Ultra HD Blu-ray

Movie: The Halloween franchise continues to rumble on (12 films and counting) with this middle instalment of director and co-writer David Gordon Green’s trilogy. Picking up where its 2018 predecessor (itself a sequel to the 1978 original) left off, Halloween Kills continues ‘the night he came home’ (again), this time widening the focus away from the sidelined Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to explore the trauma the murderous Michael Myers has inflicted on the entire town of Haddonfield.

There’s not much in the way of story (at best it’s a case of moving characters into place for the upcoming Halloween Ends) and its attempt to engage with deeper themes around mob justice is ham-fisted, so like any good slasher sequel it doubles down on the gore instead. Make no mistake, the kills this time really hurt.

Compared to 2018's Halloween (and John Carpenter’s 1978 flick, of course), ...Kills can’t help but feel like a disappointment. But in the grand scheme of the franchise sequels, it’s not so bad.
Movie rating: 2.5/5

Picture: Halloween Kills was shot on digital cameras for a 4K digital intermediate, and the resulting native 2160p disc image is as sharp as one of Michael Myers’ knives. Detailing is impeccable, bringing a palpable feeling of depth to the image.

The entire movie is set at night, so tight black levels are vitally important. Thanks to the UHD BD’s HDR10/Dolby Vision grading they are not only perfectly balanced, but also reveal plenty of shadow detail. The overall colour palette also benefits from the HDR grades, bringing greater luminance and vibrancy to primary colours. A great-looking transfer.
Picture rating: 4.5/5

Audio: This is not the most in-your-face Dolby Atmos mix you’ll ever encounter, often more focused on building ambience through its convincing use of the enhanced soundscape. Deployment of the overhead channels is sporadic, although moments such as burning timbers crashing down (Chapter 4) or Michael’s footsteps stomping upstairs (Chapter 2) are very effective. Audio queues on the horizontal plane are more prominent, with the track frequently taking you by surprise with sudden loud noises from over your shoulder.
Audio rating: 4/5

Extras: Standout bonuses are the choice of two versions of the movie (the 105-minute Theatrical Version and 109-minute Extended Cut), plus a lively commentary track featuring director David Gordon Green and stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Judi Greer. Other goodies include a gag reel, three deleted/extended scenes, a Kill Count montage and five behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Extras rating: 3/5

HCC VERDICT: 3/5
We say: Killer visuals and sonics, but not the most satisfying of slashers.