Halloween (2018)

Spooky season is the perfect time to dive back into Haddonfield, and this year I’ve decided to focus on the 2018 timeline. I will eventually get round to reviewing the sequels and reboots, but for now the spotlight falls on Halloween (2018), the bold continuation that wipes away all previous follow-ups and acts as a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece. It’s a film that dares to ask, what happens when you come face to face with your monster again, forty years later?

This entry immediately sets itself apart with its premise. Michael Myers didn’t vanish into the night after Loomis’ shots, but was instead apprehended and locked away in a state hospital for the past four decades. That simple narrative choice grounds the film, stripping away the baggage of the prior sequels and presenting Michael in his most terrifying form, a silent, relentless force of nature who still makes you question if he is truly just a man. The chilling opening scene at the hospital, where Michael’s mask is dangled in front of him while the surrounding inmates descend into hysteria, is a masterstroke of suspense. Michael’s calmness amidst the chaos makes the sequence even more unsettling.

Jamie Lee Curtis’ return as Laurie Strode is the backbone of this film. No longer the wide-eyed babysitter, Laurie is now a woman defined by trauma, paranoia, and grim determination. She has spent forty years preparing for Michael’s inevitable return, turning her home into a fortress and alienating her family in the process. Her strained relationship with her daughter Karen, played by Judy Greer, and granddaughter Allyson, played by Andi Matichak, highlights the cost of living in constant fear. What’s great is how respectfully the film handles Laurie; she’s not defined by victimhood, but by the will to fight back.

Michael, on the other hand, is far more brutal this time around. While Carpenter’s 1978 original is a classic, its restrained approach to gore always felt a bit tame. Here, the kills are more graphic, and they hit with real impact. Officer Hawkins’ fantastic line, “There is a reason we are supposed to be afraid of this night,” sums up the movie’s tone perfectly. Michael’s rampage through Haddonfield feels raw and vicious, and the film flirts with the idea that he’s not just killing for the sake of it, but is somehow drawn toward Laurie, unable to resist the pull of unfinished business.

Where Halloween (2018) falters is in its supporting cast. Outside of Laurie, Karen, Allyson, Hawkins, and Michael, the rest feel underdeveloped. Their scenes come and go without much weight, and the film doesn’t seem interested in making us care about them. Judy Greer’s husband, for example, meets his end with barely any acknowledgement. It’s not that horror movies need deep emotional reactions for every death; it’s more that the film could have benefitted from trimming these background characters altogether to keep the focus on what really matters.

Thankfully, when it sticks to Laurie and Michael, the movie delivers. The final act, set inside Laurie’s trap-filled home, gives fans exactly what they’ve been waiting for, a face-off forty years in the making. Seeing Laurie, Karen, and Allyson unite to take down the Shape is immensely satisfying. It’s a clever mix of suspense, payback, and a few surprises that play nicely on audience expectations. The tension builds steadily, and even though it’s not groundbreaking, it’s a genuinely strong finale.

The ending, with Michael trapped and the house engulfed in flames, provides a solid sense of closure without overreaching. Watching the three Strode women escape together doesn’t feel like an iconic image of victory, more like a collective sigh of exhaustion after enduring a night from hell. They look utterly drained, which actually makes the ending feel more believable and grounded than triumphant.

In the end, Halloween (2018) is a worthy sequel rather than a great one. It strikes a good balance between nostalgia and reinvention, and it treats its legacy characters with respect. The story is straightforward but effective, the kills have weight, and Jamie Lee Curtis gives one of her best performances in years. It might not reach the same heights as Carpenter’s original, but as a modern continuation, it’s a solid return for the Boogeyman and a strong start to this new timeline.