Sofa Sinema’s review published on Letterboxd:
Trick or treat motherfuckers!!
Sometimes you don't get the candy you want and you're tricked into eating vegetables instead. That's how it appears many Michael Myers marks are feeling right now. They got something they didn't ask for. For me, the last thing I wanted was the same generic candy corn. In an online world where everything is predictably spoiled, I'm glad they did a bit of "bait and switch" in the promotions. Hard to avoid spoiler trolls, but that strategy helped.
Some of the funniest comments are those complaining that the flick disrespects Michael Myers. Hey, I'd say Han Solo and Luke Skywalker were disrespected in the Disney sequels. Myers is a shapeless killer who's been beaten down and has spent four years trying to get his mojo back, and he succeeds. If you want to see disrespect, take a look at that mask job in H20. And people saying that nobody else gets to wear Michael's mask have definitely been in their basements too long.
As a fan of some of the bastard stepchildren of horror franchises, including Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning and both Rob Zombie entries, I had a good time with this and found it mostly refreshing. Can we stop pretending that any of the Halloween flicks have been consistent, especially flick to flick? It was always made up as it went along and just because we knew these were coming, I am glad they weren't locked into the trilogy mindset. This kind of copycat evil storyline has been teased since the final seconds of Halloween IV and Blumhouse finally had the balls to do something with it.
There was still too much Strode for my personal liking, but JLC was better here than in Kills. The final moments are delightfully whacked in the way the best eighties slashers often were. I do think we're missing big chunks of ideas that will hopefully get fleshed out in a director's cut. Speaking of flesh, another point minus for teasing shower titties and then turning off the water. Points back for a Darcy the Mail girl cameo.
Haddonfield is given proper characterization here and I think it's got that Autumnal foreboding of Ray Bradbury's Green Town, Illinois or Stephen King's Derry, Maine. For me, it had that Halloween spice in every scene. Speaking of literary horror, I have been digging the novelizations of these and already pre-ordered my Kindle copy of Ends. Recommend the deeper dive if you've got a taste for it.
Did sometimes feel like being dropped in and out of an episodic series, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Gore was totally there, too and Myers manages some sadistic humor again. Kudos to the Christine nods and vibes (still my favorite Carpenter outing). The music including soundtrack choices were solid and best use of "Don't Fear the Reaper" since Mick Garris's version of The Stand. Nothing as unexpected as Anne Murray, though.
Need to watch again. Soon.
