In the small town of Warren Valley, Ohio the locals are celebrating Halloween. It's during this celebration that four interlocking tales explore all the tricks and treats those residents uncover on All Hallow's Eve.First time director Michael Dougherty (who also penned the script) did right by making Trick 'r Treat a somewhat unique horror film that did not hang its hat on buckets of blood, a silly story or being another sequel. The interlocking stories lent a breath of creativity in story and character that most horror films seem to be lacking nowadays. By constructing a universe in which stories and characters were the focus and could overlap one another Dougherty was attempting to keep the audience engaged in the goings on in Warren Valley. And while there were times in which the story being shown failed to keep the audience's attention (like the story involving that creepy looking thing on the movie poster to the right, seriously, could someone tell me just who or what that is?) the rest of Trick 'r Treat was awash in frightening moments, surprisingly dark humor and a great misdirect involving the story of Laurie (the always effective Anna Paquin) which one would have been hard pressed to see coming but was completely satisfying nonetheless. The most outstanding part of the film was the "school bus massacre" story. Built upon a local urban legend in which a group of "special" children were killed in a bus accident (an accident which they avenge later on in the film in rather nasty fashion) this section featured everything a good horror film needs; moody lighting, good characters, tension, excellent dialogue and a twist at the end which grabbed you by the gut and twisted just for kicks. In this age of useless sequels and mindless gorefest it's a shame that a story like the "school bus massacre" is relegated to being only part of a film instead of its own stand alone feature.
Trick 'r Treat fits with the particular season we are in at the moment (it is October after all). It was original, creepy, scary, funny and accomplished being all of those things by not resorting to the tired "Saw" method of overwhelming the audience with blood and gore in lieu of good filmmaking.
Grade: B-
