Halloween Kills (2021) Review

Gore-er Story

SCORE: 71/100

Directed by: David Gordon Green

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak

Synopsis: The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode continues in the next thrilling chapter of the Halloween series.

****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****

REVIEW:

Well that was fun. Halloween Kills is the second chapter of the rebooted trilogy from Universal and Blumhouse. Laurie Strode (Curtis), and her daughter and grand-daughter are on their way to the hospital after the events of the first film, when they see fire engines racing towards Laurie's home. 

That's all I'll say as far as story goes, because this film is far more fun when you go in without knowing more than that. They've realized that we're here for the scares, the kills, and the typical Halloween stuff. And they give it to us in spades. This is by far the most violent and gory Halloween movie yet, and it's for the better. As I said with this film's predecessor, the writers and director have presented us with the ultimate version of The Shape, or Michael Myers. He's pretty much unstoppable now, and makes you wonder how it will all end next year. There's also an incredible storyline regarding the town coming together that added an unforeseen emotional moment toward the end. It's a moment of inflection for the characters, and it clearly affects them. 

Acting across the board is good here as well. Laurie isn't in the film as much as the previous one, with her being in the hospital for most of it. The spotlight is instead on Tommy (Anthony Michael Hall) and Laurie's family. Hall is awesome in the film, and stole the show for me. His character and the direction he takes feels like a callback to classic monster films. Judy Greer also gets a lot of great moments that add an emotional weight, and also gets a badass moment or two. 

Where this movie stumbles is that it's designed to be a part two in a trilogy. The ending, while exciting, isn't a satisfying conclusion. It leaves us on a cliffhanger to be resumed this time next year. It's admittedly a great cliffhanger, but some audiences may feel cheated.

That's about it, other than the usual horror tropes and minor issues, the film is still a blast and well worth your time in theaters if you're a fan or just looking for something spooky!

Conclusion: Halloween Kills it when it comes to its kills and gore, as well as its story involving the city of Haddonfield, just don't expect a real resolution until the next film.

Score: 71/100