“…Judy Greer as Karen is casting perfection…”
I will say that the performances across the board are strong as hell. That is, save for one Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), the “New Loomis” as Strode calls him. Hammy and ceremonial, Bilginer’s scenes border on silly. Regardless, Judy Greer as Karen is casting perfection. She is tender, yet strong, and she hits all of the right notes. I believed that she was the daughter of Laurie. Matichak’s Allyson is adequate as the granddaughter of Strode. Oddly enough the true stand out of this movie is Jibrail Nantambu as Julian. Playing this film’s Tommy Wallace, Julian is being babysat by Vicky (Virginia Gardner) one of Allyson’s friends. In what is the film’s most genuine and funny scenes the two share some hilarious banter in the film’s only comic relief. It is what the original captured in terms of the babysitter and child dynamic, and it is a standout few scenes.
It is an interesting, even admirable choice to wipe clean everything that we knew from Halloween 2 to Halloween Resurrection, ignoring Rob Zombie’s painful remakes, and starting back at the beginning. Yet this new Halloween misses most of the opportunities that this approach offers. Screenwriters Green and Danny McBride do well to turn the story into Laurie’s triumph over tragedy, but they weigh her down with too much pain and not enough resilience. Additionally, there are entirely too many loose ends, unnecessary characters, developments, and red herrings that pad what should be a lean horror suspense movie.
Should you go see Halloween? You could go either way. This is easily the best sequel in a sea of crumby sequels and remakes. David Gordon Green’s Halloween is able to graze the brass ring that 9 other sequels and remakes have tried to touch, but it still doesn’t run home with the prize.
Halloween (2018) Directed by David Gordon Green. Written by David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, Jeff Fradley. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle.
6 out of 10 stars
