Michael Myers Is Back And As Deadly As Ever

The 2018 film, Halloween, reboots the original franchise, focusing on events decades after the original.

Intro

It’s that spooky time of year; Halloween is creeping around the corner. Not only is that the name of a holiday but also that of a famous horror film series. The original Halloween came out in 1978, the modern trilogy started in 2018 with Halloween, followed by Halloween Kills in 2021, and the newest installment, Halloween Ends, which comes out this week. In the original movie, we are introduced to the now-famous Michael Myers, who wears a mask and murders his elder sister at a young age. In this first modern installment, we see him decades later as a grown man, escaping from jail to continue his murder spree. While it may not be as good as the original, it is essential to understand this film since the newest upcoming sequel is releasing soon and it seems to be the end of the entire franchise.

Popularity

As with many other horror films, this franchise focuses on a serial killer, Michael Myers. This one stands out because of the character's many iconic and signature aspects. For one, his mask is known worldwide, and many even wear it during Halloween due to how symbolic it is. Next, we have his signature walk; no matter how intense or close he is to losing a victim, Myers chooses never to run but does his typical fast walk that is almost that of a robot-like human. Finally, the mystery around him. Out of 3 films so far, we have had a single glimpse of Michael Myer; the young version of him back in the original movie puts an aura of mystery around him. We start this film off by introducing an aged version of him, but only his backside in an intro scene meant to create immense fear around him among the audience watching the movie. Throughout the film, most of the characters don't believe in Myers's existence, except the very few who know of him, making his role much more intense and exciting as people slowly start to witness his monster.

Pros And Cons

Many aspects of the film add value to the film, and some just don't make sense. The most powerful contribution to the movie was the performance Jamie Lee Curtis gave. Her fierce acting takes control of the film and drives the entire story forward. One thing that doesn't make sense is the whole writing of the plan to deal with Myers. We are used to people in horror movies doing stupid things, but some scenes just make no sense as Michael plows through dozens of senseless victims. Another pro of the movie was the music and the tone set throughout. The film maintained a thrilling, chilling tone that kept the audience at the edge of their seats. However, it would have been even scarier if they did not show Michael without his mask, even if it was just his back. Seeing his head, back, ears, and human-like features causes the audience not to be as scared as him. There are also many plot holes and instances where Myers seems practically indestructible, which ruins the chances of anyone he fights against. This makes every encounter boring and predictable and ruins the suspense for the audience.

Closing Critiques

While this movie is a thrill to watch, it's far from perfect and is a very mediocre film, even for its genre. While exhilarating, it also gets very predictable and doesn’t include any major twists or surprises. If you have followed the original Halloween franchise, you may want to watch it to keep up with the upcoming sequels. However, if you have never been a horror genre fan, you’re better off not wasting your time.

Raving Rating: 6.7