The original "Halloween" instantly became a cult-classic when it came out in 1978. The latest "Halloween," in theaters now, follows suit as it keeps audience members on the edge of their seats with jump scares, red herrings and classic Michael Meyers creepiness.
As a horror movie fan, I was excited to see how this addition to the film series turned out. It picks up exactly 40 years after the original movie ended. The story line is not altered by the previous string of movies that followed the first. It has many homages to the original movie and follows a similar plot line. However, if you have not seen the original, you won't be confused.
It begins with two investigative journalists who are diving into Michael Meyers' case for a podcast. They visit him at Smith's Grove Sanitarium where they prompt him to speak to them. As unsettling as ever, he does not speak or even turn to look at them. Following that, the journalists visit Laurie, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, who is a survivor of the first movie's events. She basically lives in a fortress with heavy security of her own making. Next, Laurie's estranged family is introduced, which pushes the idea that she is crazy and obsessed with Michael Meyers.
The sanitarium has the brilliant idea of transferring a large group of patients to a maximum security prison by gathering them all into one bus the night before Halloween. Surprise, surprise, the bus crashes and releases the patients into the real world. Thus begins the frantic chase led by police, Laurie and Meyers' psychiatrist to find Michael Meyers before he finds them. Meyers finds his infamous mask by murdering a bunch of innocent people, sparking his killing spree.
Nothing in this movie is really as it seems. The director and writers did an amazing job of laying false paths of what might happen right up to the very end. No character in this movie is safe, and there is no way of telling who is important to the plot and who isn't. This really adds to the anticipation and thrill of watching scary movies, especially with Halloween right around corner.
"Halloween" is a thriller that keeps audience members entertained and scared, but not so much so that they can't sleep at night. It ends on a powerful note with a hint of menace held only by subtle clues and close watch. This film allows for the individual to watch it multiple times and catch different things every time they see it. Overall, "Halloween" is a great place to start if you are in search for a movie to put you in the true Halloween spirit.