Halloween (2018)

Movie · 2018 · Horror, Thriller · 1h 46m · R · English

Curator score: 3.7/10 (714.1K ratings)

You don't believe in the Boogeyman? You should.

Overview

Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

Ratings

Director

David Gordon Green

Production

Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Trancas International Films, Rough House Pictures, Miramax

Cast

Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle, Haluk Bilginer, Will Patton, Rhian Rees, Jefferson Hall, Toby Huss, Virginia Gardner, Dylan Arnold, Miles Robbins, Drew Scheid, Jibrail Nantambu, Michael Harrity, William Matthew Anderson, Diva Tyler, Brien Gregorie, Vince Mattis

Curator Review

Verdict

A slick, crowd-pleasing legacy sequel that gets the atmosphere, iconography, and stalking set pieces right, but it also leans on franchise mechanics and some uneven character writing. If you want Michael Myers at his most imposing and a strong return for Laurie Strode, it delivers; if you want a fresh reinvention or a fully satisfying sequel, it may feel like a polished retread.

Best for

  • fans of the original Halloween and Carpenter-style suspense
  • viewers who like legacy sequels with a strong final-girl perspective
  • audiences seeking tense, autumnal slasher craft over gore
  • people who enjoy iconic horror themes and simple, relentless menace

Skip if

  • you want a truly original slasher premise
  • you dislike franchise continuity and callbacks
  • you prefer character drama over stalk-and-slash mechanics
  • you are already fatigued by long-running horror revivals

Overview

Halloween (2018) understands the basic power of the franchise: a mask, a theme, a house, a night, and the feeling that evil is patient. When it locks into stalking mode, the movie is very effective, with clean visual storytelling and a strong sense of seasonal dread. Jamie Lee Curtis gives the material a hardened, survivalist edge that helps the film feel more purposeful than a routine sequel.

Worth noting

The problem is that it often feels like it is managing a brand as much as telling a story. Some of the family material is functional rather than moving, and the movie occasionally over-explains what the original made eerie through restraint. Still, when Michael Myers is simply allowed to move through space like an unstoppable force, the film finds its best rhythm.

Bottom line

As a revival, it is competent, stylish, and intermittently thrilling. As a standalone horror film, it is less memorable than the legend surrounding it, but it remains an easy recommendation for viewers who want a polished, autumnal slasher with a strong central performance and a few excellent scares.

Top Letterboxd reviews

Jay (3★) · 3330 likes

lauries family: hes not coming back, learn to let go michael: *shows up* laurie: ᴵ ᵗᵒˡᵈ ʸᵒᵘ. ᵂʰᵃᵗ ᵈᶦᵈ ᴵ ᵗᵉˡˡ ʸᵒᵘˀ ᴰᶦᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᴵ ᵗᵉˡˡ ʸᵒᵘˀ ᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᴵ ᵗᵒˡᵈ ʸᵃ. ᴬⁿᵈ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᵈᶦᵈ ᴵ ᵗᵉˡˡ ʸᵒᵘˀ ᴬ ˡᵒⁿᵍ ᵗᶦᵐᵉ ᵃᵍᵒ. ᴬⁿᵈ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᵈᶦᵈ ᴵ ˢᵃʸ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ʰᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᴵ ᵗᵒˡᵈ ʸᵒᵘˀ ᴱˣᵃᶜᵗˡʸ ʷʰᵃᵗ ʲᵘˢᵗ ʰᵃᵖᵖᵉⁿᵉᵈ.

cookie (3.5★) · 1442 likes

if youre gonna call a bathroom the loo in rural illinois you cant expect to survive

Ian West (4★) · 1367 likes

There’s a lot to unpack here so I’ll start of by saying my immediate reaction walking out of the theater was that I liked it, despite having some issues... so I went home and let it simmer for a while... The first act didn’t jive with me, but once Michael obtained the mask, or for that matter anytime the Shape was on screen I thought it was dynamite, exactly how I’d want to see The Shape shift through houses and… more

Patrick Willems (3.5★) · 1296 likes

The pitch: what if Halloween H20 but way better?

aaron (3.5★) · 1234 likes

michael myers mask stays on during sex

Recommended similar titles

Scream

1996 · Crime, Horror, Mystery · 1h 52m · R · Curator 7.6/10 (2.4M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential

A sharp, self-aware slasher that balances suspense, iconography, and franchise commentary while still delivering real tension.

It Follows

2015 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 41m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (1.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Philo

Shares the same sense of inescapable pursuit and modernized dread, with strong atmosphere and memorable visual control.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

1984 · Horror · 1h 31m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (1M ratings)

A classic of dreamlike slasher menace with a similarly iconic villain and a strong final-girl center.

Friday the 13th

1980 · Horror · 1h 35m · R · Curator 0.4/10 (176.9K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus

A foundational slasher that emphasizes suspense, campfire folklore, and the mechanics of being hunted.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

1974 · Horror · 1h 23m · R · Curator 7.2/10 (937.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Philo, Shudder, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus

For the raw, relentless feeling of being trapped by an almost mythic force of violence.

The Silence of the Lambs

1991 · Crime, Thriller, Drama · 1h 59m · R · Curator 9.5/10 (4.4M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo

Not a slasher, but it offers the same fascination with predator psychology and a formidable female lead under pressure.

Psycho

1960 · Horror, Thriller, Mystery · 1h 49m · R · Curator 9.7/10 (2.1M ratings) · In theaters

A landmark of suspense and identity-shattering horror that shaped the language of the masked-killer thriller.

The Blair Witch Project

1999 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 21m · R · Curator 4.5/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Max

For viewers who like dread built through absence, atmosphere, and the fear of something waiting just outside the frame.

The Ring

2002 · Horror, Mystery · 1h 55m · PG-13 · Curator 3.6/10 (907.6K ratings)

A polished mainstream horror hit that pairs mystery, dread, and a strong sense of doom.

The Descent

2005 · Adventure, Horror · 1h 40m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (701.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Philo

A claustrophobic survival horror film with intense pacing, strong female ensemble energy, and escalating panic.

The Invisible Man

2020 · Thriller, Science Fiction, Horror · 2h 4m · R · Curator 4.8/10 (983.7K ratings)

A modern genre update that turns trauma and survival into a tense, controlled thriller with strong emotional stakes.

X

2022 · Horror · 1h 46m · R · Curator 5.4/10 (1.9M ratings)

A contemporary slasher that blends retro style, body horror, and a knowing appreciation for genre craft.

Topics

slasher, horror revival, autumn atmosphere, suspense, legacy sequel, trauma, home invasion, masked menace, thriller, nostalgic

Open Halloween (2018) on Curator TV