Halloween Kills picks up on the same night as the events from the 2018 film and really feels as if you have just hit pause, rather than starting a new film. I watched the two about 12 hours apart, so it was still fresh in my mind.

While Halloween (2018) could have been left as a stand-alone solo film, this next instalment feels like it is addressing some of the loose ends that were created, while also building upon the legend of Michael Myers – who/what he is and the relationship with Laurie and the Strode women.

I would suggest that before seeing Halloween Kills, to first watch Halloween (2018) as it will put this film into context.

If you are a fan of Halloween or any horror franchise, or just know about the common genre troupes, you’ll know it’s not a spoiler when I say to you, what fans really want to know is how Michael survives his fate from the previous film.

They basically kill him off every movie or he sustains fatal injuries, yet just does not die!

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait very long before being presented with how he escapes and survives. Look, I’ve seen much more farfetched explanations and I was ok with what was offered, simplistic as it was.

It also doesn’t take long before Michael is on a killing rampage, with increasingly more violent methods. If I thought Halloween (2018) was more violent, enter Halloween Kills which turns the dial to 11. I’m not sure how they achieved that given he turned someone’s head into a jack o’ lantern in the previous film. Michael’s kill count for this film alone is 29.

At this point I’m not really feeling any fear anymore, I just don’t want to watch a lot of what is happening on screen due to the gore factor.

What the film does do, is to explore further into the Dr. Loomis theory that the Michael is not a man but the embodiment of evil, or as Laurie labels as “the boogeyman”. The effect from the actions of the shape (which Michael has been known within the script and now also being referenced on screen) is reflected within the town of Haddonfield.

We see people living in fear, quickly turning against each other, and ultimately causing harm to an “innocent”. This fear in the town’s people hits fever pitch in a hospital scene resulting in a chaos where no one is listening to reason. The scene made me think about the recent January 6 insurrection, which I think is exactly what it was intended to do. I’m not sure it’s trying to make any political commentary per say however it definitely is saying something about the danger of conspiracy theorists and vigilantes.

By the time the end credits roll, I’m just left not knowing how I feel about the film. There were bits that I liked about it which when I reflect on, are mostly call backs to the original film. Such as having the characters of Tommy and Linsey, the kids that were babysat from the original 1978 film, included within the story.

And despite the tagline of the film “Evil dies tonight”, which we hear A LOT on repeat throughout the film, there is no doubt that Michael is still alive at the end of this one. We knew going in that this film was part of a trilogy, with the final instalment still to come.

Even though my feelings are up in the air here, I’m still excited to see the conclusion of this timeline and what happens next.

Thus, for me, Halloween Kills was not as good as Halloween (2018). If you are a fan of the series and watching this timeline of films, I think you will get some enjoyment out of it. Also if you like slasher films and in it for the gore and creative kills, I also think you’ll enjoy the film.