Talk about an underwhelming film!

For those that are new here, here’s my review on the 2018 Halloween. 

Once again, I was really hoping to like this film. But, we are (again) presented with a film that relies on the viewer’s sense of nostalgia, rather than giving us a solid story to get behind. For the entire hour and forty five minute run time, Halloween Kills was trying to create an atmosphere of nostalgia, but never quite gets there. The writers were hoping that we would be so excited to see easter eggs from Halloween 3: Season of the Witch that we wouldn’t question anything else. But, they were wrong.The makers of this film clearly wanted to create the serious tone of the original 1978 Halloween, while simultaneously creating the tone of the latter Halloween films. But, that doesn’t work. The serious tone, and a tone of campiness does not work together. And, ultimately, I think that’s one of this films largest flaws.

Certain casting choices were weird. Anthony Michael Hall was cast to play a grown up Tommy Doyle. Problem is, I’m pretty sure nobody really cares about grown up Tommy Doyle. At least in the context of these films, that is. Hall just came off as aggressive, which just told me that Tommy never went to therapy like he should have. Again, the inclusion of  the characters of Tommy Doyle and Lindsey Wallace were used to create that sense of nostalgia. But, nostalgia does not make a good film. Look at so many of the recent remakes and revamps that solely rely on the audience’s love of the original. It does not work.

I keep talking about the writing. Normally, I would say that a lot of different factors lead to a film being poorly received. However, Halloween Kills seems to solely fall flat on the writing, dragging everything else down. Any good acting by Jamie Lee Curtis or Judy Greer is completely overshadowed by how horrible the dialogue is and the lack of any kind of originality.

The only saving grace Halloween Kills has is the use of practical effects. I’ll give the film points for that, as we all know that I am a sucker for practical effects. But, honestly, that’s the only good thing I have to say about the film. Even during the climactic, chaotic chase scene, all I could think about was putting the Benny Hill theme song overtop of what I was watching, because it was that ridiculous.

It’ll be interesting to see the finale of this trilogy, Halloween Ends, next year. Until then, I’m going to continue to live in a world where Laurie Strode goes by the name Keri Tate and is a headmistress at a private boarding school, raising Josh Hartnett.