In this film, only the events of
the 1978 classic ever happened. The towering, essentially mute killer Michael
Myers (Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney), locked away in a mental
institution since then, is now a figure of interest to true crime podcasters
(Jefferson Hall and Rhian Rees). Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode (no relation
to Michael in this one) has spent the last 40 years planning for Michael’s
inevitable return, training herself and her family in weaponry and turning her
house on the edge of Haddonfield, Illinois into a small fortress. Laurie’s
survivalist tendencies have made her a local outcast and alienated her from her
adult daughter (Judy Greer) and teenage granddaughter (Andi Matichak). But, she
doesn’t seem so crazy when Michael just so happens to escape during a prisoner
transfer gone awry the night before Halloween.
Curtis is great. What at first
seems like a fairly silly concept turns out to work splendidly because she
plays it with a steely confidence that nearly rivals the man in the mask.
Matichak and Greer also turn out to be pretty badass co-leads. The old “final
girl” trope is not in effect here. Rather, the film employs a subtle girl power subtext
that’s nonetheless palpable (and timely, frankly), and an unsubtle rooting
spirit that makes for a killer final act.
That’s far from the only
subversion in director David Gordon Green and Danny McBride’s smart script. There
are witty winks at and takedowns of genre clichés that are cleverer and funnier than
anything in the (vastly overrated) Scream
movies. References to the series’ past are plentiful and recognizable, yet
worked in organically and subtly, save for one that is forgivably used for an ecstatic
applause moment. The film also has a hilarious sense of humor, but one that seems
natural and not a bit intrusive.
And most importantly, it’s scary.
I know, it’s hard to imagine slasher jump scares being too frightening after
decades of Halloween sequels and
knockoffs. Yet, this one has some terrific moments of terror, expertly building
tension that explodes like firecrackers. Carpenter’s new spin on the iconic
score (cowritten with his son Cody) is at once familiar and fresh, and as
effective as ever. And after so many approximations ranging from not quite
right to appalling, the Michael Myers mask finally
looks right again. A small thing, maybe, but The Shape has never looked better,
or more menacing, lumbering silently through the streets and houses of
Haddonfield.
As for the issue of rewriting series
canon, the movie is respectful and self-aware enough that it doesn’t negate any
of the previous entries (most were bad, but II
and at least parts of 4 were pretty
good). Rather, it works in much the same way last year’s Logan worked for the X-Men
franchise. It’s a sequel, but also kind of its own separate entry, its
canonical status murkier and better for that (also like the X-Men series, the Halloween franchise continuity is kind of a mess). Whether or not it,
too, is a definitively final chapter remains to be seen (ol’ Mike has a habit
of coming back, after all). Either way, this Halloween is a damn fun, scary great time.
