Last night, we watched Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021), the latter of which, thanks to these weird times we’re living in, is streaming for free on Peacock.
I wasn’t a fan of the Rob Zombie reboot and even less of a fan of its sequel, so the news that that John Carpenter was returning, along with a talented group of writers and filmmakers, to make a direct sequel to the original film, I was intrigued and excited.
That film, and Kills, faithfully recreate the aesthetic of the immortal 1978 classic. They also pay homage to both Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch. The latter of these, incidentally, being one of my favorite horror movies of all time.
John Carpenter’s scores for both of the new films are absolutely amazing, perfectly recreating yet beefing up that eerie minimalist, repetitive synth sound that greatly contributed to the original three films’ overall atmosphere.
As I’ve said before, I’m not really a “review” guy. I couldn’t be a critic, because I don’t like to criticize things I don’t like. I prefer to rave about things I do like, and when it comes to horror, those things are few and far between. Trust me on this: I’m very, very picky about horror movies. Factors I look for include: Atmosphere, aesthetic, and allegory. These films check all three boxes.
Prior to the two new films, the last Halloween film I liked came out in 1989.
The post-III sequels are fun popcorn flicks, and I enjoy them, but to me it takes John Carpenter to make a true Halloween film, and I think the 2018 version is a strong argument for this. I liked Kills a little less, but still, great movie. If you’re a jaded horror snob like myself who shits all over 99% of new horror and routinely exits out of trailers in disgust three seconds in, I recommend giving these a shot if you’re hesitant and haven’t already.
Patrick Walts 