10 AMAZING Horror Sequels That Shouldn’t Have Worked
3. Halloween (2018)
It's ironic how Halloween popularised the slasher genre, considering the franchise has been wildly inconsistent. The property has repeatedly tried to refresh itself through reboots, anthology spin-offs, and retconning Michael Myers as a cult member. (Yeah, that idea was really stupid.)
As such, it wasn't that big of a deal when yet another reboot/sequel was announced. 2018's Halloween would serve as a direct continuation of the original, discarding everything that came afterward. This was a risky move, since it de-canonised Michael Myers and Laurie Strode relationship as siblings, meaning the two iconic characters would lose their personal connection. Also, having a director with no horror experience like David Gordon Green at the helm didn't inspire much optimism.
However, Green's back-to-basics approach was exactly what the brand needed. Laurie was portrayed as a hardened, trauma-surviving hero, adding emotional depth to the plot. Rather than having stylised gore, there was more focus on slow-burn dread and kills that are simple but vicious.
Green undeniably dropped the ball with Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, but there's no doubt 2018's Halloween is among the strongest entries in the series.