In 1978, John Carpenter changed the world when he directed and wrote Halloween (1978). It revolutionized the movie landscape forever by spawning copycats like Friday The 13th and singlehandedly created a subgenre of horror movies—the slasher flick. It had everything a horror movie could need. A perfect soundtrack, amazing visuals, haunting imagery, and exquisite acting. It’s a masterpiece unrivaled by anything released since.

However, not everything Halloween brought to the table was great. In 1981 it received a sequel, Halloween 2 (1981). While not awful, it led to the creation of the rest of the movies, which were.

Luckily a new film was released under the same title as the original from ‘78, Halloween (2018). Released on 19 October, this movie disregards everything past the first movie in favor of a return to form. Many members of the original cast make a return. Jamie Lee Curtis plays Laurie Strode—the only survivor of Michael Myers’ attacks in ‘78. But now she’s a weathered, grizzled version of the final girl. She turns the role on its head, taking the fight to Michael instead of the other way around.

Nick Castle, the actor who played Michael Myers in the original movie, also makes a return. While many of the more action-packed scenes make use of another, much younger actor, he was able to provide assistance to those stepping into his shoes. It shows, too. Michael Myers feels exactly like how he was in the first movie. A stiff, hulking villain with no emotion. The mask is an extension of this. The sequels were never quite able to recapture the magic of the mask from the first movie but this one does. The latex is rotted, having been in a drawer for years, and reflects the aging both Michael, Laurie, and the franchise has undergone through the years.

John Carpenter also returns to compose the soundtrack, something the other movies lacked. His talent is on full display here. He revamped the original soundtrack into something modern yet nostalgic, punchy yet calm and eerie. His new songs are brilliant as well. One of them in particular, The Shape Hunts Allyson, is outstanding. When it came on in the theatre I felt the hairs stand up on my neck and chills shoot down my spine. It’s an incredible soundtrack this movie deserves. Carpenter did it again and I look forward to listening to more of his music in the future.

The actual horror in this movie is effective if a bit cheap at times. The first third is riddled with fake-out jumpscares that might have been better suited for the cutting-room floor. The horror involving Michael Myers is outstanding, however. One scene, in particular, involving motion-activated lights stood out to me as one of the tensest scenes in the movie. But the final showdown in the house was the tensest of all. Laurie spends almost five minutes walking around the house, pointing her shotgun down every corridor, waiting for Michael. But he never shows—until he does!

It’s refreshing to see a horror movie like this in a sea of haunted houses, haunted dolls, and haunted children. A slasher movie revival could be on the horizon with Halloween leading the way yet again.