Trick 'r Treat (2007)
- Zoie Dawson
- Dec 2, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 8
What is it about?
A halloween themed anthology series where all of the stories are connected. We start with a couple who have just returned from a halloween party and want to take their decorations down early. There is a disturbing school principal who carves a "Jack O Lantern" with his son. A group of teenagers investigating the aftermath of a high school bus massacre. A party in the woods for a group of women in fancy dress. And a miserly old man who hates Halloween. All of them are watched by Sam, the spirit of halloween, a cute little character with a pumpkin head and canvas suit.
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Who's in it?
It depends on what circles you run in and the movies you like to watch, but if you have a keen eye for cinema (or even television) there will be a few faces that you recognize. Anna Paquin (Tru Blood, X Men) is little Red Riding Hood at the party in the woods, and Rochelle Aytes (White Chicks, Criminal Minds) is one of her friends .
Dylan Baker (The Good Wife, SpiderMan 2 & 3) plays the creepy principal. Leslie Bibb (Iron Man 1 & 2) is the party goer at the beginning who takes her decorations down and Brian Cox (the actor, not the scientist) is the halloween hating curmudgeon.
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Why should I watch it?
Because it's brilliant. The segments are bitesized, short and easy to watch, so if you want to up and get a snack in between then you can and you don't miss much. The stories are perfect for halloween- Creepy, full of intrigue and mystery. It's especially clever how single stories relate to some of the other segments without overshadowing them. The halloween bus massacre is probably one of my favourites, as is the one with the principal. They both feature in other segments, and offer a few "well, I didn't see that coming" moments. The cast are great, I can't really fault any of the performances from the established cast or the younger actors. (The child who plays the principals son gets a special shout out, as he is both creepy, charming and hilarious at the same time.)
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Why won't I like it?
It's such a well crafted movie that it's hard to find a flaw with it. If you're not a fan of anthology stories, then this might not be a good movie for you.
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What did you think of it?
I love it and watch it at least twice a year. It's one of those rare films that is great to watch, but has rewatch potential as well without ever getting old. Sam is probably my favourite character, even though he has a malevolent streak, I think he's adorable, and if I were a child (or had a child) I'd be dressing up as him every year. The film makers really hit the nail on the head with the design, the cinematography and the cast. The stories are cleverly put together and it's well thought out. If that doesn't seal it for you, let me tell you a little story. My partner is not a fan of the genre at all, but when we moved house and had no internet, all we had to rely on for entertainment was a DVD player and my shit/ awesome horror movie collection. This was one of the small few he actually enjoyed and would watch again, so make of that what you will!
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Should I give it a go?
Yes. I really can't think of anything bad about this movie. If you've never seen it before, watch it, and let me know what you think.
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