We had the chance to discover in world preview at the 78th Venice Film Festival “Halloween Kills”, the highly anticipated sequel to “Halloween” by David Gordon Green released in 2018. Does it live up to expectations? We tell you everything.
Halloween Kills: The Direct Sequel
Forgetting all the sequels to John Carpenter’s masterpiece, director David Gordon Green had signed with Halloween in 2018 a brutal and neat return of the boogeyman Michael Myers. Relentless and violent, the film was set 40 years after the events of the first. Michael, having spent his entire life in prison, found a way to escape during a truck transfer to another prison. He therefore resumed tirelessly his hunt for Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), causing many victims in his path.
The latter, who had lived in recluse for 40 years, convinced that Michael would come back to hunt her, had prepared for this confrontation by creating a real bunker to trap him. The film ended on the capture of Myers in the burning cellar of Laurie’s house. Unfortunately for the latter, the firefighters were quick to arrive to extinguish the fire. Halloween kills therefore begins when the firefighters arrive in the house.
An outburst of violence
Halloween kills resumes a few seconds after the events of the previous one. We discover Cameron, Allysson’s boyfriend, rushing to Sheriff Hawkins’ bedside. A flashback featuring the latter takes us back to the hell of Haddonfield in 1978. We then discover his participation in the events of the time, and how that night traumatized him. This nod to Carpenter’s film will not be the only one since many characters who lived the horror night of 78 will return to the screen with only one idea in mind: to kill Michael.
But the boogeyman the most famous of horror cinema seems immortal. After surviving the fire in Laurie’s house, he resumes his murderous journey with a first sequence of incredible violence in which he will decimate a whole team of firefighters. Dozens of deaths follow, each more violent than the next. This new film is, by far, the most violent of the whole saga, and also the most gory.
David Gordon Green proves once again that he has grasped the character of Michael Myers: absolute, almost animal evil, that nothing and no one seems to be able to stop. His very presence on the screen gives off terrifying bestial power, magnified by the soundtrack still composed by John Carpenter.
Waiting for the end
Halloween kills suffers from its position as the second film in a trilogy announced since the beginning of the saga. As we know, a third part (logically baptized Halloween Ends) will be launched in 2022. Kills therefore serves as main course before the grand finale, and this is felt in the scenario which sometimes artificially stretches its narrative stakes.
Indeed, the 1h45 of film seems excessively long for what they cover as events. Obstacles will come between Michael and Laurie (who is in the hospital) and the great clash therefore does not (yet) take place. The latter is also very little present on the screen, unlike the first film.
Halloween kills announces an explosive final, but on guard a little too much under the sole to totally convince us. There remains an ultra charismatic and terrifying Michael Myers, whom we can not wait to find in Halloween Ends.
Halloween kills in theaters October 20, 2021. Above the trailer. Find all our trailers here.
