Since its release, the trailer for Halloween Kills has caused quite a stir in the horror fandom. While some reactions have been mixed, is is clear that Halloween Kills aims to be just as ambitious and far more brutal than its predecessor. So what can audiences expect from the film? Let’s take a look.

While speculative, this breakdown may contain spoilers. You have been warned.

Continuation Confirmed

1981’s Halloween II was an unusual sequel in that it picked up mere moments after the end of the original. This made it feel less like a sequel and more like a continuation of the original film, and was one of the things that made it a cult favorite. Though we had speculated it, this new trailer confirms that the entirety of this new film will take place on the same night as the 2018 film.

The trailer opens with Michael escaping from the burning Strode house and brutally slaughtering the responding firemen. It sets the tone that this film will be far more brutal and nasty than the previous entry. While I’m not so wild about the gore (I always preferred Halloween to play it more subtle), continuing moments after the previous film ends is one of the things that excites me the most. Like Halloween II, this is less a sequel and more a continuation of the previous movie. This also makes it increasingly likely that Halloween Ends will follow the same trend, with all three of these latest movies occurring on the same night.

The Hospital Probably Won’t Play A Big Role

Since it was announced that Haddonfield Memorial Hospital would be in Halloween Kills, many of us here at ScreenHub speculated that this sequel would follow the path laid out in 1981’s Halloween II and be a hospital themed horror film. It was one of the most exciting and unique things about the 1981 film with Michael using a number of creative implements from scalpels to syringes to take out his targets. However, it looks like this won’t be the case in Halloween Kills.

In Halloween II, Laurie is taken to the local hospital to recover from her injuries. However, nothing in the trailer shows Michael entering the hospital and harming the staff, so it’s unlikely he’ll make an extended appearance there. There are scenes of panicked crowds and riots near the hospital, so perhaps Michael will claim a victim while passing by, agitating the people inside. But since we’ve seen so little of the hospital in the trailer, it’s more likely to be a kind of home base for the heroes rather than the main setting for the film.

The Citizens of Haddonfield

A central plot point in the trailer is that the people of Haddonfield have had it with Michael. Following the events of the last film, a mob of vigilantes assemble to aid police in the manhunt for the escaped killer. Amongst these people are some notable faces from the original classic, many of whom may be appearing for the last time.

It was speculated early on that Hawkins, the cop played by Will Patton, might make a return as a supposedly dead character was coming back. However, having seen his body in the trailer, it’s unlikely Hawkins will be making a triumphant return after his ill fated encounter with Dr. Sartain. But other characters will be making at least brief appearances, including Nurse Chambers from Halloween, Halloween II and Halloween H20, Sherriff Brackett from Halloween and Halloween II, and perhaps most excitingly, Tommy Doyle and Lindsay Wallace.

Tommy Doyle, who was only 10 in the original film, is played here by Brat Pack superstar Anthony Michael Hall. Tommy gets a lot of screen time in the trailer, hunting Michael Myers with a baseball bat. Given his extended presence, we’ll likely be seeing a lot of him in the movie right up to the finale. Hopefully Tommy will survive into Halloween Ends as well, because some characters don’t look like they’ll have it so lucky.

Kyle Richards returns to the series as Lindsay Wallace, the other of the two children Laurie babysat in the original. She only makes a brief appearance in the trailer when Michael starts attacking her. While Richards’ presence is certainly welcome in the film, lets not hold out hope that she’ll survive the night. From this brief clip, things aren’t looking good. This leaves us to wonder, if Lindsay isn’t safe, who is? We shall wait and see.

Allyson and Karen’s Show

The 2018 film was all about Laurie and her struggles with trauma and isolation. Halloween Kills on the other hand appears to be all about Allyson and to a lesser extent, Karen. Out of all the characters in the trailer, Allyson plays the most active role, joining her boyfriend Cameron and his father Lonnie, one of the kids who bullied Tommy Doyle in the original Halloween. It seems that Allyson, Lonnie and Cameron will spend a lot of time together, with the three of them collaborating to try and hunt Michael Myers down. This leads to a fight at the Myers house, which will likely serve as the finale.

Karen is seen in the hospital with Laurie a lot more, so it’s likely that her role may be more passive towards the end. A core theme of Karen in the last film was her learning to fight, something that she does seem to be getting better at. Her most active moment in the trailer is a scene where she rips Michael’s mask off and taunts him with it, seemingly luring him into a crowd of outraged citizens looking for revenge. Whatever her role, it seems to be larger than that of the film’s supposed star.

Laurie Strode’s Role

Jamie Lee Curtis’ character of Laurie Strode has been the face of Halloween since the beginning, and her return to the 2018 film was a major draw for audiences. Back in 2018, we fell in love with this new, battle hardened Laurie who was ready to face her fear rather than run from it, so where does that leave her in this upcoming film? Since this appears to be more Allyson and Karen’s film, Laurie will most likely take on a more passive role, confined to her hospital bed and serving more as a mentor to her daughter and granddaughter.

There is some speculation that Laurie may die early in the film, with her death motivating Allyson and Karen to seek revenge. I find this unlikely. For one, it’s just not smart to kill off the big star of the series halfway through the new trilogy. There are also no shots of Michael and Laurie fighting in the trailer, leading me to believe the two will not directly confront each other in this installment. No longer her demented brother, Michael has no reason to focus on Laurie specifically, so it’s likely that after he escapes from the burning house, he’ll simply do what Lonnie Elam suggested and continue on his journey home.

While some may find this off putting, I feel it makes sense. If 2018, Kills and Ends all take place on the same night, then giving Laurie a short break to build up for the final fight with Michael may prove a smart decision. The shot that ends the trailer is of a now fully clothed Laurie walking down the hospital corridor with a kitchen knife. This is the moment that I believe will end the film, with the now recovered Laurie leaving the safety of Haddonfield Memorial to face off against Michael one final time for Halloween Ends.

The Nightmare Isn’t Over

Halloween 2018 proved a refreshing change of pace for a series that had long since lost its luster. So far, it looks like Halloween Kills is continuing that trend, upping the ante and really building up Laurie and Michael’s final showdown. I’m trying to manage my expectations, but this trailer, and news of a very positive test screening, are making it hard.

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