A friend of mine asked recently why I don’t cover new horror flicks very often. Truthfully, I haven’t been covering much of anything since the pandemic hit because I go through waves where I feel like whatever I have to say isn’t all that important. Depression, y’know? Regardless, my reasoning for typically avoiding new releases is largely because literally every other horror publication is going hard on it. Why read my thoughts on Nia Decosta’s Candyman (2021) when you’re already offered an excessive amount of reviews? For what it is worth, I loved the aforementioned film; As far as Malignant (2021) goes? A big meh. So, there ya have it – we’re caught up. Now let’s talk extensively about Halloween Kills (2021), shall we?

I probably sound like a hypocrite given that I just went off about how I never cover new horror, but y’all need to understand something – The Halloween franchise means more to me than any other, as it was the franchise to get me hooked on horror. Likely shocking given the franchise has earned a pretty shitty reputation for spawning a bunch of terrible sequels over the last four decades, and I will admit that a lot of them aren’t good films. That being said, it didn’t keep me from obsessively marathoning them back-to-back several times as a child. Hell, I even recall the outrage I felt when Rob Zombie decided to remake my holy grail of all horror cinema back in 2007. I was fucking pissed, even more so after watching the film. Though I’ve come to love it now as a grown ass woman heralding an appreciation for the grimier side of things, at the time I couldn’t wrap my head around how something so gnarled and disgusting could’ve been built from the initial source material. Now that I mention it, that has been a pretty common complaint with Halloween Kills (2021), hasn’t it?

I might get some flack for saying this, but Halloween (1978) is one of the very few perfect horror films out ther. Hell, it even kicked off the golden age of slashers! Even if it had flaws (which I must emphasize the fact that it definitely does not), it should be adored and respected solely based on the role it played in altering the trajectory of the horror genre as a whole. The simplicity in Michael’s aesthetic has always been horrifying. Penned ‘The Shape’ for good reason, he only appears to be human. He might have flesh and blood, but as Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance) described in that iconic speech in the first film, “I met this… six year old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and… the blackest eyes – the Devil’s eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil.”

The aforementioned passage is perhaps the most important piece of dialogue in regards to understanding the intent behind Halloween Kills. I’m sure folks are complaining about the sheer brutality Michael embodies in the latest instalment, but you’ve got to understand that this has always been the level of violence lurking behind the mask. If one were to juxtapose the horror fans from present day to those kicking around in 1978, it becomes a no-brainer why Halloween Kills has upped the ante in terms of visible gore. Hell, any sort of boundary has been squashed herein, too. There are no longer rules when it comes to horror, so enjoy that new Scream movie, y’all. Michael, as the name suggests, has returned to Haddonfield to kill, and absolutely no one is safe.

Now, I can already hear parents everywhere screaming about senseless violence and all that bullshit. If you have been keeping up with how society has been evolving over time, you’ve likely observed all these witchhunts happening left, right, and center. What I strongly appreciated about Halloween Kills was how it explored the potential dangers of a mob mentality; How despite having good intentions and wanting to do the right thing, sometimes it can backfire on you. Sometimes you don’t see the full picture, and you’re led by a vicious mutiny that brings you down to the level of the evil you’re combatting. I’ve never denied how progressive the horror genre has been in using ooky-spooky content to share a meaningful message, and that was absolutely the case here. A bitch loves to see it.

As you might’ve gathered by now given that I’ve mentioned it a million times, I’m a big fan of the original. Hell, I was Michael Myers every single Halloween as a preteen. That being said, Halloween Kills calls back to the original film frequently, taking the viewers back to 1978 a few times. Riddled with homages made this one hell of a fun ride, and the stand-in for Donald Pleasance was eerily fitting. Those of y’all claiming that the apparent timeline doesn’t match up, that they’re rewriting history – First of all, no, rewatch the ’78 film. Secondly, who gives a shit if they rewrite history?! It is all fictitious. Film is fictitious. There are quite literally zero rules to abide by, it is a medium for artistic expression and that is absolutely a-okay. I’ll say the same about the third act without getting into spoiler territory. It doesn’t need to be bathed in realism. We’re allowed to disassociate from reality! That is a big reason why film is so fun. Chill out and let it be, y’all.

Ultimately, I have no idea why horror fans are complaining about Halloween Kills so much. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Halloween franchise is arguably the least popular in the grand scheme of things, perhaps it is because so many of us have become so driven by nostalgia that no modern horror film will ever scratch that unreachable itch. Forgive me if I sound like an insane bitch, but I think part of the problem is that so many people nowadays expect everything to cater to their liking. It is okay if this wasn’t the movie you wanted, however that does not make it a bad movie. All that means is that you likely should sit down and write what you want – I mean, why the hell not? Michael Myers hasn’t even made it to outer space yet, and that is a damn shame if ya ask me.