- Starring
- Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Leslie Bibb
- Writer
- Michael Dougherty
- Director
- Michael Dougherty
- Rating
- 14A (Canada), R (United States)
- Running Time
- 82 minutes
Overall Score
Rating Summary
There is no film that oozes with Halloween spirit as well or as much as Trick R Treat, offering viewers an authentic Halloween watch filled with frights, costumes, candy and five spooky stories to keep viewers up at night. The film may not be the most impressive, layered or original, if one is searching for a perfect spooky movie to get into the Halloween spirit, it delivers in spades.
Trick R Treat tells five interwoven stories that demonstrate that tradition is best not forgotten, as the residents of a small town face ghosts, vampires, werewolves and all kind of monsters over the course of a Halloween. Each of the stories are incredibly engaging and feel uniquely different from the last. Similarly, they all cleverly and excitingly intertwine with one another as characters pop up in each other’s stories. Although it is an anthology, it still wraps up in a satisfying while tying all the stories together.
While some stories are better than others, most come with surprising twists that aren’t necessarily jaw dropping but they still feel earned. Meanwhile, though the film’s characters don’t have much depth to them, they are still interesting and entertaining to watch. The best is easily Sam (Quinn Lord), a devilish trick-or-treater who just wants to keep tradition alive. Although he is pretty one-dimensional, he is no less an awesome character who terrorizes those who break Halloween traditions. Under his mask is a rather ghastly creature with a freaky design that makes him that much more memorable.
Trick R Treat sports a phenomenal cast, with the likes of Baker, Bibb, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox, who all deliver exceptional performances that bring much needed dimension to their respective characters. With the film being a love letter to everything Halloween, the film of course comes with plenty of references to horror movie classics, including Halloween, The Fog as well as a quick cameo by the car from Stephen Kings classic Christine.
In the end, Trick R Treat is a film that oozes with authentic Halloween spirit and though it may not be perfect, there’s more than enough spooks and intriguing storytelling here to make it the perfect annual Halloween watch.
*still courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures*
If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.
Journalist, Writer, Film Critic and Professional Nerd. You will probably find Olly at the cinema chomping down on some popcorn and taking in the glorious visuals of the latest theatrical release.