Halloween (1978) Review
- Viktoria
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Director: John Carpenter
Year of release: 1978
Country of origin: United States
Spoiler status: It's been out for almost 50 years, you already know what happens
Genre: Slasher
Halloween is one of the most iconic horror movies out there. There's no horror fan who doesn't know about Laurie Strode or Michael Myers and their seemingly endless cat-and-mouse game. Even though there are 13 Halloween movies, of which 12 are about Myers, in this review, we'll be focusing on the beginnings of this horror masterpiece.
The 1978 movie has everything your little cult-horror-fan heart desires. Even though it wasn't the first slasher, it's definitely the one that popularized the subgenre and established the blueprint for the modern slasher movies. This means it's got all our favorite tropes like the masked killer, the morally pure and intelligent final girl, and the dumb teens who make terrible decisions and die. And as I'm writing this, the question "Should I be writing about such a well-established cult favorite?" keeps popping up in my mind. I mean, there are already millions of articles out there on this topic. But you know what? I deserve to review a cult masterpiece every once in a while! So here's my (hopefully) unique take on the 1978 horror favorite, Halloween.
The plot of Halloween
The movie opens with the brutal murder of Michael's older sister, Judith. The murderer? None other than a then-6-year-old Michael Myers. Dressed in a clown costume, holding a knife that's half his size. The image is forever burned into my mind. Cut to 15 years later, Myers is locked up in a mental institution. His psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, is trying to work out a way to keep him there forever. In his words, Myers is the absolute embodiment of evil, possessing no reason, conscience, or understanding of good and evil. Unfortunately, before a hearing could occur, Myers broke free and returned home.
Haddonfield, Illinois, seems like your run-of-the-mill, quiet little town with your regular bullies, popular kids, and the misfits, represented by Laurie Strode. She's often teased about not having a boyfriend, to which she replies that her smarts scare the boys away. Enter "the morally pure and intelligent trope". She's quiet, smart, and if Michael Myers weren't somehow immortal, she would also be deadly. Her life is forever changed when, on Halloween, Myers decides that she's worthy of his attention. He stalks her, familiarizing himself with the people in her life. He picks them off, one by one, leaving her for last. Almost like a sweet treat at the end of a long day. Even though Dr. Loomis says he doesn't possess reason, somehow I got the feeling he was enjoying every second of Laurie's misery. First, he made it very obvious he was after her. He didn't hide in the shadows; he was right in front of her the whole time. I also need to mention the way he set up her friends' bodies. He made sure that she'd be able to find them. Almost as if he wanted to be theatrical. That's not a man without reason and conscience. That's a manipulative psychopath who knows exactly how to get the reactions he desires. Michael Myers wasn't an empty vessel of evil. He was just smart enough to hide his true nature from the people who weren't supposed to know.
That's where the brilliance of this movie lies: the unknown. The audience doesn't know why Myers did what he did. It seems as if he's picking random people, accidental passersby. He's described as someone without motivation or reason. That means that anyone's up for grabs. Maybe even you.
Is Halloween scary?
As I mentioned in the disclaimer at the top of the page, this movie's been out for almost 50 years. There's no way you don't already know everything there is to know about it. That's my "issue" with the cult classics: they are spoiled for all who like the genre. Everything is compared to them. Every little detail is dissected over and over again. There's no surprise, you already know where all the jump scares are even before you press play. This doesn't necessarily mean the movie isn't scary. It just means that it's harder to get scared when you already know what's coming.
I would've loved to see it when it first came out. I have a feeling that in this day and age, we're almost desensitized by all the gore we see in modern horror. I remember thinking how visually shocking it was to see Judith's murder. There was barely any blood despite her being stabbed multiple times. If that scene were shot today, half of the room would be painted red, and there'd probably be some guts on the floor as well. And even though I can't say that the movie's still as scary as it was when it first came out, there is something about it that gets under your skin and wriggles its way into your mind.
It's suburbia. It has white picket fences, large single-family homes, and beautiful tree lines. Everyone knows everyone. Nothing bad could ever happen here, right? The psychological game the creators were playing was flawless. Putting something as evil as Myers into a suburban setting, disrupting its peace, defiling its purity... It's pure genius. After watching the movie, no one would look at their quiet little life the same way again, because the suburbs didn't seem so harmless anymore. John Carpenter planted the seed of doubt in everyone's heart, and suddenly, suburbia was one of the most menacing places to be. No one can get over this kind of psychological horror.
Rating: 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ (5/5)
Sure, by today's standards it isn't as scary, but Halloween is still one of the most iconic horror movies out there, and for a reason. Even though you already know when the jump scares are coming, there's no way the psychological aspect of it won't get you. It's clever and, in a way, truly horrifying. I don't care if you like slashers or not, Halloween is a must-watch for all horror fans. If for nothing else, for its historical relevance. After all, Halloween stood so modern slashers could run.
If you haven't watched it yet, here's the trailer:
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