Review of Halloween (2018) by Craig J — 18 Oct 2018

So many people complaining about continuity; some didn't get the very obvious continuation of the first film, even though the film did a fine job of explaining where it stood in the overall saga, and others just don't appreciate a film that ignores the bad sequels. Like yeah, they had their moments, but in comparison to this, they look like trash.

This is a film for Halloween 1978 purists; it has the same DNA, random kills, simple plot, and mystery; it even poses the same questions as the original: Is Michael a man or a supernatural force? He's both.

The sibling plot was dropped, first introduced in Halloween 2, and this was perhaps the best decision they could ever make, because it made Michael scary again... Nobody is safe, and you don't have to be related to him to be his victim.

It was certainly the best film since probably Halloween 2, and I may even rank it higher now.

It isn't without its flaws, particularly the Dr. Sartain subplot, but this was clearly a nod to Halloween 6, and the Dr. Wynn character, also a clever metaphorical way of saying he wanted to be Michael, much like the obsessed fans of the real world. There were so many hidden messages, breaking the lines between fiction and reality, even the pumpkin intro at the start of the movie was basically saying 'Halloween is back', as a rotted old pumpkin reforms into the familiar trademark one from the original film.

For the first time, we see Michael scared, and the roles are reversed, Laurie becomes the stalker, and it works so well.

For a fan of the original, this was a dream come true, a modern version, a return for the classic characters, and everything was ramped up to the max.

I look forward to seeing more. Michael lives on, for a new generation to appreciate.

9.5/10.