The Reel Review
Jamie Lee Curtis is back, in this latest sequel in the Halloween horror film franchise. The story picks up immediately after the events of director David Gordon Green’s 2018 sequel, with Michael Myers escaping the burning basement of Laurie Strode’s house to resume his killing spree as grandma Strode is treated at the oh-so-dimly lit, nearby hospital (a clear nod to Halloween 2).
Several cast members reprise their roles from the 1978 film in this bloody walk down memory lane – Kyle Richards (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) is back as Lindsay Wallace, whom a teenage Strode saved that night, with Charles Cyphers returning as the police officer/father of one of the original victims, Nancy Stephens as Doctor Loomis’ assistant, and Nick Castle as Michael Myers.
Anthony Michael Hall (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club) plays an annoying, adult version of the young boy Tommy who Strode was babysitting and also saved that fateful night. He leads a vigilante town mob to hunt down Myers. Shot digitally, grain filters were added for the 1978 flashback scenes.
All nostalgia aside, the problem with Halloween Kills is that there really is no story whatsoever – just a cool idea to bring all these characters back in a poorly-executed mishmash of eye-popping, gory kills. Fans expecting to see a lot of Curtis will be deeply disappointed. Her role here is minimal, taking a backseat to Judy Greer and Andi Matichak, the actresses playing her daughter and granddaughter. There is also a bizarre political statement about the dangers of vigilante justice. While fans of the Halloween franchise may get a kick out of the character reunion/slaughter, most will find this setup for next year’s Halloween Ends a pedestrian, not-so-scary, and even silly, waste of time.
REEL FACTS
• It was Halloween Kills producer Jason Blum who opted to release his film simultaneously in theaters and on the Peacock streaming service, due to the poor box office performance of his 2020 horror/comedy, Freaky.
• In addition to these two latest Halloween films and the next one, director David Gordon Green will also direct The Exorcist, itself a sequel to the original, scheduled for release in 2023.
• Halloween Kills was filmed on location in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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