By Becca Johnson August 23, 2024
If there’s one thing horror fans like as much as horror, it’s Halloween - pair the both together, and it’s bound to be on everybody’s watchlist at FrightFest. Directed by Brittney Greer and starring Emma Reinagel in the leading role, Happy Halloween is set in a small midwestern town that celebrates its 300th birthday with festivities, including a Halloween dance and a corn maze. However, on the previous All Hallow’s Eve, Hadley Briggs (Reinagel) survived a brutal attack by her ex-boyfriend, which put him in prison. This year, a new series of slayings has started, with the masked perpetrator making grisly decorations from the victims body parts, leaving Hadley and her friends ensnared in a deadly game with the mysterious maniac.
Happy Halloween is a fun ode to the slasher genre, with Halloween imagery aplenty and a decent mystery. However, the unlikable characters, average dialogue and lack of flair prevent it from standing out in this over-saturated sub-genre.
Review
If you’re checking out Happy Halloween purely for the vibes and setting, you’ll likely end up very impressed. It really nails that likable small town feel, where everybody knows each other and the murderer could literally be your next door neighbour or best friend. With highly impressive production value and some incredible sets, especially considering its budget, there is plenty of Halloween imagery on offer; pumpkins, corn mazes, masks and more make for a perfect watch for spooky season. The maze set design is especially fantastic, with its winding paths, jump-scares creepy atmosphere. It’s also very playful with its cinematography, with great framing and really impressive lighting throughout. Tying these aspects together perfectly is the score, that despite being a little too reminiscent of John Carpenter’s Halloween, matches the tone of the movie nicely and amplifies the eerie atmosphere. Considering the technical limitations, a lot of effort has been put into the aesthetic, sound and feel of the movie and it really pays off, making Happy Halloween a delightful watch perfect for the month of October.
The performances are actually pretty good overall, too. Lead Emma Reinagel creates a likable lead in Hadley, an individual wanting more independence due to her Mum’s insistence on her having a strict curfew as a result of last year’s attack, but also being fearful of those around her and wanting to stay safe. She’s been through a lot yet has secrets of her own, adding an interesting spin on the character. The most enjoyable character is love interest Kagan, played well by Graham Weldin. He treats Hadley with sincere love and respect which helps you root for their relationship, but this is a slasher after all - suspecting the boyfriend comes with the territory. Weldin clearly understood this whilst undertaking the role. Unfortunately, though the supporting performances are competent enough, the characters are very unlikeable which hinders enjoyment of the film. Firstly, every character is underdeveloped (leads included), and the script doesn’t lean into their individuals personalities, experiences or lives much. They not only feel very surface level but pretty carbon copy of other well-known slasher genre characters; they’re tropey in attributes and bland in nature. The character utilised purely for comedic relief is highly annoying, and has a grating effect rather than a lighthearted one. Outside of one or two of these characters, there’s not much to get behind.
Happy Halloween has all the makings of a successful slasher, but the most important element lets it down - the script. The dialogue is subpar throughout, with un-intriguing conversations and predictable speech delivered by most of our characters. Though it has a nice mystery element to it, as any slasher should, the lack of depth in both character and narrative stops it from being overly memorable, with the red herrings also being a little too obvious. The attempts at misdirection are often too blatant, which prevents them from working, with a couple of reveals not being as surprising as the script believes them to be. It doesn’t have much unique flair of its own within the plot, seemingly following the same pattern as many that have come before it. There are moments where it aims to have something to say, particularly on the US political system, but this isn’t taken far enough to have enough meaning or pack a true punch. All of the above would be forgivable if there was enough carnage on offer to excuse it, but there isn’t. The Halloween decoration-inspired kills are very intriguing and grisly, but there simply aren’t enough of them to truly entertain, and the audience aren’t exposed to much in the way of gore or horror.
Happy Halloween nails its attempt at creating a campy teen slasher perfect for spooky season, and due to its undeniable charm and Halloween spirit, may become a cult classic and yearly rewatch for some. The performances are competent, the set design is marvellous and the lighting is easily its best asset. Disappointingly, the storyline doesn’t provide anything to sink your teeth into, as it’s both predictable and lacking of substance and personality. Happy Halloween is able to provide a bit of fun, but not much more.
Star Rating
Happy Halloween has its European Premiere at Frightfest August 22
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