TIFF18 Review “Halloween”

Taking place 40 years after the original film (and throwing away all the storylines from the sequels), Michael Myers is set to be transferred to a maximum-security prison and the people of Haddonfield, Illinois feel like the horrors he has caused will be put behind them.

The only one not feeling quite relaxed is Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who escaped Michael’s killings four decades ago. Laurie has been waiting and preparing for Michael’s return and this paranoia has caused a broken relationship between her and her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). Laurie’s got a house full of weapons, so when Michaels inevitable escape happens, she’s ready.

Arriving just in time for the spooky season, Halloween is the perfect film to get your heart racing but also features quite a lot of humour as well. One particular sequence featuring Allyson’s friend babysitting a wisecracking child is a highlight.

The ladies of the movie are the stand out though, seeing them work together to take down Michael. The film does a good job of portraying the complicated nature of wanting to protect one’s family as Laurie and her daughter struggle to come to an understanding of how much protection is too much.