Halloween

40 years ago, John Carpenter and Deborah Hill, for most practical purposes, invented the modern slasher film. Yes, there’d certainly been films about teens being killed by a silent menace with a kitchen knife or other sharp implements before, but “Halloween” made a lot of the clichés of the genre both effective and extremely profitable, leading to an explosion of imitators and sequels that continues up til today. It also had one of the best “final girls” in the business with Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, a relatable, strong, intelligent and capable woman who successfully fought back to survive the slash-a-thon. After seven direct sequels, a remake and a sequel to that remake, this one follows up by … ignoring pretty much everything in the sequels and getting back to basics. After surviving that night, Laurie’s been living in preparation for it to all happen again – a cagey withdrawn figure determined not to be a victim, in ways that have pushed away her daughter and pretty much everyone else around her. But the combination of two crime podcasters who want to interview the still-institutionalised Michael Myers and a transfer to a new prison means Michael is suddenly loose and has access to that white mask and a set of overalls, and he’s coming back to Haddonfield to continue where he left off.

David Gordon Green’s film stripmines the original while adding a modern feel. Michael Myers is a genuinely offputting figure even in repose – practical, lethal and very very dangerous. Curtis matches him in effect – we’re never in any doubt of her determination to protect herself and everyone around her, nor that (despite her age), she’ll do whatever is necessary to get resolution. This is formula done right – running like a freight train where you know the tracks, you know the destination but damned if it isn’t effective at hitting every one of the points along the way