40 years later, and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is still petrified after the murders of her friends in 1978. She is now a grandmother, with two failed marriages and a daughter (Karen) who wants nothing more than to be out of her mother’s life. In fear that Michael Myers would escape and return to Haddonfield, Laurie trained Karen as a child to defend herself using guns and other weapons instead of letting her have a normal childhood with friends. To no surprise, Michael escapes the night before Halloween, and his murder rampage starts all over again.

Nick Castle, who played Michael in the original movie, makes a surprise cameo in the beginning of the film before handing off the mask to James Jude Courtney. James studied all of Nick’s movements and actions from the 1978 movie so he could put his own spin on things while keeping true to the character. Once the mask is on, its near impossible to tell whether it is Nick or James doing the killing.

David Gordon Green directed this movie ignoring all sequels and remakes after the original 1978 film. This movie truly is 40 years later in both the story and real life. Michael is stuck in a psychiatric hospital, and Laurie is seen training in her bunker of a home. The cinematography seemed very familiar, as many angles and shots were identical to the original 1978 Halloween. This made for a fun experience, and making those connections felt special. The similarities were emphasized with the classic theme for Halloween, having it play in the background while deja vu kicked in for those true fans.

Halloween (2018) is rated R for a good reason. In order to show Michael’s true devilish figure, seeing the bloody mess of each kill was a must and could not be blown off. Part of a good horror movie is not only the jump scares and plot twists; but also the massacre that the killer leaves behind, and the gross feeling left in the audience. Also included in the R rating, is foul language and a brief scene involving nudity.

Halloween: 10/10