I usually shy away from slasher/horror films but it was under special circumstances that I found myself at the premiere of “Halloween” and I’m glad to say that I actually enjoyed the film and by “enjoy” I mean it delivered on its promise of horror and fright, fear and suspense.
I don’t know what it is but there is something about a good horror/slasher genre film that stays and lingers with you, long after you’ve left the cinema (years, even) and I’ll definitely be thinking about “Halloween” for some time.
A direct sequel to the original 1978 film (it ignores all sequels and the story that followed) “Halloween” picks up forty years after the fateful night when Michael Myers changed the sleepy town of Haddonfield, Illinois forever.
Jamie Lee Curtis, reprises her role as Laurie Strode 40 years later and shows you just what surviving a horrific night can do to a person; it examines the trauma of surviving and knowing that the killer is still out there. she’s definitely one badass grandmother, that’s for sure. She reminds me a bit of Carol from “The Walking Dead“.
But it’s not all “cool” and “badass” with her as the viewers find out the price that she had to pay.
Becoming obsessed that Michael Myers, would one day come back, she has become some sort of a doomsday prepper, complete with an arsenal of guns and weapons, a secret and fortified panic room she also prepared her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer) and that means training her at a young age and well, social services may not be too keen about that.
Estranged from her daughter and trying to build a relationship with her granddaughter, Laurie becomes a recluse with her obsession on Michael Myers, her worst nightmares coming to life when he escapes and goes on a killing spree.
Yes. You will squirm in your seat and cower in fear as Michael Myers strikes fear in the heart of his victims on the most frightening night of the year-Halloween.
With the retro 80’s music, paying homage to its roots and the clever use of muted sounds, even Myers heavy breathing beneath his mask is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, the clever use of every nook and cranny of the screen is also an effective way to get you to jump from your seat. The body count is high and the manner of deaths is grisly, there is indeed a lot to be afraid of.
What sets this slasher thriller apart is its interesting take on the relationship between hunter and prey, monster and victim.
Do we stop to ask, what happens to the survivors?
Throughout the movie,I was stopping myself from screaming but finally gave in at a particularly stressful moment, it was a satisfying scream because what else are you to do in while watching slasher films?
6/10 -“Halloween” is now showing in cinemas.