Name: Halloween Kills
Genre: Horror
Released: 2021-10-14T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle

The moment Michael Myers breaks free from Laurie Strode’s trap, the tension that had been meticulously built in the previous film evaporates like a cheap jump scare. Halloween Kills (2021), directed by David Gordon Green, is a slasher that trades psychological horror for relentless, if somewhat hollow, carnage. With a script co-written by Green, Danny McBride, and Scott Teems, the film aims to pit Myers against an entire town, but the execution feels more like a frantic, overstuffed B-movie than a worthy follow-up to the 2018 reboot.

What works is the sheer relentlessness of the kills. The film embraces its slasher roots with unflinching brutality, particularly in the sequence where Michael Myers battles a mob of Haddonfield residents. The practical effects are solid, and the cinematography captures the chaos with a visceral immediacy that keeps the adrenaline pumping. Jamie Lee Curtis delivers a performance that anchors the film, bringing a raw vulnerability to Laurie Strode as she fights for her life. Judy Greer and Andi Matichak also shine as Karen and Allyson, respectively, adding emotional depth to the Strode family dynamic.

However, the film falters in its attempt to balance character development with sheer spectacle. The screenplay struggles to maintain coherence amidst the frenetic pacing, often sacrificing logical consistency for the sake of set pieces. The decision to turn Haddonfield into a mob-driven slaughterhouse feels more like an homage to Friday the 13th than a natural progression from the slower, more atmospheric horror of the original trilogy. The humor peppered between the slayings also feels misplaced, undermining the film’s attempts at genuine tension.

The score, composed by John Carpenter alongside his son Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies, is one of the few bright spots. The extended themes and orchestral arrangements add a layer of grandeur that elevates even the most mundane scenes. Yet, this musical strength can’t compensate for the narrative shortcomings.

In the end, Halloween Kills is a film that excels in moments but stumbles as a whole. It’s a serviceable entry in the franchise that delivers on its promise of blood and gore but fails to leave a lasting impression.