Trick ‘r Treat (2009) Review

By Ronnie Angel

I waited for over two years for the release of Trick r Treat. Between the previews and the film festival presentations it looked like it could easily be the next big thing in the horror industry. After having so many problems with the release date constantly getting pushed back, though, I was afraid it would never see the light of day.

Two years after it was originally to be released in theatres, Trick r Treat finally hit the public… unfortunately it was direct to DVD. It’s too bad too, as I believe this movie in a theatre could kick all the other tired Halloween-time horror movies asses any day! I couldn’t have been happier with the end result after such a long wait.

Trick r Treat reminds me of a Creepshow-type anthology, only in more of a Pulp Fiction type of way as all the stories take place around the same time and eventually interconnect. There are so many things going on at once in this movie that it keeps your attention throughout. Broken down and separated, without giving too much away, the stories shown are:

• 1. A young couple learns the hard way not to mess with the traditions of Halloween. Not a bad start.
• 2. A young hottie (Anna Paquin) and her friends are on the way to a big Halloween party. While she is trying to find a date, she finds herself being stalked by a serial killer around town.
• 3. The school principal has quite a messed up hobby in his free time and the bodies buried in his yard are proof of that!

And my two favorite stories:

• 4. A grumpy old man (Brian Cox, who played the role perfectly) despises Halloween… you know, the kind whose house you avoid when trick or treating. He gets taught a lesson by an awesome little pumpkin-headed demon named Sam, who terrorizes the old man throughout. Very creepy.
• 5. My favorite one! A group of middle school age kids go to stir up the spirits of the dead, and pull a mean prank on one of the outcasts of their group as well. There is a local legend about an infamous “school bus massacre” years before where a bus driver drove a bus full of mentally challenged kids off a cliff, killing them all, and the kids decide to visit the crash site and cast a spell to raise the spirits. Of course, there is something to the ghostly legend and the kids return to take their revenge.

Overall, I would have to say that the wait to watch Trick r Treat was well worth it. Very rarely is there a movie that actually does Halloween justice. This film brings us back to the old days when Halloween was the biggest night of the year where everyone, but for a select few, participated with enthusiasm.

The set designs are simply amazing in this film, and the atmosphere is creepy all around. This film has the feel of an old school horror classic, like campfire ghost stories almost, in that they are familiar to you, similar to stories heard before, yet new to the screen. There are a few nice twists and turns in the movie as well, which are quite shocking, yet tie everything together nicely towards the end.

In summary, Trick r Treat is original, entertaining, and a much needed shot in the arm for the horror genre. If anybody is tired of the same ole same ole in horror movies, then I recommend doing yourself a favor and giving Trick r Treat a watch. You will appreciate the Halloween season much more after watching it.