Halloween Kills Is The Ultimate Slasher, Says John Carpenter

John Carpenter says Halloween Kills is the ultimate slasher film. Carpenter is widely credited as igniting interest in the slasher genre after he directed the original 1978  Halloween. Carpenter became one of horror’s most prolific directors, helming both The Fog and The Thing. He also went on to produce various entries in the  Halloween franchise. Carpenter also scored the original Halloween film, crafting the iconic theme music, ubiquitous with horror fans.

Carpenter also served as executive producer on 2018’s Halloween. That film famously retconned the previous films in the Halloween franchise and crafted a direct sequel to the 1978 film that explored Laurie Strode’s lingering trauma from the original film’s events. How she passes that trauma on to her daughter and granddaughter is one of the 2018 film’s main plot points. Halloween Kills will continue its timely streak with a story that star Jamie Lee Curtis says is particularly relevant for the current moment.

Carpenter’s role in the horror genre is now the stuff of legend, and a blessing from him is a bolster to any film. When asked by EW if he could say anything about Halloween Kills, Carpenter couldn’t give away too much. He did call the film “brilliant,” though, and went on to call it “the ultimate slasher.” His excitement for the film is palpable in the full quote below:

It’s brilliant. It’s the ultimate slasher. I mean, there’s nothing more than this one. Wow! Man.

Carpenter’s excitement is enough to get anyone excited for the upcoming film. Anticipation is already high after Halloween Kills was delayed from its original 2020 release date to October 2021. The delay also forced the third film in the trilogy,  Halloween Ends, to be pushed into 2022. Photos have teased Michael Myers’ return after his defeat at the end of Halloween, and the film honestly sounds like a wild ride, with the cast hinting at the expansiveness of Halloween Kills. 

Director David Gordon Green said the film would see Haddonfield residents facing off against Michael Myers, which is in line with Curtis’ comments about the film. The Laurie Strode actress also said the film is about mob violence and collective trauma, and it seems as if it picks up directly after Halloween. It sounds like the entire town of Haddonfield will have to reckon with the tragedy Michael inflicted upon their community, with violent results. Halloween Kills will be a bridge between the first and third film, and it’s said to be more of an action film, which makes sense within the context of Carpenter’s comments. We’ll likely see a lot more blood before turning to the incisive examination of trauma seen in the first film.