something, as this is a slasher horror film, where bad decisions are kind of its thing. But here it’s so bad it kind of breaks the point of the movie. Characters will make a point to say something and make a stand, and then immediately in the next scene do the complete opposite. Yes, fully aware that’s what horror movies are, but here it felt lazy and cheap. Like the filmmakers couldn’t come up with literally anything other option and they just wrote the most basic thing possible. Why be new or creative, just do what is easy.
Overall Halloween Kills isn’t bad. It’s not great. But it’s not bad. It’s a solid slasher flick, it’s just not a good Halloween movie. Almost feels like the filmmakers forgot what a Halloween movie is supposed to be like. Now keeping in mind this is the second of a new trilogy and we’re only seeing half of a final story. So, cliffhanger aside, we don’t know what the final piece to this puzzle will bring. It could bring the whole thing home and stick the landing, making fans change their minds about this one. But only time will tell.