Halloween (2018)
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A survivor of a deadly attack must face her tormentor once again forty years after his initial rampage.
The story
Forty years after surviving a deadly attack by the serial killer Michael Myers, Laurie Strode lives in a state of constant fear and isolation. When Myers escapes from a psychiatric hospital during a transport, he begins a new path of destruction. Laurie, now a mother and grandmother, learns of his escape and must confront the reality of his presence in her community. As the date of Halloween approaches, she prepares for a final confrontation to protect her family from the man who haunted her past, while the local authorities struggle to contain the threat of the escaped killer.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On October 29, Michael Myers escapes from Smith's Grove Psychiatric Hospital during a transport to a new facility. He kills several people and steals a truck. In Haddonfield, Laurie Strode lives in a fortified home, struggling with trauma and a strained relationship with her daughter, Karen. Her granddaughter, Allyson, tries to maintain a bond with her. On October 31, Michael kills a pair of true crime podcasters and a mechanic. Laurie learns of his escape and tries to warn Karen, who dismisses her. That night, Allyson's friends are murdered by Michael. Laurie and a police officer, Frank Hawkins, witness an attack and Laurie shoots Michael, who then flees. A psychiatrist, Dr. Sartain, who orchestrated the escape to study Michael, joins the hunt but eventually abandons the police to take Michael to Laurie's home. Michael kills Sartain and several officers before reaching Laurie's house. In a final showdown, Michael stabs Laurie and throws her over a balcony. Karen shoots him in the cheek, and the trio traps him in a safe room, setting the house on fire. A final shot shows the burning basement with Michael's presence uncertain, followed by a post-credits scene where his breathing is heard.
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Gordon Green
- Writers
- Jeff Fradley · writer; Danny McBride · writer; David Gordon Green · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jamie Lee Curtis · Laurie Strode; Judy Greer · Karen; Andi Matichak · Allyson; Will Patton · police officer; Haluk Bilginer · not specified; Virginia Gardner · not specified; James Jude Courtney · Michael Myers; Nick Castle · Michael Myers
- Genres
- slasher; horror
- Themes
- trauma; survival; legacy
- Tone and mood
- tense; dread; scary
- Premise and plot tags
- slasher; survival horror; legacy sequel
- Source material / true-story basis
- Halloween (1978)
- Franchise connections
- Halloween
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praising the lead performance, direction, and atmosphere. It was a significant box office success, becoming the highest-grossing slasher film in unadjusted dollars.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 79% · scale: percentage · review count: 385; Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 51; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 75% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Actress · 2019 · win; Grolsch People's Choice Midnight Madness Award · Toronto International Film Festival · 2018 · nomination; Fangoria Chainsaw Award · Best Actor (James Jude Courtney / Nick Castle) · 2018 · nomination; Fangoria Chainsaw Award · Best Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis) · 2018 · nomination; Fangoria Chainsaw Award · Best Makeup FX (Christopher Nelson) · 2018 · nomination; Fangoria Chainsaw Award · Best Wide Release · 2018 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was a box office success, grossing over $259 million on a $10 million budget.; The film was the highest-grossing slasher film in unadjusted dollars, breaking the record Scream had previously set in 1996.; The film was followed by two sequels: Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022).
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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