Trick r Treat Review (2007) Worth Watching?

It’s a horror anthology, about four separate Halloween horror stories. The common element tying them all together is ‘Sam’, a childlike trick ‘r treater wearing a burlap sack over his head, who appears when each main character/character’s breaks a Halloween tradition.

‘Trick ‘r Treat’ was directed by Michael Dougherty and produced by Bryan Singer. It stars Anna Paquin (from Darkness), Brian Cox (from The Autopsy Of Jane Doe) and Dylan Baker. Although not a massive box office hit, the film received a lot of critical acclaim and now has a strong cult following.

If you don't follow the rules tonight, you won't live to see tomorrow.

Let’s be honest, horror anthologies do not have the greatest track record for being good films. They’re incredibly hard to do right; at best you’ll find a cool story that you wish was explored in greater detail and at worst, you’ll dislike several stories instead of a normal horror film which only lets you dislike one.

That being said, every so often there is a diamond in the rough, so to speak, and low and behold, Trick ‘r Treat was exactly that. This film exceeded every expectation I had of it and was one of the most enjoyable horror films I’ve seen and definitely the best horror anthology. The characters were fleshed out without overstaying their welcome and each story was brilliantly connected to the next. The film was rich in colour and atmosphere, dripping in classic spooky goodness. Several set pieces felt like they were ripped from a Tim Burton film and slapped on top of a 2000’s slasher, in the best way possible. There was clearly a lot of passion put into the aesthetics of this film and it paid off tremendously.

This film is one of the most perfect Halloween films out there, not only because of its aesthetics or solid pacing and acting but because that’s exactly what it’s intended to be.There are countless Christmas films, all preaching the same message and rhetoric, so much so, Christmas films are an entire genre in themselves. ‘Trick ‘r Treat’ is one of the very few horror films, based around Halloween, that actually wants to revel in the holiday. The main ‘character’ so to speak, Sam, is an embodiment of Halloween, kind of like what Santa is to Christmas.

Each story is vivid, engaging and chock full of classic horror homages. Don’t be mistaken though, there’s still a lot of scares to be had here - it’s not some kids film to throw on for some nostalgia (although you can definitely do that). A few goofy moments doesn’t change the fact there’s tons of blood-curdling, grotesque scenes and lots of creepy imagery to keep even seasoned horror fans on their toes.

Worth Watching?

Absolutely. It’s fun and campy while still being able to properly scare you, in four brilliantly unique and aesthetic stories that are really well connected. As far as horror anthologies goes, it doesn’t get better than this.

Trick r Treat Review (2007) Worth Watching? - ALL HORROR Tweet it