Halloween Kills - A Movie Review

Haddonfield will kill the evil this Halloween night once and for all.

Halloween Kills is a 2021 sequel to the Halloween franchise. Believing that they have finally killed Michael Myers, the evil is on the prowl in the Haddonfield neighborhood on Halloween night. Laid up in the hospital, recovering from her injuries, Laurie Strode ends at nothing to stop Michael Myers from his endless killing spree.

I had mixed reactions when Halloween (2018) was released. Heading into the dark theater, I was both excited and nervous to see where the events of Halloween Kills would lead to. It lives up to its name, that’s for sure. Halloween Kills focuses heavily on grueling kills rather than embracing a story.

Just like the last film, Jamie Lee Curtis is put on the sidelines. Injured from the events of the last film, Laurie Strode spends most of the time laid up in the hospital. Aside from delivering striking monologues, most of the ensemble takes over Laurie’s part in Halloween Kills.

Judy Greer and Andi Matichak return to play their characters. While Matichak was excellent, I still had mixed opinions about Greer. Her deliveries and reactions are dull at times. Though she enforces terrific leadership.

All three women display their ultimate powerhouse abilities. The Strode’s relationship has grown immensely. I liked that incorporation in this film. Family will always be here.

Michael Myers was turned into an action villain in this Halloween film. At one point, he breaks a light bulb. I don’t know if anyone else agrees with me, but it looked like a lightsaber from the Star Wars universe.

The ensemble for Halloween Kills was a mix of comedic levity and obvious kills. For most of this film, you’ll find yourself yelling at the screen as the characters make the stupidest decisions. And their reactions were unnatural at times. Some fought back, while others walked towards the horror instead of running away.

They were startling in the angry mob scenes. If anything, it shows how Michael Myers’ presence has affected the town.

I have to give credit to Anthony Michael Hall. This was a step back from most of the stereotypical nerd roles I saw him in when he was a kid. Playing as a significant character from the first Halloween (1978), Tommy Doyle won’t stop at anything to end the evil. He becomes the Laurie Strode of the film.

The best character awards go to Scott MacArthur and Michael McDonald. I liked their overall character arc and their interactions with one another. Their characters didn’t have anything to do with the story but like most characters, there were some gruesome kills.

The story was not the strongest - if there is one. It mainly follows Michael Myers in his killing spree of random people. Another significant character from the first Halloween film returned, but once her scenes are finished, she vanishes. She could have been useful to the story like Tommy Doyle’s arc.

Hear me out, Halloween Kills is violent. It is gruesome. It is bloody. Most of the kills will make your stomach squirm. As the title confirms, it’s what the film is all about.

Cinematically, David Gordon Green excelled in camera work. For some sequences, the film flashed back to the 70s. The picture resembled the 70s. I know that the film is leading into the events of the next sequel, Halloween Ends. I look forward to seeing how the events will conclude.

Halloween Kills is worth seeing in theaters. Everyone will have a mixed review over it, but this is the film that you need to see during Halloween.