Halloween Kills

 3.5/4

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Anthony Michael Hall, Will Patton, Dylan Arnold,  Robert Longstreet, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Stephens, Scott MacArthur, Michael McDonald

Rated R for Strong Bloody Violence Throughout, Grisly Images, Language and Some Drug Use

In a word, "Halloween Kills" is awesome.  It's a cheerfully energetic and bloody escapade that not only focuses on the survivors of Michael Myers's latest killing spree, but how the town reacts.  This is a slasher movie with a social conscience and a cynical point of view.  Somehow, director David Gordon Green has found a way to use one of Hollywood's most legendary slashers to provide some acid political commentary.  It sounds bizarre, but it works.

The film picks off where the (second) reboot of the franchise left off.  The survivors of Michael's night of carnage are licking their wounds, both physical and mental, before deciding what to do next.  In a small town like Haddonfield, the news of a homicidal maniac killing everyone in his path doesn't stay secret for long.  The town is in an uproar over the chaos, with terrified citizens flocking to the hospital with varying theories on how to stop the bloodletting.  Some such as Tommy Doyle (Hall), a survivor of Michael's first massacre, succumb to mob fury.  Others, such as Laurie's granddaughter Allyson (Matichak), form small groups to try and hunt him down.  Laurie (Curtis) is in the hospital recovering with her no-longer-estranged daughter Karen (Greer) standing vigil.  Meanwhile Michael stalks the night outside with unknown motives and a knife at the ready.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Green's first outing with Michael Myers because I felt the more interesting characters of Laurie and Karen were sidelined in favor of Allyson and her friends, who were nothing more than slasher fodder.  This time, however, Green expands his canvas.  This is really an ensemble piece, with no one taking center stage.  It's a portrait of a town as it descends into madness.  Like Joker in "The Dark Knight," Michael is simply a spark that ignites an inferno of blood and panic.  Alas, that's where the similarities end.  Michael Myers isn't nearly as philosophical; he lets his knife do his talking for him.

Probably the most interesting character is Tommy Doyle.  Played with real intensity by the former brat packer, Tommy becomes the strongman that everyone rallies around.  That his methods are brutal and he is just as terrified as everyone else is means nothing.  He is decisive in a situation with no easy solutions and where everyone is in danger.  Critic James Berardinelli posits that this is a commentary on Trumpism, and while it can certainly be read as that, I think it works better as a look at human nature.  In a mass panic, people look to those who know what they're doing.  Or seem to.  His reaction can and has happened before in similar situations.  Homicidal lunatic not required.

Haddonfield feels like a real place with real history, and that's what gives the film its edge.  Like most movies these days, "Halloween Kills" is loaded with references and in-jokes.  Unlike most movies these days, they serve a purpose.  They build the world that these people live in and show that they haven't really dealt with the scars that Michael left 40 years ago.  No one from the original movie is brought back on screen just to satisfy fans of the original.  People like Tommy Doyle, sheriff-turned-security guard Leigh Brackett (Cyphers), Lindsey (Richards) and Marion (Stephens) are given things to do and opportunities to confront their past.

The film isn't perfect.  The pacing sometimes lags and occasionally Green's vision exceeds his grasp.  But it takes chances and succeeds for the most part.  It would be too easy to do what most sequels do and just have Michael stalk and kill while Laurie or whoever scurries around trying to stop him.  Green is more ambitious and takes his characters seriously (there is some opportunity for laughter, although its not post-"Scream" irony).  Still, those who venture in to this film, longtime fan or not, will find their time and money richly rewarded.  I, for one, cannot wait to see the final showdown next year.

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