For a franchise that carries so much significance during the best of seasons, spooky season, Halloween Kills comes at the most opportune time in the middle of October. Director David Gordon Green already set his name on the franchise with Halloween (2018). With a background in comedy and drama films and now fully immersed in the horror genre, he can set a tone that no one expected in this movie. Halloween Kills lives up to its name for Michael Myers brings the carnage in every single scene he is a part of. Brutality is shown in every frame of this movie. Viewers looking into this movie wanting creative brutal kills won’t have to fear that this movie holds back because it doesn’t. Every single swing, punch, shot and impact hits hard. There are many elements in this movie that do fall a little flat for me. The acting and writing in this movie took me out in some scenes, but it could be because they might be trying to go for a campy approach. Filled with silly moments, it did feel awkward and something about it just didn’t feel right. That being said, there is a lot to love about this movie. The sad reality is that many people will dislike this movie for the risks it takes as well. This movie is popcorn fun and is the best thing to watch in theaters for this spooky season and I’m here to tell you why.
Halloween Kills brings the death count to a whole new level and Michael Myers proves why he is one of the biggest horror icons. There is never a dull moment, for the pacing is probably the strongest part of this movie. Scene after scene we either get introduced to familiar faces, new characters or carnage. The plot is straightforward and feels like the second act of a movie. With the studio having this laid out like a trilogy, that makes sense. The first movie Halloween in 2018, already set the stage for Michael Myers to return, so we didn’t really need another setup. This time he is just out for blood and will kill everyone who gets in his way. Without spoiling anything, I will say that he probably gets the most kills in one scene than he has in any movie within the entire franchise. Michael gives no fucks and shows absolutely no remorse when he goes in for the kill. He is truly a massive unstoppable killing machine. I overheard someone say that he is like the horror version of the Terminator and I think that fits him perfectly. Someone who never stops and cannot be stopped. This movie really elevated the fear you should have with this character.
Sad to say that many of the characters that we love are very side-lined and don’t have any deep character development. Actually, characterization and world building lack a certain flair that we got in previous films in this movie. I know that some people won’t care and just want to see Michael Myers cause chaos. I completely agree with that to a certain extent. With slashers, there is always more emotional weight when you like the characters that are being presented on the screen. From the trailers, we see that they bring back some old characters from the very original Halloween, which is awesome to see. These characters are never really explored and it feels awkward following this new group of characters that we know really nothing about, except the events of the first movie. Sprinkled throughout the movie there are many fan service moments, but most of it seemed out of place. I do have to admit that there are a few good easter eggs that had me smile and cheer. Halloween Kills brings so much fan service though, that it will hit a happy cord with all the fans of the franchise. There is a scene for everyone in here. Even if you don’t like the movie as a whole, there will be at least one scene in here that you will adore and love. This is my guarantee!
With all of its problems, there is also so much to care about and love about this movie. This movie is bonkers in the best way possible. We get some iconic scenes that will be forever discussed. All of the kills were super brutal but better yet creative. Who knew there were so many different ways to kill someone. Michael Myers is an artist in the art of slashers. There is no denying that this man should be feared and be very dangerous. Halloween Kills is as entertaining as any of the movies in the franchise yet brings something new to the table. There is never a dull moment and the runtime moves very quickly. Although ridiculous at moments, there are some comedic elements to loosen the tension of the movie. This was completely necessary to not have an entirely bleak experience. David Gordon Green intertwined these comedic moments at the most opportune time. The whole theater was laughing and it felt very refreshing to see this tone come through within the story.
Overall, Halloween Kills is a great time in theaters or streaming on Peacock (for those American readers), depending on your comfortability. Fans of the franchise will be very happy with this movie for its fan service and Michael Myers doing what he does best. Although the acting and writing are not the strongest, it was amazing to see old and new characters come together in one movie. This was a great sequel to Halloween 2018 and a great setup for what is to come next. This was completely brutal, but I didn’t expect anything less. I truly left the theater happy. The more I think about it, the more I want to recommend this movie. This is honestly a fun ride even if it's not the best in the franchise. The perfect movie for Halloween time.