Timothy Glaraton
It’s a good time to be a fan of Michael Myers. Last week, two big pieces of news dropped about Blumhouse Productions’ upcoming Halloween Kills, set to release in theaters worldwide on October 15th.
Firstly, Halloween Kills made its worldwide debut at the Venice Film Festival, with initial reviews and reactions coming shortly afterward. While the first wave of reactions was almost universally positive, critical consensus has come out to an almost even split, with the film currently sitting at 59% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The most positive reviews came from the likes of Slashfilm, calling it “A worthy series entry that manages that tricky balance of providing enough of what long-time fans expect while also bringing a unique reflection and perspective to the well-known property.” And Discussing Film, who said “[Halloween Kills] takes the slash in ‘slasher’ up to a thousand and it’s all the better for it.”
The film was less warmly received by sites like Variety, stating that “It’s a mess—a slasher movie that’s almost never scary, slathered with ‘topical’ pablum and with too many parallel plot strands that don’t go anywhere.” And Hollywood Reporter, who scathingly said that “This latest installment is like a latex ghoul mask so stretched and shapeless it no longer fits.”
What almost everyone can agree upon, however, is that Halloween Kills holds nothing back, living up to John Carpenter’s description of the film as “the ultimate slasher.” Some critics are praising it for the intensity and sheer scale of its violence, while others are criticizing it for sacrificing nuance and scares for bloodshed.
Secondly, this year it looks like nowhere will be safe from Michael Myers’ latest rampage, not even the comfort of your own home: on October 15th, Halloween Kills will be available for release day streaming on Peacock, as Jamie Lee Curtis herself announced via Twitter. Initial details were scarce, but Peacock’s customer support has confirmed that Halloween Kills will be available for streaming to all Premium customers at both the ad-free and ad-supported tiers—best of all, there will be no additional cost to stream the film, similar to hybrid releases on HBO Max.
Halloween Kills is shaping up to be a monster of a film, whether it’s seen at home or in theaters. If you’re looking for an old-school, visceral slasher with two of horror’s most iconic characters, Halloween Kills looks like it will deliver all that and then some when the film releases worldwide on October 15th.
