I watched this movie on Netflix instant in broad daylight about as far away from Halloween as you can get. I'm guessing that was not the intended setting, but it might have been the only way for me to partake. I've never been a fan of scary/horror/blood/guts... though I do I love an intense thriller. I guess there is a fine line, which makes it difficult to know which movies are suitable for watching with the lights out. As a child the supernatural always scared me more. If we found out the murderer was a mere mortal I was mostly okay with it because he/she/it could be killed. If it were a phantom/ghost/Freddy Krueger I was freaked-the-shit-out.I most likely would have never watched this movie, but director Michael Dougherty was a guest on one of my favorite movie podcasts, the /Filmcast. They spoke about the film briefly and it made me interested to see it. I found it on Netflix instant, but went months without watching it. The other day I was in the mood for a bit of a scare, so I decided to watch.
Trick r' Treat is centered around Halloween. It is somewhat episodic. It weaves 4 stories together. They are separate but connected. I was amazed by how innocent it actually was. It wasn't nearly as scary as I had expected. However, little-kid me would have definitely crapped his pants a couple times for sure.
This film reminded me of a good ghost story told around a campfire. It creates a perfect mood and the storytelling is great. While I usually don't get enjoyment out of a frightening tale, this was a lot of fun. The stories themselves aren't extremely inventive or original, nor are they intended to be. They are executed in a manner that makes them feel fresh yet familiar.
By the time Trick r' Treat was over I actually felt disappointed that it didn't scare me more. Maybe when Halloween rolls around I will watch it at night... that should do the trick. I was pumped when I saw Thurman Merman from Bad Santa in this film. That kid needs to get more acting jobs!
Filed Under: Halloween, Horror, Review