no setting more scary than the American suburbs, no monster more horrid than our own misperceived sense of safety.

Rating: 9/10 (1 November 2011)

John Carpenter transforms an everyday neighborhood into a theater of agonizing terror. No need for blood, gore, or a Hollywood budget; subtlety is the name of the game here. The film uses delicate cinematography and unsettling sounds to create an atmosphere of relentless tension. Empowered by Carpenter's iconic score, simple images - such as a silhouetted figure lurking in the neighbor's yard - become horrifying motifs that linger in the viewers mind for days. In conclusion, 'Halloween' proves there is no setting more scary than the American suburbs, no monster more horrid than our own misperceived sense of safety.