Review: Halloween - Scary return to form for what was a jaded franchise

For the week that's in it, I decided, rather than sit back enjoy the plush seats and comfort at Tralee Omniplex I would subject myself to the constant feeling of unease and jump scares as I endured the return of Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis to roles that have made synonymous with this season since the original Halloween movie hit our big screens forty years ago this year.
Set in modern times it's been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers manages to escape when his prison transfer goes horribly wrong. Laurie now faces a terrifying showdown when the masked madman returns to Haddonfield but this time around, she's ready for him.
Directed and written by David Gordon Green (with Danny McBride co-writing and the obvious source of the scattered humour throughout) Halloween conveniently and thankfully ignores the numerous mediocre reboots that have followed since John Carpenter's iconic original shook audiences all those years ago. Carpenter himself was an executive producer on this 10th sequel and his fingerprints are all over it's production.
Embracing the elements that made the original the success that it was, we are subjected to the haunting score, graphic imagery and numerous jump scares (most of the popcorn ended up on the floor of the cinema!) that made Halloween the popular franchise that it has become.
Whilst it may not have hit the heights of the 1978 classic, it does see a somewhat return to form for the series after years of disappointments and this is largely due to it's willingness to incorporate the nostalgia and simple fear of the original and in the process simply scare the living hell out of it's audience.
Jamie Lee Curtis's return to the role that made her famous is also a masterstroke as her ability to celebrate her role once again is central to making this sequel work.
Like all horror movies however, this is not a film for everyone. If you are not fond of your heart rate taking a sudden spike in beats per minute or would rather relax in the comfort of your surroundings then this may not be the feature for you as after a somewhat slow start the horrifying, relentless killings occur at a rapid and terrifying rate.
Nonetheless, it is the occasion for all things chilling and if you are someone that rejoices in all things eerie and insomnia is something that doesn't bother you too much than this may be the movie for you!
✷✷✷1/2