by Thomas Biamonte

After 13 feature length films, the Halloween franchise comes to a bloody conclusion in a surprisingly well done character study that asks the question: What could make a man become Michael Myers? As I went into this film, I expected the same as I always do with horror films released around this time of year: cheap scares and underdeveloped characters. But, to my surprise, I encountered a surprisingly well written film with characters that I really cared for throughout.  Of course the film had the cheesy moments and characters such as Michael Barbieri as Terry who plays the stereotypical 80s straight-to-DVD bully, but, on the other hand, there were performances that were so believable and well thought-out that it counteracts the cheese. One such performance was Rohan Campbell who plays Corey Cunnigham, a mild mannered kid with prospects for a bright future. After an unfortunate accident, Corey goes down a dark path, and soon the whole town labels him as the new boogeyman in Michal Myers’ absence. This constant bullying by the town and even by his own mother (who is portrayed brilliantly by Joanne Baron) leads him to slowly commit more and more evil acts until he rivals the monstrosity that is Michael Myers. Jamie Lee Curtis, as always, puts her heart into this role and finishes her 44 year long reign as Laurie Strode from the original Halloween.

The few complaints I have about the film are, as I said, Michael Barbieri and the other Bully´s performances did not match the rest of the cast members realism. My other complaint is that there was a hastily written romantic subplot for Jamie Lee Curtis and a cop character that did not feel natural – the two actors did not have any chemistry whatsoever. The biggest warning I have to anyone who wants to see this film is that this is not a Michael Myers film. I know, right? I sound crazy. How could a Halloween film not be a Michael Myers Film? Well, Michael is put off to the side for a majority of the film, and he is never truly on the prowl and in his prime like he used to be; instead he is a plot device used to create conflict and motivate other characters. To most ¨Halloween fans¨ this is a disappointing realization, but for me, a casual Halloween viewer, I thought it benefited the film because I felt more attached to the other characters. Overall, I would say this is not a horror film with tons of gore and scares. Instead it is a well written drama that pays tribute to and wraps up the Halloween franchise.