Like its seemingly unkillable protagonist, the Halloween series just can't quite stay dead.

Since John Carpenter's classic slasher feature debuted in 1978, Halloween has spawned seven laughable sequels (plus two if you count the forgettable 2007 reboot), leading many to wonder if Michael Myers could ever become scary again.

Now, on his 40th birthday, the masked murderer affectionally known as The Shape, is about to receive his best birthday gift yet in the form of Halloween, a highly anticipated follow-up that ignores the continuity of its previous sequels.

Can this 2018 horror redux return the franchise back to its glory days? Let's find out:

What Do The Critics Say?

Hot Off The Twitterverse 

Hell yeah, #Halloween rocks! So scary & pretty funny. The way it balances the freak-out and the nervous humor and the nasty kills is just fantastic. All of it plays so well together. Badass to the bone. Loved it. As David Gordon Green says, “it’s simple and relentless.”#TIFF18 

— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) September 9, 2018

They did it. They only went ahead and did it. #Halloween is the movie we wanted and it delivers gloriously. The Shape has never been more terrifying. #TIFF18

— Jonathan Barkan (@JonathanBarkan) September 9, 2018

HALLOWEEN is a total blast and is going to make a killing at the box office. Blumhouse does it again. Jamie Lee Curtis is still kicking ass and taking names. I can see fans watching this over and over again. The best Halloween since the original. #HalloweenMovie #TIFF18 

— Scott Menzel @ TIFF (@TheOtherScottM) September 9, 2018

#Halloween is vicious! Loved the continuation of Laurie’s story but the pure evil of Michael’s drive to kill and the randomness of it is there and it’s strong. Beautifully shot, score is on point, some great humor and loaded with gore. It’s the complete package.

— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) September 9, 2018

David Gordon Green delivers best HALLOWEEN movie since the original & does a smart job w/ its callbacks to the 1st film. Legit scary, & while crazy violent at times, it shows restraint at others. Loved the score. Jamie Lee Curtis is a badass, like Ripley crossed w/ Sarah Connor.

— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) September 9, 2018 

Top 10 Popular Horror Movies Averages (RT + MTC + IMDB):

1. Get Out - 87

2. Hereditary - 86

3. A Quiet Place - 85

4. Train to Busan - 81

5. Halloween - 77

6. Don't Breathe - 77

7. It - 76

8. The Conjuring - 76

9. The Conjuring 2 - 73

10. Annabelle: Creation - 66

See It Or Skip It?

Fans who are anxious to see if Halloween can successfully revive a fallen franchise can breathe a huge sigh of relief. Evil has returned home... and it's good!

Jamie Lee Curtis, who reprises her role as iconic final girl Laurie Strode, has garnered acclaim for her powerhouse performance. The humour and emotional beats have also drawn praise, though some have remarked that it might actually be "too funny".

By the looks of it, Halloween delivers exactly what horror fans want from a slasher movie and then some, with just enough sprinkles of levity to perhaps balance out the gore and scares.

If you enjoyed movies like It, The Conjuring films and more recently, The Nun, keep an eye on this!

Photocredit @ Universal Pictures

Halloween opens in cinemas on 18 October 2018. 

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