Trick 'r Treat
3/4
Starring: Tahmoh Penikett, Leslie Bibb, Dylan Baker, Connor Christopher Levins, Brett Kelly, Anna Paquin, Lauren Lee Smith, Moneca Delain, Rochelle Aytes, Britt McKillip, Isabelle Deluce, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Alberto Ghisi, Samm Todd, Brian Cox, Quinn Lord
Rated R for Horror Violence, Some Sexuality/Nudity and Language
"Trick 'r Treat" is a cult horror movie that looked to disappear without a trace had word of mouth not gotten around to fans of the genre. Most horror films that fail to make an impression do so for good reason (anyone remember "The Nun?" Or "The Ice Cream Man?" If you don't, consider yourself lucky). Still, every now and then one comes along that distributors ignored but fans found. Such examples are "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" (unseen by me) and "Creep." "Trick 'r Treat" belongs in this category.
Five stories take place on Halloween night in the "normally sleepy town of Warren Valley, Ohio." That alone should tell you that you'd be better off spending October 31 in Haddonfield, Illinois or in the cave from "The Descent." One is about Emma (Bibb) and Henry (Penikett), a couple coming home from the festivities to a night of real horror. The second details the activities of Steven Wilkins (Baker), the school principal who also happens to be a serial killer of kids. Third is a prank by four pre-teens (McKillip, Deluce, Bilodeau, Ghisi) on the local "idiot savant" (Todd) that goes very wrong. Fourth is about a college student named Laurie (Paquin) who is on the quest to lose her virginity. Finally, the grumpy Mr. Kreeg (Cox) learns the price of not celebrating Halloween.
That this is written and directed by Michael Dougherty, who would later go on to make the horror-comedy "Krampus," will give you some idea that this is an unusual tale. Like all good satirists, Dougherty knows are expectations and plays them against us. He has a lot of fun with genre conventions and tweaking them for surprises. He's good at sleight-of-hand and misdirection, which allows for some truly ironic payoffs.
Of the stories, the one with Laurie is the best. It's got Anna Paquin, for starters, but the ending of the story blindsided me and the ending twist is deliciously wicked. The opening does a solid job of setting the stage and the film's tone, which is to both embrace and mock conventional horror tropes. The one with the kids is the most conventional, but nonetheless effective. The weakest is last one with Brian Cox. He plays a miserable drunk just fine, but the story lacks a sense of dramatic irony like the others.
The performances are effective, which is a rare thing for a horror movie. And considering how low-profile it is, it attracted an impressive cast of character actors. Anna Paquin, Leslie Bibb, Dylan Baker and Brian Cox, among others. The lesser known actors are just as good, with special mention going to Lauren Lee Smith as Lauren's caring sister and Britt McKillip as the bitchiest prankster, Jean-Luc Bilodeau as the least dislikable prankster, and Samm Todd as the object of the prank.
"Trick 'r Treat" isn't as accomplished as Dougherty's later film. The mix of horror and comedy isn't as strong, and the stories aren't as gripping. But as a cult horror film, it's a solid choice.
Starring: Tahmoh Penikett, Leslie Bibb, Dylan Baker, Connor Christopher Levins, Brett Kelly, Anna Paquin, Lauren Lee Smith, Moneca Delain, Rochelle Aytes, Britt McKillip, Isabelle Deluce, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Alberto Ghisi, Samm Todd, Brian Cox, Quinn Lord
Rated R for Horror Violence, Some Sexuality/Nudity and Language
"Trick 'r Treat" is a cult horror movie that looked to disappear without a trace had word of mouth not gotten around to fans of the genre. Most horror films that fail to make an impression do so for good reason (anyone remember "The Nun?" Or "The Ice Cream Man?" If you don't, consider yourself lucky). Still, every now and then one comes along that distributors ignored but fans found. Such examples are "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" (unseen by me) and "Creep." "Trick 'r Treat" belongs in this category.
Five stories take place on Halloween night in the "normally sleepy town of Warren Valley, Ohio." That alone should tell you that you'd be better off spending October 31 in Haddonfield, Illinois or in the cave from "The Descent." One is about Emma (Bibb) and Henry (Penikett), a couple coming home from the festivities to a night of real horror. The second details the activities of Steven Wilkins (Baker), the school principal who also happens to be a serial killer of kids. Third is a prank by four pre-teens (McKillip, Deluce, Bilodeau, Ghisi) on the local "idiot savant" (Todd) that goes very wrong. Fourth is about a college student named Laurie (Paquin) who is on the quest to lose her virginity. Finally, the grumpy Mr. Kreeg (Cox) learns the price of not celebrating Halloween.
That this is written and directed by Michael Dougherty, who would later go on to make the horror-comedy "Krampus," will give you some idea that this is an unusual tale. Like all good satirists, Dougherty knows are expectations and plays them against us. He has a lot of fun with genre conventions and tweaking them for surprises. He's good at sleight-of-hand and misdirection, which allows for some truly ironic payoffs.
Of the stories, the one with Laurie is the best. It's got Anna Paquin, for starters, but the ending of the story blindsided me and the ending twist is deliciously wicked. The opening does a solid job of setting the stage and the film's tone, which is to both embrace and mock conventional horror tropes. The one with the kids is the most conventional, but nonetheless effective. The weakest is last one with Brian Cox. He plays a miserable drunk just fine, but the story lacks a sense of dramatic irony like the others.
The performances are effective, which is a rare thing for a horror movie. And considering how low-profile it is, it attracted an impressive cast of character actors. Anna Paquin, Leslie Bibb, Dylan Baker and Brian Cox, among others. The lesser known actors are just as good, with special mention going to Lauren Lee Smith as Lauren's caring sister and Britt McKillip as the bitchiest prankster, Jean-Luc Bilodeau as the least dislikable prankster, and Samm Todd as the object of the prank.
"Trick 'r Treat" isn't as accomplished as Dougherty's later film. The mix of horror and comedy isn't as strong, and the stories aren't as gripping. But as a cult horror film, it's a solid choice.
Comments
Post a Comment