This film has been at the top of many "To See" lists for the past few years, including mine. It appeared with a rockin' trailer, but also with the stigma that no studio would release it. Word from the festivals was positive, but many of us were waiting on pins and needles to see it for ourselves. Verdicts will be coming in over the week and it will be interesting to see people's reactions to the film.
There is no doubt Dougherty has created an atmospheric ode to Halloween. The film is visually astounding and reeks of Halloween in every sense: the costumes, sets with smog and more jack-o-lanterns than you can count. The film's score, provided by Douglas Pipes, is eerily fun and provides a fantastic supplement to the mood Dougherty has created with all his visual elements. It should be an addition to any collection of film scores. The film is worth a look for these reasons alone.
The acting is on par with what the film demanded. The film has no star, and each actor or actress is only featured for a relatively short time. In that respect, each performer handled their material aptly.
However, where the film suffers is not from the story subjects, but their execution. The stingy 82 minute runtime is the crippling factor. The film's mythology supposes there are rules that must be followed during Halloween to survive the night. They are not all explicitly stated, and to be honest, I only can recall two of them: Always keep a jack-lantern lit for safety from the spirit world, and check your candy. Each story revolves around characters who break these rules and are punished by the child-like, pumpkin-headed "spirit of Halloween." This is a fine setup for a horror film, and indeed, Dougherty had great ideas, but they are not fully developed in the final product thanks to the film's length. Dougherty attempts to stuff too many elements into the film's hour and 20 minutes. As such, characters are never fully understood, the script's organization is sloppy and while some tales are more fleshed out than others, every tale leaves the viewer wanting and expecting more. Although Dougherty concludes each story, the viewer is left with a good handful of questions that seem key to buying into all the events that occurred. An extra 20 minutes would have filled in these gaps and made the film one to remember. Although we may never know, I would be curious to find out if there was more story left on the cutting room floor.
It is clear to me why this film never got a theatrical release. The overall story is just not strong enough. Without the viral and internet marketing accumulating over the years, this film would not have a wide appeal, and likely been a box office disaster. I must give credit to Dougherty for trying to put something different and original out there, and in many ways he succeeded. However, the film falls short in telling its stories, which makes everything else just sweetener at the bottom of an empty glass.
A creative, atmospheric, and original film that ultimately cuts itself short due to underdevelopment of its stories, I give "Trick 'r Treat" a 5/10.
There is no doubt Dougherty has created an atmospheric ode to Halloween. The film is visually astounding and reeks of Halloween in every sense: the costumes, sets with smog and more jack-o-lanterns than you can count. The film's score, provided by Douglas Pipes, is eerily fun and provides a fantastic supplement to the mood Dougherty has created with all his visual elements. It should be an addition to any collection of film scores. The film is worth a look for these reasons alone.
The acting is on par with what the film demanded. The film has no star, and each actor or actress is only featured for a relatively short time. In that respect, each performer handled their material aptly.
However, where the film suffers is not from the story subjects, but their execution. The stingy 82 minute runtime is the crippling factor. The film's mythology supposes there are rules that must be followed during Halloween to survive the night. They are not all explicitly stated, and to be honest, I only can recall two of them: Always keep a jack-lantern lit for safety from the spirit world, and check your candy. Each story revolves around characters who break these rules and are punished by the child-like, pumpkin-headed "spirit of Halloween." This is a fine setup for a horror film, and indeed, Dougherty had great ideas, but they are not fully developed in the final product thanks to the film's length. Dougherty attempts to stuff too many elements into the film's hour and 20 minutes. As such, characters are never fully understood, the script's organization is sloppy and while some tales are more fleshed out than others, every tale leaves the viewer wanting and expecting more. Although Dougherty concludes each story, the viewer is left with a good handful of questions that seem key to buying into all the events that occurred. An extra 20 minutes would have filled in these gaps and made the film one to remember. Although we may never know, I would be curious to find out if there was more story left on the cutting room floor.
It is clear to me why this film never got a theatrical release. The overall story is just not strong enough. Without the viral and internet marketing accumulating over the years, this film would not have a wide appeal, and likely been a box office disaster. I must give credit to Dougherty for trying to put something different and original out there, and in many ways he succeeded. However, the film falls short in telling its stories, which makes everything else just sweetener at the bottom of an empty glass.
A creative, atmospheric, and original film that ultimately cuts itself short due to underdevelopment of its stories, I give "Trick 'r Treat" a 5/10.