Halloween (2018)   

Review: written November 2022

Iconic slasher returns in heightened sequel

Jamie Lee Curtis returns again to her iconic role in this 11th movie in the franchise, and satisfyingly there is actually some substance to add to the expected slasher-fest associated with Michael Myers, making this arguably the strongest since the very first, even if it is nowhere near as tightly directed.

Laurie Strode has become a paranoid recluse planning and trying to prepare those close to her, for the return of her nemesis Michael Myers, even when the town (and her family) have long since moved on to normality. Her preparations start to bear fruit though, when a bus transfer between prisons goes wrong, giving Michael Myers an unexpected opportunity to escape and return to Haddonfield, leading to more death and destruction, and resurfacing old trauma.

In eschewing the many varied sequels and their separate mythologies, and going back to basics, this film works by embracing the original stand off between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers – but is elevated by spending some time looking at the impact of such violence on Strode and her family. It adds a depth to what could have been by the numbers, but is backed up by familiar slasher tropes, with a body count to keep the younger generation happy. Jamie Lee Curtis seems to relish this return to the character, and is ably supported by the ensemble cast.

A fan ‘nod’ to the original then, but enough tension and spilling of blood to engage a new generation. A surprising success.