‘Halloween’ Early Reactions Praise the Sequel
Director David Gordon Green’s Halloween sequel has premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the response to the sequel to John Carpernter’s iconic slasher film has been rapturous.
So far, there’s been praise all around, with the highlights of the film being Jamie Lee Curtis’s portrayal of an older, survivalist Laurie Strode, Jibrail Nantambu’s supporting role, genuinely frightening scares and kills, John Carpenter’s score (composed with his son, Cody), clever callbacks to the original films that don’t feel like rehashes, and a killer ending. The film’s use of humor seems to be a bit of a contentious point, and there’s a subplot that seems to be one that some viewers took issue with, but almost every reaction coming out of the film festival indicate that this was a sequel worth making.
David Gordon Green delivers best HALLOWEEN movie since the original & does a smart job w/ its callbacks to the 1st film. Legit scary, & while crazy violent at times, it shows restraint at others. Loved the score. Jamie Lee Curtis is a badass, like Ripley crossed w/ Sarah Connor.
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) September 9, 2018
DGG directs the hell out of the new HALLOWEEN. There are some chilling shots, esp. during a motion sensor scene. I had nitpicks, like some goofy humor & the off-camera kills, but the gory ones really make up for everything we don’t see. Jibrail Nantambu is a fun scene-stealer. ?
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) September 9, 2018
HALLOWEEN: Best one in thirty-nine years. #TIFF18
— Norm Wilner (@normwilner) September 9, 2018
Hell yeah, #Halloween rocks! So scary & pretty funny. The way it balances the freak-out and the nervous humor and the nasty kills is just fantastic. All of it plays so well together. Badass to the bone. Loved it. As David Gordon Green says, “it’s simple and relentless.”#TIFF18 pic.twitter.com/ZpebQfdAVF
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) September 9, 2018
#Halloween is the sequel we deserve. Doesn’t repeat what we’ve seen before, but does manage to tip it’s hat ever so subtly to the original. Funny, jumpy with lots of YES! moments. Just brilliant. #TIFF18
— Paul Heath (@PaulThomasHeath) September 9, 2018
Loud applause for #HalloweenMovie – a clever redux that takes the slasher film in modern directions without losing any of its classic bite. A film by fans that works for general audiences as well, it's the best of both old and new #tiff18
— Jason Gorber @ #TIFF18 ? (@filmfest_ca) September 9, 2018
The new Halloween has a callback shot so inspired it could sell the entire movie. Luckily, it doesn’t have to. It’s an absolute blast.
— Matt Jacobs (@tarantallegra) September 9, 2018
It’s not a comedy. But the humour elevates the horror and audience participation. It’s also self aware.
— Adddaaaammmm (@Adamnfilms) September 9, 2018
There is ONE scene that original fans are going to GO NUTS for. You know when you see it. The theatre erupted in screams and applause. #Halloween
— Joey Monda (@joeymonda) September 9, 2018
#HalloweenMovie was everything I wanted it to be. The score, terror, moments of humor, gore & callbacks to the film that started it all made it nearly the perfect combination. Jamie Lee is still ? #TIFF18
— Danielle Wyatt (@d_waggoner) September 9, 2018
I don’t even know where to begin. HOLLLLLLLY SHIIIIIIIIT THIS MOVIE IS SO FUCKING BRUTAL. Honestly. #HalloweenMovie is just everything you’re hoping it’s going to be and a million times more. #TIFF18 ??? pic.twitter.com/Qw2bggo3HR
— Scott Shilstone (@shilstonescott) September 9, 2018
Halloween RULES. Perfect horror movie. Thrilling till the end. Entire cast was great. Better than original don’t @ me!!! #Tiff18 #halloween
— Stefan goes to #TIFF18 (@shicksru) September 9, 2018
#Halloween is awesome and amazing to see with a crowd! Lived up to every bit of hype I had for it. Great callbacks to the original, gruesome and memorable kills and Jamie Lee Curtis crushes. Climax is fucking amazing. I want to watch it again already. Well done DGG #TIFF18 pic.twitter.com/rfnEwJTz6v
— Connor (@ConnorMovies) September 9, 2018
HALLOWEEN 2018: it shreds
— Sam Zimmerman (@samdzimmerman) September 9, 2018
Not everything in #Halloween works — a lot of the humor didn’t land for me — but overall it’s an extremely satisfying sequel, and the rare horror movie that actually gets better as it goes. #TIFF18
— Adam Lubitow (@adamlubitow) September 9, 2018
I was always gonna be an easy lay with #HalloweenMovie but they really nailed it. Some will have quibbles — it’s maybe *too* funny, and one little twist might have been too much — but scary AF plus Force Awakens levels of fan service = very good times. #tiff18
— Joel Meares (@joelmeares) September 9, 2018
HALLOWEEN (david gordon greene): it somehow manages to do all the wink-nudge fan service bullshit and….not be annoying at all. the film is a miracle. and so much fucking fun. #TIFF18
— your friend john (@johnsemley3000) September 9, 2018
#HALLOWEEN: Messy and overloaded with fan service, but Jamie Lee Curtis charges through it as if she never stopped running 40 years ago. There are two moments that lift images from the '78 version to brilliant effect. It's OK. https://t.co/ezck7vNsfd #TIFF18
— erickohn (@erickohn) September 9, 2018
HALLOWEEN: I am so happy for Judy Greer. #TIFF18
— Esther Zuckerman (@ezwrites) September 9, 2018
'Halloween' was pure madness and super fun. Jamie Lee Curtis rocked it. Audience are it up.#TIFF2018 #Tiff18
— Clayton Davis (@AwardsCircuit) September 9, 2018
#Halloween is vicious! Loved the continuation of Laurie’s story but the pure evil of Michael’s drive to kill and the randomness of it is there and it’s strong. Beautifully shot, score is on point, some great humor and loaded with gore. It’s the complete package.
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) September 9, 2018
#Halloween: There’s an entire subplot in this that’s TERRIBLE and should’ve been cut. Thankfully, everything else is an absolute blast. Brutal, scary, and yes, funny. #TIFF18
— Chris Evangelista @ TIFF (@cevangelista413) September 9, 2018
Curtis kills it, in more ways than one. Fan reaction to this is going to be through the fucking roof.
— Chris Evangelista @ TIFF (@cevangelista413) September 9, 2018
For those waitin on word from the #TIFF screening of HALLOWEEN ? lemme set your mind at ease. David Gordon Green brought the goods! Plenty to ❤️4 fans of the franchise & genre, JLC brought her A game per usual, Carpenter’s score was ? , but Jibrail Nantambu stole the show!
— Jacqueline @ #TIFF18 (@THATJacqueline) September 9, 2018
#Halloween is suuuuper satisfying, not least because it’s a movie that actually gives Judy Greer something to do! #TIFF18
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) September 9, 2018
The new HALLOWEEN is intense, with brutal kills, a killer score, and a powerhouse performance from @jamieleecurtis. An excellent companion piece to John Carpenter's original. #TIFF18 pic.twitter.com/ECBOrGwiUV
— Daily Dead (@DailyDeadNews) September 9, 2018
Movie #9: HALLOWEEN. Fear not, @HalloweenMovie delivers. Some great kills that had me cheering. And lots of great references (& a cameo!) that harken back to the original. Great score by Carpenter and his son, Cody. I want to be as badass as the Strode women, someday. #TIFF18 ?
— Michelle @ TIFF (@michelledeidre) September 9, 2018
HALLOWEEN is a total blast and is going to make a killing at the box office. Blumhouse does it again. Jamie Lee Curtis is still kicking ass and taking names. I can see fans watching this over and over again. The best Halloween since the original. #HalloweenMovie #TIFF18 pic.twitter.com/TSbtXr5Nuy
— Scott Menzel @ TIFF (@TheOtherScottM) September 9, 2018
HALLOWEEN is THE FORCE AWAKENS of HALLOWEEN movies: all the stuff you want, plus some new stuff, some dumb stuff, some delightfully remixed stuff. definitely the best time I’ve had at a #TIFF18 screening thus far
— Emma Stefansky (@stefabsky) September 9, 2018
Oh my God, the new #Halloween is SO FREAKING GREAT! I loved it! Can't wait for you all to read my review later Sunday! #TIFF18 pic.twitter.com/QpJMqnfUNw
— Jim Vejvoda @ TIFF (@JimVejvoda) September 9, 2018
HOLY FUCKING SHIT, THE NEW HALLOWEEN FUCKING RULES #TIFF18
— karen han (@karenyhan) September 9, 2018
We Just Got Done Watching “Halloween” 2018 At @TIFF_NET And Guys OMG!! Your not ready, the kills are more gruesome, it definitely lives up to the original, Jamie Lee Curtis does absolutely OUTSTANDING In this film! We’re gonna give it at 9.5/10? #HalloweenMovie #MichaelMyers
— PhenomenalFilms? (@phenomenalfilms) September 9, 2018
We’re not worthy ? pic.twitter.com/ptdfdpyUiQ
— Katie Walsh (@katiewalshstx) September 9, 2018
They did it. They only went ahead and did it. #Halloween is the movie we wanted and it delivers gloriously. The Shape has never been more terrifying. #TIFF18
— Jonathan Barkan (@JonathanBarkan) September 9, 2018
Suffice to say, reactions to this movie are absolutely incredible, and the people at Blumhouse should be more than thrilled. Co-producer Ryan Turek in particular voiced just how much the praise for the film mattered to him:
Shaking. The response to this screening nearly brought me to tears. So happy…
— Ryan Turek (@_RyanTurek) September 9, 2018
Hopefully, wider audiences will reflect that same joy that fans have just shown for the latest and quite possibly greatest sequel that this franchise has ever received.
Halloween will be released on October 19, 2018.
Grant Davis is a freelance writer who has covered entertainment news for more than seven years. His articles have frequently appeared in Star Wars News Net as well as as other entertainment-related websites. As someone who grew up on Star Wars and comic book movies, he’s completely thrilled with the current era of genre entertainment.
