Whether it was the vision of Michael Meyers appearing behind the darkness or the frightening musical ensemble that has been used for 40 years, the “Halloween” movies have become a staple every October 31. The second movie of the Halloween trilogy that brings back iconic babysitter Laurie Strode, “Halloween Kills” offers the set up to the final Halloween movie which will be released next year. 

“Halloween Kills” was my first time watching a movie from the “Halloween” franchise and the set up to watch the movie was perfect. I was with my friends, eating popcorn and candy, and the lights dimmed as if Michael Meyers himself would attempt to sabotage us through the living room window. 

The big screen starts simply dark and black, with the music relating to Michael Meyers and Halloween cascading from the speakers. It is Halloween night in 2018, a pick up following the ending of “Halloween” where Laurie Strode, her daughter, and granddaughter locked Michael Meyers in the basement of their house to die an unfathomable death. Or so they thought. 

“Halloween Kills” differed from many of the past movies where Michael Meyers puts everyone on edge due to the fact that many of the people that he haunted and attempted to kill reappeared within the movie. Characters like Marion Chambers, Tommy Doyle, and Lindsey Wallave returned to have their final say and battle with the man that has haunted them since his first appearance in 1978. 

However, similar to the movies in the past, “Halloween Kills” contained the gory deaths and suspension-filled chases that all fans have come accustomed to. The movie also contains the future generation of citizens living in Haddonfield, Illinois poking fun at the myth of Michael Meyers until they see the murderer with the infamous white mask appear from the shadows.  

While all of this action and thrill from the continued chases and the possible end to 40 years of killing, many usual horror and ‘Halloween’ movie watchers did not approve of the second movie of the trilogy. While it does entail the common theme of what Michael Meyers does every Halloween night, individuals would say that “Halloween Kills” does nothing to further the plot to the final movie next year. Additionally, the movie brings a new aspect of these movies in the form of a movement to try and capture Michael Meyers within Haddonfield, even if the suspected mental health patients are considered Meyers whether they are the actual killer or not. 

Despite these facts that “Halloween Kills” could be one of the worst movies in the franchise, it is a pivotal part of the recent trilogy created to carry on the hardships of Michael Meyers and I personally recommend the movie to anyone who is waiting for that spooky scare around the Halloween season. Whether the villain/killer is Jigsaw, Freddy Krueger, or Jason Voorhees, the character Michael Meyers, and all of the movies relating to his sabotage on a small town in Illinois, can be regarded as the original scare that moviegoers truly felt.