Halloween Kills (2020)   

Review: written November 2022

Sadly, this follow up to the 2018 Halloween, fails to do more than increase the body count and volume of spilt blood, relying more on gorily inventive death scenes than any type of character development. The story echoes elements of the original Halloween 2, with Jamie Lee Curtis’ character Laurie Strode hospitalised after her battle with Myers. Her evening is not over yet, however as Myers tell-tale carnage moves ever closer to the hospital. The idea that starts to develop, is how damaging and weakening mob rule can be, and how it develops – but once this idea is out there, it doesn’t develop in any way. Perhaps the saddest element of watching the movie – is despite the over the top gore, it just didn’t feel particularly scary.

Fans will enjoy some of the death scenes and there are plenty of them, but in terms of doing something with the characters and franchise this feels very much like a placeholder.

Could have used a few less cuts to onscreen victims, and more in the editing suite.