The 21st century has been an interesting time for horror films. Not only has the genre seen some of its greatest hits, it’s seen a plethora of remakes and reboots. Franchises likeScream,A Nightmare on Elm StreetandChuckyhave seen new instalments that have either continued the original timeline to update it for modern audiences, or brought a whole new interpretation to the classic horrors. Butno franchise has seen such a wide spectrum of quality in the 21st century as theHalloweenmovies.
With three separate timelines either introduced or ended, the story of Michael Myers has seen either worthy tributes or interesting new interpretations. Some have managed to recapture the terror of the original in a more modern setting, while others have failed to stick the landing despite what could have been a promising start. Still, they have only cemented the legacy of The Shape of Haddonfield as one of the definitive horror movie slashers.
6‘Halloween: Resurrection’ (2002)
Directed by Rick Rosenthal
Halloween H20: 20 Years Laterwas a refreshing kickstarter to a new timeline, whileHalloween: Resurrectionpre-emptively ended it on a rather questionable note. After an insulting opening sequence showing Michael’s (Brad Loree) death retconned before finishing off Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis),Halloween Resurrectionfollows a group of dumb teenagers who have won the opportunity to compete on an internet reality show. Their task? Spend a night in Michael’s old house. Needless to say, the shape isn’t happy about it.
Halloween: Resurrectionis one of the most egregious examples of continuing a franchisethat didn’t need to continue at that point. Without Laurie or any of her relatives around, all the stakes for Michael’s story are gone, andall we’re left with is some kills that don’t mean anything. Still, if you ever wanted to see Michael Myers get beaten byBusta Rhymesof all people, thenHalloween: Resurrectionwill scratch that unrealistically specific itch.
Halloween: Resurrection
5‘Halloween Kills’ (2021)
Directed by David Gordon Green
Once again set immediately after the events of the previous film,Halloween Killssees Michael once again surviving what should have been a permanent end for him. But this time, the entire town of Haddonfield is waiting for him. While Laurie, Karen (Judy Greer), and Allyson (Andi Matichak) are recovering at the hospital, Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall) has rallied the townsfolk to form an angry mob to kill Michael once and for all, no matter the cost.
Far more action-driven than its predecessor, Halloween Kills tries to build up an epic showdown between Michael and the residents of the town he terrorized, only to fall back on a heavy-handed message about the dangers of mob mentality. Not to mention, the well-intentioned epic scale of such a showdown is undermined by the fact that in this timeline,Michael has only victimized the town twice instead of consistently for forty years. Still, it’s got some good kills, great performances from its cast, andsome insightful messaging despite the fumbled execution.
Halloween Kills
4‘Halloween Ends’ (2022)
The final instalment inDavid Gordon Green’s reboot trilogy,Halloween Endsis a disappointingly understated end to the saga. Four years afterHalloween Kills, Laurie and Allyson have begun to move on with their lives. Allyson has become romantically involved with town pariah Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), but he has more than one dark secret up his sleeve as he seems to be in league with the shape.
Despite the trilogy having a promising and thought-provoking setup,Halloween Endsfumbles the landing by not properly establishing the relationship between Corey and Michael, and focusing far more on the former than what should be the latter. It’s a messy conclusion, butcompared to what came before, it has a far better send-off for both Michael and Laurie than their previous two timelines. Here, Michael meets an extremely permanent end, and Laurie makes it out alive with the knowledge that the evil inside Michael is not exclusive to him.
Halloween Ends
3‘Halloween II’ (2009)
Directed by Rob Zombie
IfRob Zombie’s firstHalloweenfilm was a divisive reinterpretation of Michael’s psyche, thenHalloween IIgoes into complete overdrive with it. Retelling many of the same events as the original Halloween II while adding its own elements, the film is set two years later, with Michael having disappeared, Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) suffering from PTSD and Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) writes a book about his dealings with Michael. Of course, the Shape (Tyler Mane) has risen again, this time guided by the spirit of his mother (Sherri Moon Zombie).
Halloween IIfocuses primarily on the character drama of the situation, which can be seen as either a good thing or a bad thing. While it earns points for wonderfully directed sequences, the borderline-fantastical imagery will throw off anyone expecting a traditional slasher film. Throw that in with a random cameo appearance byWeird Al Yankovic, andHalloween IImakes forone of the strangest, and one of the most creative, horror sequels ever made.
Halloween II
2‘Halloween’ (2007)
Horror remakes can be extremely hit or miss, but one cannot deny thatRob Zombiebrought an unmistakable vision for his take onHalloween. Rather than depicting Michael as a completely unknowable and borderline inhuman killer, Zombie reimagines his backstory as a troubled kid from a broken home who was pushed too far by his abusive dad and sister before killing them both. We then see firsthand his sessions with Dr. Loomis, and his estrangement from his mother, before the fateful night we all know and fear.
It’s an effective new take on the character, and Zombie does a good job showing how this kid could grow into such a monster.Of course, Zombie’s trademark crass humor and trashy, grindhouse sensibilitiesmay be an acquired taste for some, and the way many sympathetic characters from the original are made deliberately unlikeable makes for an occasionally tough watch. Still,Rob Zombie’sHalloweencan be an effective new telling if one keeps an open mind.
1‘Halloween’ (2018)
The first film in the modern trilogy,the 2018Halloweenis as good asHalloweensequels can get. 40 years after that night in Haddonfield, Michael (Nick Castle/James Jude Courtney) has been waiting patiently for his chance to come home. And so has Laurie Strode. Becoming a battle-ready survivor at the cost of her relationships with her friends and family, Laurie is painfully aware thatMichael is not some misunderstood, tragic figure, but a being of pure evil. Soon, everyone doubting her will be reconsidering their choices as he comes home.
After decades of retconning and complicated family dynamics, the 2018Halloweenbrings things so far back to basics that even the sibling relationship between Michael and Laurie is retconned. Michael is as gruesome as he’s ever been,Jamie Lee Curtisdelivers the performance of her career as an older, battle-ready Laurie, and the climax is one of the best in any recent slasher film. The rest of the trilogy may not have been able to match its ambitions, but the 2018Halloweenis still one of the best modern horror reboots.
