Upcoming ‘Halloween’ Debuts At TIFF And Lands Beautifully With Movie Critics
The last time we saw Michael Myers on the big screen was 2009 with Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2, a sequel to his 2007 remake of the original classic from 1978. It was received poorly by critics and movie audiences alike. Since then, almost a decade has passed with no sign of the masked man so famous for stalking the teen babysitters of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night.
That all changed, though, when Halloween was greenlit and began filming last year. Filmmakers announced that movie was set to be a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s original film. Not only that, but the upcoming sequel will lay waste to all prior films, including John Carpenter’s own sequel, Halloween II, released in 1981.
A select few fans and critics didn’t have to wait until next month to see the return of Michael Myers to the big screen, as Halloween debuted last night at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Results are preliminary, but according to Dread Central and a number of other publications, the official verdict at this time is a resounding thumbs up.
They came prepared. #HalloweenMovie #TIFF18 pic.twitter.com/v1mDglpkzQ
— Bode Sulaiman (@bodesulaiman) September 9, 2018
Fans and critics seemed genuinely excited as Twitter was exploding with glowing reviews for the movie. Johnathan Barkin of Dread Central said the movie was exactly what fans of the original had been waiting for.
“They did it. They actually did it. I’m sitting outside the Elgin Theater with the largest grin on my face. After years of waiting for a Halloween sequel that felt like it did justice to John Carpenter’s original masterpiece of slasher horror, David Gordon Green has brought us a vision of terror that gives fans what they’ve been craving.”
So far, as far as movie critics are concerned, the upcoming Halloween has received exactly zero bad reviews. It currently sits at a perfect critical consensus of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes. While that number could definitely change as more reviews roll in, it’s definitely a good sign for those who were worried about finding disappointment in theaters this October.
A number of reviews called it “brutal” and “suspenseful.” Some detractors via Twitter accused the upcoming followup of “fan service,” but negative reactions appeared to be few and far between.
Blumhouse’s upcoming Halloween is directed by David Gordon Green and stars Jamie Lee Curtis as she reprises her role of Laurie Strode from the original movie. It is set to be released on October 19 of this year. It also features an updated score, courtesy of John Carpenter himself.
