Halloween Kills is an uncensored, adrenaline-packed sequel to the legend of the horror genre that dumps the viewers in a tornado of confusion and stress. At the beginning that sets a tense mood not only by focusing on the horror brought about by Michael Myers himself, but also through the trauma of the people as a whole who can take no more. What is most striking is the way in which the film addresses dealing with grief and resilience as well as the lethal desire to take revenge and how fear can fill one with strength as much as it can bring about careless behavior.
It is an uncompromising and edge-of-your-seat spotlight on the moments when Haddonfield turns into a hell with its gritty cinematography and unstoppable rhythm. The brutality and the shocking scenes depicted in the film are brought down by slower scenes of contemplation of the emotional wounds left behind. The acting is quite powerful, Jamie Lee Curtis offers a nuanced depiction of Laurie Strode who still suffers the wounds of her trauma, and Judy Greer acts in a multifaceted role of a character that understood so much about the inhabitants of her town and their need to have someone to be furious at. The score, the direction, and the production design collaborate to provide a nightmarish, yet familiar setting, emphasizing the emotional outcome of the entire film.
The most impressive to me was the depiction of shared anger of a community and warming up of feelings of trauma. Having been presented as a graphic violent film, however, Halloween Kills turns into an emotionally deep exploration of human ability to do harm, as well as survive. It also made me realise the fact that evil is persistent, but so are people who are ready to resist it. Finally, I felt incredibly touched by how the movie made me realize how delicate and fierce the hope acquired is in spite of the darkness.
