Sadly, unlike Michael Meyer's infamous knife, _Halloween_ (2018) is a bit dull. The film falls victim to the same pitfalls that drain the life from other horror films (vicious clichés, violent WTFs...) but also suffers from writing sloppier than a sleep away camp crime scene.

The script is really what kills this movie. Most of the deaths are of characters who have absolutely nothing to do with advancing the story (international true crime podcasters ) and are killed in the least interesting ways imaginable.

In addition to the silly murders there's a plot twist involving a character we can predict in the opening minutes, story lines that appear and disappear faster than Columbian drug dealers and an ending that is so ridiculous when considering Laurie's motivation throughout the film that it gutted me. As I said, the Michael Meyer's knife is the only thing sharp about this film.

So what works? The nostalgia factor is strong (when we first see Laurie Strode's granddaughter Allyson, she's wearing a sweater and carrying school books just like Laurie in the 1978 original), John Carpenter's soundtrack is titillating, and the whole continuation of the _Halloween_ mystique is fun.

One could argue that it would be impossible for this film to live up to the reputation of the first, but I'd argue it died trying.