Halloween (2018) is a sequel meant to put the drawn-out story of Michael Myers to rest. It’s the reunion of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers after 40 years. Audiences are enthused, and critics have applauded it with a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie was interesting in its content but lacked some fundamentals of a story. Fans of Halloween films will likely enjoy every moment of this movie. The references to the past sequels were nudges to fans of the series. It was enjoyable being a total nerd and freaking out over them.
Despite its undeniable appeal for fans of the genre, Halloween (2018) could have been so much better.
The production of this movie was pristine. There is nothing to say about that. The story is where this movie stumbles. While it was intriguing, it lacked some foundations that could have brought it to the next level.
The first problem was the characters. There are only a few characters that really stand out or have any depth. The others were forgettable, to the point of not being able to remember their names. Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson, was undeniably bland just like the rest of the teenagers in the film. Whenever she’s on the screen you find yourself wishing you could go back to Laurie or Michael. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Laurie Strode and her daughter, Karen, were interesting to watch. Their relationship on-screen was originally portrayed, but it should have been explored more. The father figure added some comedic relief to the generally intense movie, but even he was one-dimensional. If the characters weren’t funny, they were annoying or boring.
A great movie has a solid plot and, in this movie, the plot was shaky.
Without spoiling the film, there was a weird twist on a character that just felt out-of-place and took the viewer away from the movie. It was meant to be intense but it just confused the audience. Characters who you believe to be important to the film are dropped mid-film or killed off without fulfilling any purpose. There were moments where you thought “Why is this even needed? Who the hell cares?”
This movie could have cut out a lot of fodder in replacement for more content that audiences truly want: Michael Myers. The teenage drama was unneeded for a movie that was meant to be Laurie Strode confronting Michael Myers 40 years after the 1978 murders. The part the audience was anticipating felt rushed due to the time wasted on content that didn’t really matter. If the film had been longer and given more room to breathe, perhaps this sequel would have been more engaging.
While the build-up was decent at best, the actual interactions with Michael were amazing. It was suspenseful, gruesome and impactful. The advancement in technology and special effects made the original movie pale in comparison regarding the actual deaths. The murders were creative and some even paid homage to the previous sequels. Myers’ story line in the movie felt realistic rather than the fantasy version created in the past sequels. The ending of the movie was a big let down and the conclusion just felt too basic.
Is it the best horror movie ever? No. Is it the best Halloween sequel? Yes, of course… but it could have been better.
