The key to a truly successful horror film is to do something original but also not lose sight of the films that came before, since this is a genre that rewards innovation, but also depends on the artistic dialogue between works, especially when it comes to establishing a strong connection between concepts. Michael Dougherty is certainly not someone whose credentials should ever be questioned, since his long career as a screenwriter speaks for itself, showing someone who mastered the art of writing across genres, often blending many different ideas to create memorable, complex stories that are deeply complex and always wildly entertaining. None of his work proves this more than Trick ‘r Treat, which serves to be his directorial debut. Taking a cue from Season’s Greetings, an animated short he made about a decade before this film, Doughtery weaves together a fascinating and invigorating horror anthology that takes on a journey through the spookiest night of the year, telling a few stories about the residents of an idyllic small town and their often complex relationship with this iconic holiday and the sometimes peculiar celebrations that occur alongside the more commercial aspects. Having developed a cult following over the years, and gradually becoming one of the most beloved horror films produced during an era where subverting tropes and conventions was at its peak, Trick ‘r Treat has proven to stand the test of time, and even nearly two decades later, it continues to be extremely effective, functioning as a terrifying and deeply entertaining film that proved to be one of the most ambitious debuts in recent memory, and a tremendously compelling film that is equally hilarious and unnerving, which is always a tremendous combination when working with a genre as notoriously diverse as horror, which consistently benefits from ambitious directors willing to take risks.

Trick ‘r Treat is certainly not the first horror film to explore the legacy of Halloween – if anything, the idea of yet another film set on this particular day is not at all original, and I’d suspect this is the reason why the film sat on the shelf for a few years before finally being released, and took even longer for audiences to become aware of its brilliance. Dougherty is very smart, and he certainly doesn’t intend to do anything without a good reason, and he proves this consistently throughout this film, which tends to draw our attention to the various perceptions of Halloween as a concept – it is a commercial holiday, but it is also a day that has its roots in the antiquity, with the combination of a range of cultural practices being behind many of the customs and traditions that we have collectively monetized and turned into an industry. To quote an adage commonly used to refer to another highly commercial holiday, Dougherty intended to remind us of the “reason for the season”, which he does by crafting a maniacal and bold dark comedy that may not be intensely focused on exploring every detail associated with the origins of Halloween, but still showing that there is more context to the celebrations than just the more common, mainstream perceptions. The mythology of this film is exceptionally strong, and Dougherty has clearly put a lot of work into constructing these ideas and putting them in a context that feels genuinely complex, rather than arbitrarily being thrown together. We don’t often find horror films that are this adamant when it comes to world-building, so it is enormously ironic that the one time when a horror film warrants a sequel to further explore this world, it seems to be a major struggle to get it commissioned.

Part of the appeal of Trick ‘r Treat is that it doesn’t focus on one particular story, but rather has a few different narratives woven together under one common theme. There is a long history of horror films making use of the anthology structure, with the idea of telling short stories having its roots in the tradition of fairytales and their often short but impactful nature, but also allowing for filmmakers to actively find new ways to tell stories, being given the chance to work with something slightly shorter and thus not having the burden of having to stretch a single narrative into a feature-length film. Interestingly, Dougherty takes a slightly different approach, with Trick ‘r Treat assembling several different narratives but putting them alongside one another, rather than presenting them as individual segments. Everything in this world he has constructed is created, and he presents it as a non-linear narrative in which the various stories and their characters intersect and overlap. This creates an even more tense atmosphere, especially when we find the film touching on subjects that are perhaps slightly more unnerving, and the feeling is that even once we have escaped from one horrifying story, we are stuck in a world where chaos seemingly reigns supreme. Far too many horror films rely on the spectacle more than the narrative, and Trick ‘r Treat proves that purely innovative storytelling can create something absolutely remarkable and deeply captivating, which is quite a rare achievement on its terms, and proves to be the foundation for this utterly brilliant horror that leaps between characters as we see them grapple with the consequences of their actions, which often have quite macabre conclusions.

Creating new horror villains that pervade the culture and become iconic in their own right is often quite difficult, and with a few minor exceptions, it feels like we have collectively moved past the point where this is a regular occurrence, especially when a few decades ago nearly every horror franchise spawned an iconic villain, Trick ‘r Treat is an exception, and it feels like the character of Sam is gradually rising to become quite an iconic figure in his own right – credit must be given to the actual design of the character, with the image of a child-like entity dressed in bright orange pyjamas and wearing a mask made out of a burlap sack being simple but extremely effective – and we can tell that the director had done a lot of work in terms of conceiving of these characters since he knows that the most simple villains are usually the most effective. However, Sam isn’t the main attraction (at least not until the horrifying final segment), but rather the rest of the cast, with Dougherty employing an ensemble cast to help him realize his vision. The consistently brilliant Dylan Baker (who has carved a niche for himself as a well-meaning suburban character who conceals a deep set of perversions) is joined by the exceptional Brian Cox and Anna Paquin as just a few of the characters who exist within this world, and the younger actors (many of whom are newcomers) bring a lot of heart to a film that cares for its characters, even when putting them in the way of danger. There isn’t a single likeable character in this film, and we very rarely feel any sympathy for these victims, which is quite a change of pace for a genre in which there is always supposed to be at least one survivor, a trope that the director actively subverts as he guides us through this often quite a bleak version of suburbia, focusing on a group of people, all of whom are villains in one way or another, and showing their various relationships with the past, which manifests through their encounters with the supernatural.

There is very little reason to wax poetic about Trick ‘r Treat or view it as some misunderstood masterpiece, since there has been a steady increase in people who appreciate and support this film for everything that it represents, especially in how it blurs different ideas together in a way that is never anything short of absolutely inspiring. It’s an outrageously funny film – there are very few moments when the story isn’t leaning into the darkly comical humour that is inherent in the story, and it somehow makes it more unsettling, since it almost feels like Dougherty is daring us to laugh at the grotesque content, which never feels appropriate but proves to be undeniably hypnotic in its way. Perverse and hilarious in equal measure, Trick ‘r Treat is one of the best horror films of its era, and, unfortunately, it has taken so long for audiences to start paying attention – even my own decision to watch the film only came after a passionate testimony by someone who saw the brilliance of this film and intended to bring awareness to a truly inventive work that has not been given its due, at least not at the pace it deserves, especially considering how many lacklustre horror films are churned out by directors who don’t possess even an iota of the originality and complexity as Dougherty. Yet, the tide is turning and we are seeing more attention being given to this film, with its original structure, seamless blend of horror and comedy, and genuinely compelling sense of direction all resulting in an experience that will leave us exhilarated and unsettled in equal measure, which is always a great trait of any work of horror.