Michael Myers slaughtered his way back onto our screens this weekend in David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's latest entry to the Halloween franchise, simply titled Halloween. The film retcons every sequel since the first Halloween and brings back Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, a similar approach to Halloween H20 twenty years ago. With Curtis returning as Laurie, John Carpenter returning to score the film, and even original Michael Myers actor Nick Castle returning in a cameo, there has been a lot of hype around the new Halloween film. Thankfully, in my humble opinion, the film definitely manages to match this hype.
Fourty years after Michael Myers' fateful killing spree, survivor Laurie Strode has spent her whole life training and preparing herself for the possibility that the two may meet again one day. This has unfortunately cost her relationship with her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), but may soon prove to be vital when Myers escapes from custody the night before Halloween.
This is a very different Laurie to when we last seen her in Halloween, or even Halloween H20. She is a reclusive survivalist, motivated only by the thought of someday putting an end to Myers and giving herself closure. Curtis really hits the ball out of the park here and gives one of the most powerful performances of her career. She plays Laurie as a tough, no-nonesense tactician, while also offering us glimpses of the sheer emotional impact her trauma has had on her. Curtis is a true powerhouse, but she's not the only strong Strode woman in Haddonfield this time, as her daughter and granddaughter are also along for the fight. Judy Greer gives a really strong performance in the final act particularly, acting as Laurie's daughter with an equal amount of emotional scar tissue due to her tough upbringing. Meanwhile newcomer Andi Matichak is equally as strong as both of her co-stars, acting as a counterpart of sorts to the Laurie we know from the original Halloween. It really is a film about three woman conquering their trauma and finally gaining some personal closure. Also, look out for young actor Jibrail Nantambu as Julian, one of the real scene-stealers of the film.
But where there's a Laurie Strode, there's inevitably a Michael Myers, and James Jude Courtney does a great job of capturing all the little nuances that made the character so unsettling the first time around (original Myers actor Nick Castle also makes a brief cameo in the suit as well). What's interesting about these characters this time however, is the change in their dynamic. Laurie is no longer a plucky underdog attempting to survive this sheer force of nature, she's now an equally powerful force that's ready for action. She's more than ready for Michael this time around, and there are times when the character who was once the prey soon becomes the predator. It was an interesting direction to take Laurie and one that works incredibly well. I think this new dynamic is really what carries the film and helps make it something unique.
Of course one of the other things that made Carpenter's original film so outstanding was his score, and for the first time since Halloween III: Season of the Witch, he returns as composer along with frequent collaborators Daniel Davis and son Cody Carpenter. The score makes brilliant use of some of the numbers from the original, often tweaking them ever so slightly to fit the new narrative. However, there are some new pieces in there that I think will really go down well with fans, one particular number entitled "The Shape Hunts Allyson" really stood out for me and I'm sure you'll know what one I'm talking about when you see it. Carpenter may have declined the opportunity to direct, but it's wonderful to see that he still excels in the music department.
The film doesn't always manage to capture the slow-building tension of the original however, and there are some moments where certain kill scenes feel a bit rushed or underwhelming. Sure, we all love a bit of gore, but to make that really hit hard it has to be preceded by a certain amount of suspense, and Halloween doesn't always hit the mark in this respect. When it does however, it does really well, and the final act particularly is packed full of nailbiting sequences of suspense. Of all the sequels, remakes, and re-calibrations within the Halloween franchise however, this film feels like it really respects and understands the original the most. It never tries to over-explain or understand Michael's motivations, but instead returns to the idea that he is simply a sheer force of evil that cannot be stopped. As well as that, there are numerous little parallels between this and the first film in instances such as the framing or the dialogue, and I feel they definitely work in the films favour. Look out for a clever re-do of the original scene where Laurie spots Michael outside her school.
While it doesn't hit every singe mark, Halloween hits more than enough to make it one of the strongest entries into the franchise yet. With an excellent cast, wonderful score, and a pair of writers who really understand what made the original so great, this really feels like it could go down as one of the best follow-ups to Carpenter's original film. As well as that, its themes of trauma, closure, and focus on abuse victims really stand out and give the film a lot of emotional leverage. In an era where women are taking a stand against abuse and in some cases, their own abusers themselves, Halloween could not be more relevant.
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