Another 31 Days Of Halloween: Trick 'r Treat (2007)

                                 

                     
                                    A Thrilling 'Treat' With Plenty Of 'Tricks' Up Its Sleeve

            Halloween is one of my top 3 favorite holidays and while I appreciate horror films that are set on Halloween, I feel that it is rare when we see a horror film that goes deep into the holiday itself. Trick 'r Treat does that and it is a film like this that makes me truly appreciate Halloween a little more than I already do.

           Story:
        Trick 'r Treat follows four interwoven stories set on Halloween night: A principal who moonlights as a serial killer (Dylan Baker), a girl (Anna Paquin) who is pursued by a mysterious stranger, an old hermit (Brian Cox) terrorized by a special trick-or-treat, and a bunch of teens who play a mean prank.

           Ups:
       One thing I liked was how the different stories were woven together. There are even a few twists and turns that take place, which I of course don't want to give away because I hate to do that. But I will say that my favorite story of the film is the one involving Anna Paquin as a girl dressed in a Red Riding Hood costume. There is a special twist involving her character but because I think you guys should see the movie, I'll let you figure it out for yourself. The more I go into this film, I worry I might end up spoiling it, so this review will be shorter, I'm afraid.

       Another thing that I thought was very interesting was how this is very much a Halloween movie. While films like Halloween that are set on Halloween are about Halloween, this one digs deeper into the whole idea of Halloween, I think. In the opening sequence, one character even points out the dangers of blowing out a Jack-O-Lantern before midnight. So, while there have been horror films set on Halloween, this is one that is essentially about Halloween and I can't help but commend it for that.

         Downs:
        NIL.

        Consensus:
       Overall, Trick 'r Treat is a highly inventive ode to the celebrated holiday that the film is based on. It manages to stay true to Halloween while offering old-school horror conventions and I can't help but feel saddened by how underrated it is.

        Would I Recommend It?:
       ABSOLUTELY, and watch it on Halloween while grabbing some candy. You will be in for an absolute "treat"!

Grade: A