In Halloween 2, two years have passed since the events of the previous film and Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) has been adopted by Sherriff Bracket (Brad Dourif) and his daughter Annie (Danielle Harris, who starred in Halloween 4 and 5) and is slowly losing her mind thanks to what appears to be a psychic connection with her older brother, mental trauma from the events of the previous film, survivor's guilt, and possibly genetics (The film does seem to imply Laurie may have inherited the same madness her brother is inflicted with). Meanwhile, Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) has become a selfish, money-hungry, uncaring asshole who has written a highly hyped memoir that directly profits off of the misery of the victims from Michael's (Tyler Mane) attack. All this while Michael plods slowly back to Haddonfield to enact a vengeful plan that he hopes will bring his family back together forever.
Michael in this film has become someone best resembling a shambling, bearded, old man hobo. He wanders around aimlessly, committing random murders here and there, and is plagued by constant visions of his dead mother with a white horse (oh, and he communicates with her via a version of his 10 year old self). He seems to be downright pissed throughout most of the film, as his murders are much more brutal this time around. Sometimes he grunts when he stabs people, and he actually speaks a word near the end (Believe it or not, I'm ok with this version of Michael...not so much with him speaking though). Michael's story is fairly tragic, as he only wants to re-unite his family but goes about doing so in increasingly violent, harmful and counterproductive ways. Michael is in this film a good deal, but Halloween 2 is more-so interested in Laurie's story, which is a nice switch-up.
Out of all the Halloween films, Rob Zombie's Halloween 2 might be the most consistently pretty to look at (Thanks in large part to cinematography by Brandon Trost), as well as the most surreal. There are quite a few shots that are gorgeous and the atmosphere is that of a rich Halloween nightmare (Personally, the Halloween party near the end of the film is the one scene I always think of when I think of the atmosphere I've come to associate with the Halloween holiday). As far as acting goes, Brad Dourif as Sherriff Bracket (He might be the most likable character in the film, as he is sympathetic, kind, and is genuinely doing his best to try to help Laurie and Annie), Danielle Harris as Annie Bracket (Who acts as a sister and "Mother" to Laurie. Notice that we never see her leave the house.), and Scout Taylor-Compton as Laurie are all superb. Brea Grant as Mya and Angela Trimbur as Harley manage to leave a mark as Laurie's new friends and co-workers at a coffee shop. Chase Wright Vanek also fares significantly better than Daeg Faerch did as Young Michael.
A lot of the film takes place in Laurie and Michael's head space, and that makes this outing very personal and painfully intimate. Although Laurie's behavior can be quite off putting (She screams A LOT, consistently has mental breakdowns, and is just all around rude to folks most of the time), it's hard not to sympathize and empathize with her. Her character here is suffering from severe trauma doled out two years ago, and she is still struggling to return to normal. The question is, after Laurie's experiences in Zombie's first film, is that even possible? More likely than not, Laurie will remain forever altered (as likely would we all). She is surrounded by people who mean well and are attempting to help her, but each inevitably fail in their mission due to incompetence, a lack of understanding, an inability to empathize with her, or Laurie's outright rejection of their efforts.
Halloween 2 is not a perfect film. The parts with Deborah Meyers ( Sheri Moon Zombie) and the white horse are silly, but visually striking. There are also some scenes near the end where Deborah and Young Michael stand motionless in the background, and in these parts they just look ridiculous. There is a whole lot of cursing (not the end of the world, but I could see how this would bother some), as well as a scene where two paramedic drivers joke about screwing a corpse (yuck). There's also an extended scene of Michael eating a dog, which is sure to turn some stomachs (Same with most of the brutality and murders found here, really). The take on Loomis in this outing is so different that it might give you whiplash, and he is completely unlikable (Not hard to hate on him). It's difficult to figure out why Zombie chose to go this route with Loomis. The final ending and Laurie's arc might piss people off, but I personally love it.
Halloween 2 is the rare horror sequel that chooses to directly grapple with the after-effects, trauma, and consequences of a vicious attack. This is Rob Zombie's full, unfiltered take on a Halloween film, and it's painfully original, refreshingly different, and incredibly unique. It's dark, mean, brutal, and savage, but also surprisingly deep, touching, tragic, and sad. It's messy, and it might take more than one viewing to fully comprehend some of the scenes within (the opening and closing scenes come to mind), but Halloween 2 is still one of Zombie's best films (as well as one of the most under-appreciated Halloween movies) and it re-iterates just how creative, visually inventive, bold, and daring an artist Zombie can be.
I first saw Halloween 2 waaaaay back in 2019. When I first saw it, I absolutely hated it, however I've continued to go back and re-watch the director's cut, and over the years it has cast a strange spell over me. The more I re-watched it, the more I've come to appreciate the flick for what it is. It's been 11 years since my first viewing, and my opinion on it has changed quite a bit. I'm tired of being ashamed of loving something, and so now, at 30, I'm unafraid to stand up and say that I love Rob Zombie's Halloween 2, flaws and all
4 STARS
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