Truly terrifying, director David Gordon Green picks up right where he left off in his last movie, Halloween (2018), with Laurie Strode being taken to the hospital after killing Michael Myers once and for all. However, in true Myers fashion, the killer survives, meaning no one in Haddonfield, Illinois is safe.
It is assumed that Halloween Kills, the 12th movie in the Halloween franchise, will tie up loose ends from other sequels, however, this is quickly proven wrong. Green actually chooses to have his version of Halloween (2018) pick up after the first movie which premiered 40 years ago. He even goes as far as having some of the 1978 original film’s cast join his cast, reprising their infamous roles in both Halloween and Halloween Kills. The movie features Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, Kyle Richards as Lindsey, Nick Castle as one of the Michael Myers, Nancy Stephens as Marion Chambers, and, perhaps most surprising of all, is Charles Cypher reprising his role as Sheriff Brackett. Interestingly enough, throughout the movie, in flashbacks and in real time, Myers is played by three people: James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle, and Airon Armstrong. The different characters add a new depth to the character.
To truly understand Michael, one has to understand his past. Green works to add flashbacks into Halloween Kills about the aftermath of Myers’ first rampage in 1978 where we see Sherriff Hawkins (Will Patton) and his partner talking about Myers. Hawkins and Myers are revealed to be childhood friends until one day “he just snapped.” On Halloween night in 1963, when Myers was just six years old, he killed his older sister. Fast-forward 15 years later to 1978, and that is where the original film picks up and his rampages began.
Halloween (2018) feeds into Halloween Kills which both happen on the same night. Halloween Kills actually delves into how each main character first met Myers and what it’s like coping 40 years after their first encounters with him. Lindsey (Kyle Richards) watched her babysitter get murdered by him, Tommy Doyle, played by Anthony Michael Hall, who was attacked by Myers along with his sister, Lonnie (Robert Longstreet) came face to face with him on Halloween, and Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) was the nurse who worked with Dr. Loomis to transport Myers to court in the original 1978 film, Halloween.
Videos on YouTube explain the prior movies for new viewers who have not had the chance to dive into the series just yet. With each movie explained, it becomes more evident that Myers is something supernatural. Curtis’ character Laurie, in both the trailer and the movie, when trying to understand herself who Myers is, says, “But a man couldn’t have survived that fire. The more he kills, the more he transcends. He’s the essence of evil.”
I definitely think Green killed it in this terrifying installment to the Halloween franchise. Halloween Kills is the type of movie that keeps you guessing at every moment. It is definitely on par with what the franchise is going for. As for the movie itself, I think it is definitely worth the watch whether you hate or love horror films. It does justice to not only the background of Michael Myers and who he truly is but also to the reprisal of Jamie Lee Curtis’ character Laurie. I never used to watch horror movies because I was too scared and loved every second of it.
So, watch it if you dare because even when you think you are alone, that he is not there anymore, “he always is.”
Featured Image courtesy of Wallpapersden
