Trick 'r' Treat

Trick 'r' Treat is an anthology movie of different characters experiencing different events through the night of Halloween.  Each storyline connects to the others in some way, whether it be characters from one showing up in the background of another, or just Sam (a burlap-headed little kid in a ratty onesie.  It makes sense within the context of the film.  Trust me!) popping up in the background or fully participating in the story.

This little kid is the scariest ball of hatred in the world.

Don't mess with him.

One way to analyze this film would be as an indictment of the sterilization of Halloween in recent years.  They even go into the origins of Samhain, the pagan festival celebrating the time when the spirits of the dead and the living would mingle, hence the need to dress up in costumes and deceive the dead.  This simple rule is the guiding force for what happens throughout the film.

Someone tries to take down their decorations before Halloween is over?  Not a good idea.  Abusing the trust of others to satisfy your urges?  That can bite you in the ass.  Choosing a hyper-sexualized costume?  You may want to rethink that.  Or don't.  It's your body and your decision.  Anyone who tries to take advantage of that deserves whatever backlash they get.

Released in 2007 directly to DVD, this film was originally supposed to receive a theatrical release.  Why it didn't, I don't know.  It's just one of those tragedies of studio politics.

The entire cast, including Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, and Leslie Bibb, do a great job of fitting into their roles.  Not Oscar-worthy, but the horror genre doesn't usually attract talent of this caliber these days.

Michael Dougherty, the writer and director, doesn't rely on jump scares, but on atmosphere to build up suspense, and some impressive creature effects and makeup instead of overly relying on CGI.  There's even a smattering of torture in there.

Sorry for the brevity of this review.  I don't feel that I can go too deeply into the film without spoiling it.  Seek this one out and watch it.

And don't hand out toothbrushes for Halloween.  There's a special place in Hell for people who do that.

Seriously, don't make this little guy angry.