Halloween: A Movie Review

A Roundup and Evaluation of the new Skin-Crawling Halloween Movie

David Berry, Reporter|November 2, 2018

Jarel White

Blood curdling screams, sharp knives, a mask, and one psychologically deranged killer are all a part of the new Halloween movie. This is a continuation, in addition to a startup of a new series of Halloween movies, that started four decades ago.

Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis), who was a merely a teenager when Michael Myers first started terrorizing her, is now a grandmother living in isolation. When two investigative journalists come to ask her a few questions, she is reluctant, but eventually lets them in after they offer a large sum of money. Her house is protected by many security precautions because she has been ready for Michael since that first attack. When the journalists question her, she informs them that she does not want to discuss Michael, since the journalists had just visited him in a mental hospital.

In the next scene, Michael gets on a bus to be transported. The bus crashes and the inmates escape. Michael finds the journalists and beats them to death. He then makes his way towards Haddonfield on Halloween night. Michael, as he does in other movies, goes on a killing spree and begins his search for Laurie Strode.

In the Halloween movie, the jack-o-lantern is a major symbol for death and destruction.
This movie had a number of good aspects to it. Director John Carpenter, the man who directed the original Halloween movie, redeems himself after a number of failed sequels. One of the most enjoyable aspects is Michael Myers, who returns and, as LHS Senior Jarel White says, “Michael Myers is one of the most feared and iconic characters in horror movies.” Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis returned after starring as the babysitter in the first Halloween movie. Original actor Will Patton plays the cop, Hawkins. One theme that is continued from the first movie is, “Don’t mess with evil–you cannot study, understand, or live with it.”  Lafayette High School Senior George Haramis agrees with this. He says, “This movie really hit home with me. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the film. Recently, the horror movies that have come out have been subpar, but Halloween hit a home run.” Another aspect I liked about this movie was the fact that it ignored the sequels to the series. It picks up 40 years after Michael Myers originally attacked Laurie on Halloween night. Michael has been incarcerated this whole time, while Laurie has had a family and become a grandmother. Ever since that night, Laurie has essentially become a doomsday prepper. LHS Senior Christian Hankins states, “I like how Laurie was ready for Michael Myers. Even though she has spent her life preparing for this, she was ready and she didn’t turn out to be one of Michael’s victims.” She has a shooting range, traps set, and an underground bunker with more guns. Laurie’s daughter, Karen Strode, is even trained to take down a killer.

Jarel White
Jamie Lee Curtis can be seen starring as the grandma protecting her family.

On the other hand, Halloween has its share of negatives. Everything in the movie has been set up well for the ending of the movie. However, that ending was not completely satisfying. Without giving out any spoilers, most can predict what happens in the end. It leaves the viewer somewhat certain, but also uneasy. Michael seems to be a different breed now. Instead of studying people’s deaths, he simply kills them. Most serial killers tend to be interested in death and would much rather prefer using a variety of methods to ply their trade. For example, in older Halloween movies, Michael would grab people by the throat, throw them up against a wall, and do cruel actions such as studying their lifeless corpses. This can be seen in some deaths in the new movie, but it seems like he has a different motive now.

Overall, this is the best horror movie in theaters now. However, nothing comes close to the bone-chilling original Halloween movie that won the hearts of tons of horror fans. It scores 3.5 out of 5 stars because the idea was right on the money, yet the execution was only good. If you are seeking a good thriller/horror this time of year, this movie will adequately satisfy all of your cravings.