Halloween

It is the eleventh installment in the Halloween film series and a sequel to the 1978 film of the same name, while disregarding all previous sequels. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis who reprises her role as Laurie Strode. James Jude Courtney portrays Michael Myers, with Nick Castle returning to the role for a cameo.

Halloween also stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Haluk Bilginer, and Virginia Gardner. Its plot follows a post-traumatic Laurie Strode who prepares to face Michael Myers in a final showdown on Halloween night, forty years after she survived his killing spree.

After the release of Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, the 2009 sequel to the 2007 remake of the original, two consecutive follow-ups went into development from former rights holder Dimension Films, respectively, but neither came to fruition. As a result, the studio lost the rights to the intellectual property, which were later obtained by Blumhouse Productions with John Carpenter’s involvement.

Carpenter, who disagreed with the remake’s portrayal of lead killer Michael Myers, planned on helping the studio to make the next Halloween film into what he believed to be more terrifying than the preceding sequels. Filmmakers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride, who were already fans, proposed their vision to Blumhouse and Carpenter. It was accepted and developed into a sequel to the original.

Halloween was filmed from January to February 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina, before reshoots took place that June. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2018. It was theatrically released in North America on October 19, 2018, by Universal Pictures.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics with praise for Curtis’ performance, Green’s direction, scares, and tone, with many deeming it both the best Halloween film since the original and a return-to-form for the series. It was a box office success grossing over $259 million worldwide; it is the highest-grossing slasher film in unadjusted dollars, breaking a record that Scream had previously set in 1996 as well as setting several other box-office records. The film was followed by two sequels: Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022).

True crime podcasters Aaron Korey and Dana Haines visit the hospital, where Aaron displays Michael’s mask to him, to no effect.

In Haddonfield, Laurie Strode still lives in fear of him, drinking heavily and rarely leaving her heavily-fortified house. She has a strained relationship with her daughter Karen, whom the state took away from her when Karen was 12. Allyson, Laurie’s granddaughter, tries to maintain a relationship with her grandmother.

The night of October 30, as Michael is being transferred, the bus crashes and Michael escapes after murdering two people and stealing their truck.

On the morning of October 31, Michael sees Aaron and Dana visiting his sister Judith’s grave. He kills them both, as well as a mechanic for his coveralls, before recovering his mask from Aaron’s car. Laurie learns of Michael’s escape and attempts to warn Karen, but Karen dismisses her concerns, urging Laurie to move on.

That night, Allyson finds her boyfriend, Cameron, cheating on her at a party and leaves with his friend Oscar. Allyson’s best friend Vicky and her boyfriend Dave are both killed by Michael. Deputy Frank Hawkins, who arrested Michael in 1978, and Laurie overhear the incident on radio and go over to the house.

Laurie sees Michael for the first time in 40 years, and shoots him before he flees. The police take Laurie, Karen, and her husband Ray to Laurie’s home for protection.

Dr. Ranbir Sartain, Michael’s psychiatrist and former student of Dr. Samuel Loomis, persuades Sheriff Barker to help in the hunt for Michael. Michael kills Oscar, but Hawkins and Sartain rescue Allyson. Deputy Hawkins tries to kill Michael, but Dr. Sartain—who has become obsessed with Michael—attacks and leaves Hawkins for dead.

It is revealed that he orchestrated Michael’s escape to study him “in the wild”. Dr. Sartain heads toward Laurie’s home with an unconscious Michael and Allyson locked in the backseat together. Michael wakes up and kills Sartain while Allyson flees. Michael then kills the two police officers stationed outside Laurie’s home, and strangles Ray to death.

In his showdown with Laurie, he stabs her and pushes her over a balcony. When he goes to check her body, he finds it missing, reminiscent of their first encounter decades earlier. Karen shoots him in the jaw before Laurie traps him inside the safe room with Karen and Allyson’s help.

The trio sets the house ablaze, and Laurie says goodbye to Michael before she faints. As her family takes her to the hospital, a final shot of the burning basement is shown, with Michael nowhere in sight. In a post-credits scene, Michael’s breathing is heard, indicating that he has survived.