And director David Gordon Green proves to be a close study of original director John Carpenter, conjuring gory and unexpected kills and ratcheting up the tension as Michael Myers returns to his lethal ways on Halloween night.
(Yes, that means that Michael no longer is related to Laurie, a story beat that bothered several fans.)
As has been written about since production began, Halloween — which just held its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival — is positioning itself as a direct sequel to the original film, ignoring any continuity established by the Halloween sequels that followed in steady progression.