A scary movie that is never really that scary
Anthologies have existed in the horror genre for as long as the genre has been around. Their origins are debatable, but many agree that Dick Briefer’s “New Adventures of Frankenstein” in 1940, or the 1945 Prize Comics runs led the charge. These were popularized by series like Eerie Comics, dated 1947, and then Adventures into the Unknown later in the 40’s.
The anthology became a standard for horror filmmakers in the 1980’s. Creepshow was the first and most memorable, but it was followed others including Tales of the Third Dimension, Cat’s Eye, Creeptales, Deadtime Stories, and the relaunch of The Twilight Zone. Horror anthologies became a mainstay and were largely formulaic.
It took years, but in 2009, writer/director Michael Dougherty assembled a cast and crew, and a new icon, to make viewers once again invest in the horror anthology. That icon was the mysterious Sam, and that movie was Trick ‘r Treat.
Unlike anthologies strung together by mashing up various stories in comic book fashion, TRT weaves the stories together in a subliminal way most users won’t see at first. There are four stories in all, and while some are short and straight to the point, others deserve some revisiting, which the storytelling facilitates.
The cast of TRT can’t be understated. True Blood veteran Anna Paquin leads one of the stories. Lauren Lee Smith of Mutant X is in the same segment but in a completely different role than she’s ever played before. Character actor Dylan Baker brilliantly plays an awkward father and principal. Brian Cox pulls double duty as a grumpy neighbor with a disturbing back story.
Dougherty’s attention to detail is amazing. There are ambient sounds or quick shots of someone just in frame that tie in the timetables of the various stories. Several shots are filmed from one perspective and explained from another later in the movie. The stories have separate narratives, but the writing is effective in explaining that they are very much intertwined. The best example of this is how the movie is bookended.
The center of Trick ‘r Treat is in its morale compass. The film is never truly frightening, but it is always somewhat spooky. It plays with many of the known tropes from the genre, embracing a few, but providing misdirection at the same time. The combination is enough to keep viewers just a little uncertain of what to expect. It is downright funny in several spots, led by Baker’s clumsy character.
At the heart of the film is Trick ‘r Treat’s obsessive devotion to the horror movie formula about morality. Those who deserve to die won’t make it out alive. Those who are victimized somehow live to choose their destination tomorrow. Dougherty’s lessons are easily visible, but are written in a way that is still relevant today.
The film covers several aspects of the seven deadly sins, but in an intelligent way, they are never covered alone. They always overlap. For instance, Baker’s psychopath needs the gluttonous student to be his victim. The spirit of Halloween need the person who hates that holiday. The werewolf needs that bloodthirsty target. It’s a strange set of scenarios that provides a warning.
Enjoy Trick ‘r Treat.
Follow the Rules.