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‘Trick ‘r Treat’ 4K UHD (review)

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Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat is a real throwback: a horror anthology film built around one town on Halloween night with a wicked sense of humor that feels like EC Comics crossed with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

Unlike most horror anthologies however, the stories are not discrete with a framing device but flow into one another, and much of the fun of the film is seeing how everything fits together over the course of one long night.

The opening story is full of Hitchcockian dark humor as Dylan Baker plays Mr. Wilkins, the town’s elementary school principal who is trying to cover up a murderous secret, but keeps being interrupted by friends and family (who, of course, put down his suspicious behavior to the ongoing holiday).

The second plays on small town tall tales with a group of kids going down to a spooky flooded quarry to hear about the year eight kids drowned there in a bus accident, with somewhat predictable results.

The third is definitely the Tales From the Crypt tribute as teenager Laurie (Anna Paquin) is headed to a surprise party where she and her friends turn out to be more hunter than hunted. Finally, everything is brought under wraps with a story about Old Man Kreeg (Brian Cox), the town’s miserable old recluse who hates Halloween and must deal with “Sam” a surreal looking trick or treater who is more than meets the eye.

Director Michael Dougherty, in the years since this film, is probably best known for horror-comedy Krampus and his contributions to Legendary’s “Monsterverse” series of American Godzilla films. As an anthology it really falls to the director (more so than usual) to make all the parts fit together and Dougherty is up for it here. Energetic camerawork, great pacing, and a wonderful, surreal production design make every frame of this film feel lively and fun. He’s working off of his own script and you can almost feel the palpable delight in warming each story up for the big twist, especially the opening story where I must confess, I didn’t see it coming.

Trick ‘r Treat’s structure is a throwback to Amicus British horror films of the 70’s, but its tone clearly reflects and references American horror-comedies (with, perhaps, a dash of Hitchcock’s uniquely British gallows humor). It’s a little too rough for children, but a perfect example of the “crowd pleaser” horror film (see: American Werewolf in London; Evil Dead 2).

In many spaces it directly references the George Romero film Creepshow which used its own mixture of expressive lighting and energetic camera work to suggest the horror comics of the 1950’s. The pitch perfect tension between humor and horror doesn’t just keep the script lively by keeping the audience engaged, but it also brings out a collection of very engaged performances from the large ensemble cast.

The film’s essential charm is the skill with which it identifies the anxieties of American adolescent suburban life: the creepy old man who keeps to himself; the Halloween candy that might be poisoned; the semi-deserted spot where kids go to make out and get high; the period of life when you’re expected to lose your virginity; and finally, the odd custom of letting unsupervised children wander about in masks for one night, getting up to mischief.

That last fear is anthropomorphized into “Sam” the unofficial mascot of the film. He appears to be a small child in a strange costume until the finale, but he lurks throughout the action like a menacing little cherub from Hell. This is an anthology where the best is saved for last and I love the extended sequence where he terrifies Brian Cox’s Kreeg until we discover what he’s really after.

Extras include commentaries, interviews, featurettes, archival featurettes, additional scenes, trailers, stills, and essays.

Trick ‘r Treat is a collection of American myths, a sequence of fun twists, and a film that understands exactly what it is supposed to be. Watch it the next time you want light entertainment with bite.

Recommended.

 

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