The nightmare isn’t over as unstoppable killer Michael Myers escapes from Laurie Strode’s trap to continue his ritual bloodbath. Injured and taken to the hospital, Laurie fights through the pain as she inspires residents of Haddonfield to rise up against Myers. A film by David Gordon Green, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and James Jude Courtney, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Anthony Michael Hall, Thomas Mann, and Jim Cummings.

Picking up right where the terrifying 2018 HALLOWEEN left off, HALLOWEEN KILLS plunges us back into the chilling world of Michael Myers and his relentless pursuit of Laurie Strode. With over $255 million in box office earnings against its $10 million production budget, it is no wonder the studio was eager to continue this terrifying saga.

As firefighters rush to extinguish the flames engulfing Laurie’s house, they encounter the lurking Michael, who swiftly dispatches them using their own tools, allowing him to once again cheat death’s embrace.

The film intentionally inserts an additional scene from 1978, transporting us back to that fateful night when Deputy Frank Hawkins (Thomas Mann) inadvertently shoots his partner Pete McCabe (Jim Cummings), in a desperate attempt to rescue him from the clutches of Michael Myers. The incident becomes a weight that Deputy Frank bears throughout his life. As viewers, we are left with a lingering question: what is the significance of this additional scene? We are aware that Michael Myers is impervious to mortal bullets, so Dr. Loomis’s attempt to kill him would have been futile.

The film also brings back characters from the original 1978 HALLOWEEN, including Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens), Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards), Lonnie Elam (Robert Longstreet), and Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall). These familiar faces add a layer of nostalgia and emotional resonance to the story, reminding us of the enduring impact of Michael Myers’s reign of terror.

Allyson (Andi Matichak), once a supporting character, takes center stage in this sequel, her role expanding beyond mere observation to active engagement. Driven by a burning desire for vengeance, she embarks on a perilous quest to track down and confront Michael Myers, despite her lack of combat training or formal weaponry. This unexpected turn of events leaves viewers questioning the direction of the story, their curiosity piqued but their expectations tempered.

HALLOWEEN KILLS stumbles under the weight of its chaotic script, as it struggles to seamlessly integrate HALLOWEEN’s alumni back into the main narrative. Characters repeatedly make illogical and ill-conceived decisions, seemingly oblivious to the passage of four decades. They cling to the notion that they can vanquish evil, even bringing teenagers to to Michael’s childhood home. If this is the best course of action the townspeople can muster, perhaps it’s time to consider a more drastic solution – erasing Haddonfield from the face of the earth.

Amidst the narrative’s disarray, a single inventive kill stands out, as Michael dispatches his victim with a fluorescent tube, a testament to his gruesome creativity. However, this glimmer of originality fails to compensate for the film’s overall shortcomings.

Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), the heroine of HALLOWEEN, takes a backseat role in this sequel, confined to a hospital where she relives her past with Frank, who miraculously survived his brutal stabbing in the previous film. While it is a horror trope for characters to survive against all odds, the overdramatic injection of painkillers adds an unnecessary layer of tension.

HALLOWEEN KILLS premiered at Mostra internazionale d’arte cinematografica on 8 September 2021. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 15 October along with paid-tiers streaming exclusively on Peacock for 60 days. The extended cut was scheduled to stream on HBO Max on 18 March 2022.