Halloween Kills (Review)
Halloween Kills Takes Michael Myers To A New Level!
Just as Halloween II picked up mere moments after the 1978 original, Halloween Kills continues the rampage Michael Myers began in 2018’s Halloween. When we last saw our heroes, “The Shape” had seemingly met his demise, as Lorie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her family (Judy Greer and Andi Matichak) fled the burning building he was trapped inside. Of course, any good horror fan knows that it ain’t over until the fat lady sings, and like a phoenix from the ashes Myers is back for Halloween Kills. It’s not quite as good as its predecessor, but Halloween Kills is far superior to the vast majority of the films in the franchise. It’s also the most fun I’ve had watching a Halloween movie because Michael Myers proves why he’s considered one of the best cinematic slashers of all time. He’s finally taken the gloves off and racks up a hell of a body count as he carves his way through this bloody popcorn flick.
The legend of Michael Myers was rebooted in a way that erased all the terrible movies in the franchise (aka everything after Halloween II) from canon in 2018s Halloween. However, the town of Haddonfield still remembers those horrible murders from forty years ago, and now that Myers is back, they’re not going to let that night repeat itself. At least, that’s the plan as previous survivors (Lonnie Elam, Tommy Doyle, Kyle Richards, and Nancy Stephens) decide the best way to face their past trauma is to round up a posse and go out looking for the Bogeyman. At the same time, Myers’s true target, Lorie Strode, is seemingly down for the count as she rushed to surgery for the injuries she received in Halloween. As the night goes on, Halloween Kills Michael drags the citizens of Haddonfield down to his level as their rampage becomes just as bloody as his.
Michael Myers has never held a top spot in my pantheon of modern horror icons, but Halloween Kills changed all of that for me. Don’t misunderstand, the Halloween series has always been one of the best supernatural slasher franchises, but Myers was just a guy in a jumpsuit and mask performing moderately impressive feats that still fell within the “realm of possibility” for a cinematic version of a human being. This time though, he displays the sort of skill and combat pragmatism you’d expect from John Wick or Jason Bourne. He still refrains from using guns, but director David Gordon Green hurls him into some full-on fight scenes with the townsfolk of Haddonfield as they try to end his reign of terror, and Michael proves to be a zen master of murder-fu. As he makes his way towards his childhood home, Michael’s feats become more impressive and gut-wrenching right up until the jaw-dropping ending. If anything, Halloween Kills instilled newfound respect for this big-screen Bogeyman.
At the same time, Michael’s divergence from his previous “guerilla” tactics that utilized stealth and misdirection undermine a lot of the tension, especially once it becomes clear that no one stands a chance in hell against him. In doing so, Halloween Kills becomes an action-horror movie rather than a good old-fashioned slasher flick. I don’t have a problem with that, but it’s a 180 from the vibe cultivated in 2018’s Halloween. What I do have a problem with is the film’s lack of a final girl or final guy this time around. We’re introduced to plenty of previous survivors from Michael’s attacks, but it’s probably no spoiler that people don’t make it through two encounters with him. This could have been to create a sense that no one was safe this time around, but it deprived this chapter of a hero to root for, especially because the townsfolk reveal themselves to be just as capable of evil as the Shape they’re hunting.
Most horror movies have underlying social commentary within their themes, and Halloween Kills is no exception as it tackles the terror of mob mentality. Haddonfield has good reason to be panicked with a seasoned and seemingly unstoppable killer roaming their streets, but rather than do the smart thing by double-checking their locks and staying inside, they take to the streets in a modern-day witch hunt. This movement is led by the booze-inspired courage of Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall), who has a history with Myers and desperately wants to prove to himself that he isn’t afraid of the Bogeyman anymore. As the frenzied townsfolks utilize their second amendment rights and abuse interpretations of stand your ground laws, disaster looms beyond Myers’s blade. Despite being filmed in 2019, it’s impossible not to see the similarities between the folks of Haddonfield and America, especially after what those nutjobs pulled on January 6th. A wise man once said, “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals,” which is true but doesn’t take into account just how stupid the average person in a horror movie can be.
Despite not being as good as the last installment, Halloween Kills is still a bloody good time and features some of the most spectacular kills in the franchise. It does feature some poorly-written characters, but they’re mostly just fodder for Myers anyways. If anything, I will complain that the ending was so unsatisfying, I wanted to flip a table when the credits started to roll. It seems to set up plenty of questions for a sequel, but never gives any indication that it actually knows how to answer any of them. Despite enjoying the movie for its over-the-top carnage and underlying themes, Halloween Kills left me uneasy about the future of the franchise. That said, this wouldn’t be the first time Halloween jumped the shark, but this version of Michael Myers deserves so much better. My fingers are crossed that David Gordon Green, and writers Scott Teems and Danny McBride will be able to pull off a fitting final chapter to give the big guy the “death” he deserves.
