Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Halloween Kills Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 13, 2022

The original Halloween remains the quintessential genre defining Slasher film. The franchise has built up a small army of films, including direct sequels, indirect sequels, more direct sequels, anniversary films, oddities, remakes, sequel remakes, another remake, and probably one or two others that just don't come to mind. That all leads to Halloween Kills, a technically impressive but thematically shallow film that hits all the right notes and introduces a few good and new idea, but not enough to overcome the wash-rinse-repeat formula that has a vicelike grip on its core.

It's been decades since Haddonfield was rocked by Michael Myers' brutal slayings on Halloween night 1978. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter Karen (Judy Greer), and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) are attempting to both physically and emotionally recover from a recent, bloody run-in with Michael, who is still wreaking havoc on Haddonfield, this time slaughtering a number of local firefighters in the line of duty. In response, an angry posse, led by Myers survivor Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall), vows to avenge the decades of fallen loved ones and neighbors and put an end to the terror once and for all, but a small and determined army may not even be enough to stop evil incarnate from another night of grisly killings.

Halloween Kills, like so many of its franchise sequel brethren, efforts to advance the story while essentially telling the same story. Here, Myers once again murders a large number of people, albeit this time in more creatively gruesome ways (and the audience will see some of the horrific aftermath in plain detail; this might be the single goriest film in the Halloween franchise, particularly if one watches the Extended Cut version). But even as the film ramps up the violence and the on-screen splatter, there's a certain copy-paste dynamic to the picture that essentially follows the same stale beats, here spruced up with some jazzy filmmaking that is admittedly intoxicating, particularly when the filmmakers follow the low-key approach, using subtle score and blunt photography rather than spicy music and frenzied camera movements. The film further adds the plot dynamic that pits Myers against an uncontrolled frenzied posse that lends an agreeable new dynamic to the series, but questionable editing and cadence hinder the end result. The film is very good in some respects, then, and stale in others. Gore fiends and franchise fans should get a fair bit of mileage out of it, but one can only hope that the next film (the stage is set for yet another sequel) will finally put a definitive end to the series, at least for a good long while until someone can conceive a better, newer way of doing things, of adding substance, not just style, to the tale.

The technical success continues with A-grade performances all around. Curtis plays a minimal role in this film; she's in it but essentially earns a breather this time around, giving way to Greer, Matichak, and Anthony Michael Hall, the latter the chief protagonist who has become obsessed with killing Michael Myers, not just seeking revenge for the life scarring he's endured but avenging so many of his fallen Haddonfield friends and family. The sense of desired -- demanded -- finality to the Haddonfield killings courses through the film and represents the single best thing about the movie's story. The town's anger seethes throughout the film, playing in stark contrast to Michael, the silent killer who shows no emotion but methodically goes about his business, though here in a few scenes with a little bloodier flair than normal.

Halloween Kills Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal brings Halloween Kills to Blu-ray with a generally striking 1080p transfer. The presentation is organic and filmic, boasting a handsome cinematic flavor that both hearkens back to the original's look, especially in the 1978 flashbacks (which extends to titles as well) while holding to all of the creature comforts of a modern-day production. The film is very much a technically sound and well-made entry, maybe the best since the original in that regard, which helps to assuage the sting of the otherwise repetitious nature. The material translates beautifully to Blu-ray; viewers will appreciate the level of fine point depth and detail to the frame. There's a fine sense of organic dimensionality even in the 2-D realm. Details are very good, including the charred mask, various examples of clothing, faces, and of course gore which is to be seen in all of its extreme, envelope pushing excess. Color output satisfies; much of the film takes place at night and in low light interiors where there's less opportunity for tonal brilliance, but balance is nevertheless in evidence even in the most challenging of light deprived shots, scenes, and sequences. More brightly lit exteriors or interiors offer positive color depth and contrast, playing to a neutral and attractive balance. Flesh tones are solid, black levels are terrific as a vital structural component, and red blood is as intense as necessary. The image shows no signs of source or encode faults. This is a very good-looking image from Universal.

Halloween Kills Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is a well-rounded representation of contemporary Slasher audio engineering. The track takes off from the beginning and never relents. While it may not be as prodigiously loud as some other tracks, its balance and attention to detail and spacing make is a very good listen. The track delivers music with spacious definition and absolute clarity; the series' main theme has never sounded so good or presented so evenly distributed around the listening area. The track sounds full and well detailed, offering a steady diet of high yield atmosphere, including subtle cues and raucous crowd din, that instantly pull the listening audience into the experience. Various action scenes offer clear detail to squishy gore, knife wounds, and various weapons being flung about the listening area. The overheads carry quite a bit of information, most of it supportive rather than discrete, but the extra spacing certainly brings home the terror like never before. Dialogue is clear and center positioned for the duration.

Note that the DVS track is not available with the Extended Cut version of the film.

Halloween Kills Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Halloween Kills includes a fairly substantial array of bonus content as well as two cuts of the film: Theatrical Version (1:45:07) and Extended Cut (1:49:09). A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Gag Reel (1080p, 3:12): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p, 3:21 total runtime): Included are Allyson Meets Brackett, Sondra's Drone Finds The Shape, and Protestors Rock Outside Hospital.
• Haddonfield's Open Wounds (1080p, 7:15): A look at opening the Halloween story from the perspective of Haddonfield itself rather than a single character or several characters. Still, it does focus on some of the individual characters, and the actors who play them, in the film and franchise.
• The Kill Team (1080p, 11:02): A closer look at some of the unsung heroes on the filmmaking crew. It also explores some of the brutal kills and creativity involved in executing them.
• Strode Family Values (1080p, 3:37): Exploring the Strode family dynamics as they have evolved over four decades and as explored in this, and the previous, film.
• 1978 Transformations (1080p, 5:50): How the film explores more of the story from 1978 in this film from 2021. It looks at set design, the return of Dr. Loomis, the Michael Myers mask, and matching the film texture to the 1978 picture.
• The Power of Fear (1080p, 4:28): Looking at the mob mentality depicted in the film.
• Kill Count (1080p, 0:53): Flashing through all 31 of Michael's kills in the movie.
• Audio Commentary: Director/Co-Writer David Gordon Green and Stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer explore the film.

Halloween Kills Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Halloween Kills elevates the body count and ramps up the style but ultimately adds little of worth to the franchise. What the film lacks in series defining twists and turns or even unpredictable events it adequately masks with over-the-top gore and some slick filmmaking that prefers to play it cool and simple rather loud and frenzied. The movie is fairly frustrating, then, and maybe just a few tweaks form Slasher greatness. It's on the cusp but the recycled story content keeps it from stepping ahead of the pack. Universal's Blu-ray is brilliant, however, boasting rock-solid A/V presentations with a bundle of extra content. Recommended.