Newest Halloween flick, “Halloween Kills”, offers violence and an interesting backstory. PHOTO CREDIT: imbd.com
While “Halloween Kills” doesn’t do much in the way of character development, it presents a lot of interesting backstory and ideas that add up to little more than an overly-violent, yet slightly entertaining, slasher flick.
“Halloween Kills” is the latest addition in the “Halloween” franchise that takes place directly after the 2018 incarnation, in which Laurie Strode (Jaime Lee Curtis) attempts to hunt down Michael Myers 40 years after their original altercation in 1978.
By relating the film to the original 1978 “Halloween” and incorporating multiple characters from that classic film, “Halloween Kills” has a major overreliance on flashbacks. Even as the flashbacks look pretty authentic, they add very little to the overall narrative of the story beyond exposition.
The plot of the film is that Michael Myers escapes Laurie Strode’s burning house and continues committing murders across Haddonfield, while a mob led by an older Tommy Jarvis and Lonnie Elam tries to capture and kill Michael to get the evil out of the town.
The main problem with the film is it’s a slightly jumbled narrative that introduces unnecessary subplots that feature characters that are only there to increase the film’s body count. The main plot has very little to do with Curtis as Laurie because she is stuck in a hospital, which presents a minor problem in the overall narrative.
“Halloween Kills” features a lot of graphic violence that ranges from pretty suspenseful to almost laugh-inducing based on how the characters react to Michael Myers entering their homes. The film is full of a lot of characters making bad decisions, and yet it never impacts the film’s quick-paced narrative. Even the film’s comedic relief never truly works outside of a couple of pre-teens that insult Michael Myers on a playground before promptly running away.
The idea of incorporating three or four characters from the original 1978 film is admirable besides the fact that barely any of them are given anything to do. Dr. Loomis’ assistant, Marion, and Tommy’s friend, Nancy, are sidelined, except for in one or two sequences, while the film jumps around from slasher sequence to slasher sequence.
On the other hand, “Halloween Kills” does feature plenty of good action scenes with a lot of effective gore that will likely make for a pleasant horror film experience. While the gory sequences can be a bit gratuitous at times, the film utilizes them to build suspense to a certain extent. Whether the film is going through Michael Myers’ old house or seeing a monologue from Curtis in a hospital, there are very few boring moments in “Halloween Kills.”
The film even takes a bit of time to briefly develop characters for Laurie’s daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Alison (Andi Matichak). Matichak is given far more to do this film and she proceeds to have a subplot that leads to the most suspenseful action sequence with her encounter with Myers in the third act. Beyond its final effective and entertaining action sequence, “Halloween Kills” features just enough visual flair and suspense to make for an underwhelming yet slightly exciting runtime.
Lastly, “Halloween Kills” does attempt to usher in the end of the franchise, with a predictable abrupt ending that promises more carnage in “Halloween Ends” next year. Overall, “Halloween Kills” is a fairly intriguing, yet thoroughly forgettable, slasher flick that does what it promises in the title and not much else. 5/10.