Halloween (2018 Film Review)

2018 Universal Pictures
Directed by: David Gordon Green; Written by: Jeff Fradley, Danny McBride, and David Gordon Green
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, and Virginia Gardner
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 106 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 8/10

1978's Halloween has been been followed up upon and sequeled so many times, there has already been a second film in the series, a 2007 reboot, called Halloween. Quite confusingly, this new 2018 film is also called Halloween, and is not a reboot of the the first film, but a direct continuation of it, which coincidentally, makes it a reboot of all of the original film's sequels. Yes, this means the new direct sequel to Halloween is a film called Halloween. With that ridiculous titular confusion out of the way, this new film manages to be a better Halloween than anything since the original, though it doesn't quite approach the original's hallowed territory.
It's 40 years after the fated night that Laurie Strode met masked murderer, Michael Myers. While Myers was captured and placed in a mental institution after his night of carnage, lone survivor Strode's mind was shattered, and she's lived a broken life in hiding, having lost her now adult child to foster care after subjecting her to a childhood of nonstop survivalist training. Now, she's struggling to have a relationship with her granddaughter, even while keeping constant tabs on Myers to ensure he remains in captivity, and maintaining a heavy arsenal of weapons and a well-equipped panic room. However, on Halloween night in 2018, the exact anniversary of their first encounter, Myers has broken loose, and out to get the girl who got away. With her granddaughter and her group of friends out enjoying the holiday night, it's up to Laurie to not only keep her family safe, but to take down Michael once and for all.
All of the sequels and remakes to Halloween up until this new film have been grave disappointments. They've missed the fact that the original is a singular film, and shouldn't be followed up upon unless there's a logical reason. Exploring Strode's life all these years later, and the effect the night she fought off a murderous, hulking, masked killer has had on her psyche is a worthwhile endeavor, and director, David Gordon Green, is up to the challenge. He litters his frames and film with respectful, yet fun callbacks to the original film, while still giving his picture a modern feel. The cinematography by Michael Simmonds is brilliant, full of of atmosphere, windows, and reflections, as he and Green find inventive ways to place Myers in the frame, just like John Carpenter did in the original film.
However, like the original, the true standout of the film is Jamie Lee Curtis, imbuing this older and very broken Strode with the same relentless, stubborn will to survive, as in the original. As Myers' other victims, this time enough to fill a bus, scream and try in futility to escape, she's directly confronting him, grabbing any sharp item in reach to shove into his neck. Curtis has had a very colorful, diverse career since her breakout in the first Halloween film 40-years ago, starring in some classic comedies, serious dramas, and major action films. She's shone in all those genres, but for some reason, there's nothing like seeing her go toe-to-toe with this hulking mass of evil.
Yes, this film has its flaws, with a few too many people making bad decisions, and a needlessly ambiguous ending that puts making more money for the franchise above giving both Strode and Myers the closure this film earns them. Still, for anyone wishing to see another confrontation between these two iconic characters, one an archetypal, inconceivable evil, the other a now much more cracked and flawed, yet still paragon for righteousness, you can't wish for much more than what this film artfully delivers.