Disclaimer: Spoiler’s Ahead 

The eleventh installment of the Halloween slasher series hit theaters in the U.S. on October 19. Following a successful opening week, the film has already grossed above $170 million and received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike.

This installment occurs 40 years after the events of the first Halloween, ignoring all other prequels before it including the god-awful Rob Zombie remake of the series.

After surviving the mass murders that occurred in Haddonfield, Illinois in 1978, Laurie Strode has since developed PTSD, fearful that Michael Myers, her brother, would return.

During his transport to Smith’s Grove Rehabilitation Hospital, Michael murders the driver along with 2 journalists who were studying him for a report they were making on true crime. Myers also butchers a gas station owner and retrieves his infamous mask.

After hearing the news of a series of murders made around the neighborhood, Strode discovers Michael is once again on the loose. It is now up to her to protect her family which includes her daughter, Karen Strode, and her naive granddaughter, Allyson, from the wrath of Michael Myers.

I loved everything about the new Halloween movie. For one, it ignored all previous installments in the series and made Michael seem more of a realistic serial killer rather than a supernatural being that was brought back from the dead over and over again. Instead of coming after Laurie Strode for an 8th time despite having died at the end of previous films, the new Halloween ignores all that mumbo-jumbo and simply jumps to 4 decades following Michael’s murder rampage in 1978. Michael did not come back from the dead like some cliche– instead, he survived and came back on Halloween day to wreak havoc on Strode and the residents of Haddonfield.

What also made this movie great was the return of veteran actor Jamie Lee Curtis. Having played the role of Laurie Strode in four previous sequels, including the original Halloween, Curtis nailed the role considering she knew her character so well.

Furthermore, it was epic seeing the showdown between Strode and her brother. In the past 40 years, Strode began anticipating Michael’s return and prepared herself by keeping shotguns and weapons around her house and always carrying a pistol. She wasn’t afraid of Michael anymore; instead, she lived to see the day he would die in her hands. Now that’s awesome.

Strode also stole the show by playing the role of a protective mother and grandmother, forcing Karen and Allyson to move into her house until they were safe.

It was also refreshing to see the movie have a familiar vibe with the original Halloween: Myers was after Strode and her family, horny teens died after making some stupid decisions, the traditional neighborhood setting in Haddonfield, and the tension that built up to each one of Myer’s kills.

Overall it was a great movie and I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars. It pleased fans by holding true to the original story-line of the series while delivering excellent performances from Curtis and the rest of the cast.