The Halloween night when Michael Myers returned isn’t over yet. Michael manages to free himself from Laurie Strode’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) trap to resume his ritual bloodbath. As Laurie fights for her life from injuries from her last encounter with Michael, she inspires her daughter Karen (Judy Greer), granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), and all of Haddonfield to rise up against their unstoppable monster. The vigilante mob then sets out to hunt Michael down, once and for all.
For in-depth thoughts on Halloween Kills, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Halloween Kills offers a pleasing uptick in quality over the already incredible accompanying Blu-Ray, making it one heck of a wicked feast for the eyes. Skin tones appear more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. The increased range of the color spectrum is stunning to behold. The Dolby Vision and HDR enriches the colors from already impressive to out of this world when it comes to natural vibrancy. You can take a look at any of the various environments throughout the film and be blown away. Don’t get me started on the way this film paints a picture with buckets of crimson red blood which looks so incredible throughout. The highlights in the film are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Perhaps more impressively, for a film taking place primarily under the cover of darkness scenes are beautifully vivid and finely delineated. The black levels are fantastic in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. This 4K UHD presentation really delivers on all fronts including strong gains in clarity and color. The Blu-Ray is great, but Universal has delivered another demo-worthy transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a forceful Dolby Atmos presentation that packs one heck of a punch from beginning to end. From the opening, the soundscape is set to deliver an expansive experience with gunfire from the 1978 sequence and police cars zooming in from every direction. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic kill scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. The overhead channels serve to complement the other channels rather than carry the main load, which adds a nice sense of space to the mix. Musical cues and the knockout score envelope the room with a vengeance. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The squishy stab wounds and large crowds provide an all-encompassing soundscape that kicks in throughout all the speakers. The low end is engaged in a really solid way that will have you moving in your chair. The mix offers up the best experience for those with the home theater system to support it.
Special Features
- Extended Cut: The Extended Cut of the film runs about four minutes longer at 109 minutes long including an “alternate ending” which in reality is just an extended version of the main ending which ruins a bit of the brutal impact of the theatrical cut. Elsewhere there are various small character moments and added bits of violence (especially in the final crowd confrontation), but otherwise things are not radically different.
- Audio Commentary: Director/Co-Writer David Gordon Green and Stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer deliver a really fun and informative commentary track in which they discuss potential easter eggs for the third film, their reactions to some of the events in the film, personal anecdotes from the set, inspiration from other films and more.
- Gag Reel: A three-minute collection of flubbed lines, broken props, runaway cars, laughing fits and more that serve as an amusing time.
- Deleted & Extended Scenes: Three scenes of unused material totaling just over three minutes which features Allyson having a discussion with Brackett, an extended bit with the drone, and more “evil dies tonight” chanting.
- Haddonfield’s Open Wounds: A seven-minute featurette which frames the story through the experiences of the people of Haddonfield, the experience of bringing back the characters of the past and the performers who play them, and more which sets this entry apart.
- The Kill Team: An 11-minute piece on the truly gnarly kills executed in this entry and the creative team that helped bring them to life. It is a joy to see some of the creativity put into something so brutal.
- Strode Family Values: A nearly four-minute piece which explores the role of Laurie Strode and how she has transferred her fervor to subsequent generations of the family.
- 1978 Transformations: A six-minute featurette which looks at the changes made to the 1978 story and how the creative team expanded the mythos of the character and town. There are a lot of great moments exploring the set design, the iconic mask, the return of Dr. Loomis, the visual aesthetic and more.
- The Power Of Fear: A nearly five-minute look at the place of mob mentality in this film as it stems from trauma.
- Kill Count: A minute-long flash through all 31 kills in the film.
Final Thoughts
Halloween Kills goes a little overboard with the “evil dies tonight” chanting throughout, but short of that this follow-up is not that far behind the excellent 2018 installment. Yes, characters make some bone-headed decisions which seal their fate, but the brutality that Michael brings to his kills this time out is a work of sadistic art. Director David Gordon Green brings an artistic eye to many of his shots which leaves you admiring certain sequences on a level beyond the violence. The pacing of this entry is unreal which keeps you trying to catch your breath from beginning to end. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray which features a stunning A/V presentation and a decent array of supplemental features. If you are a fan of the series, you should not be terribly disappointed. Recommended
Halloween Kills is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
