You May Relate to the New ‘Halloween’ Movie If You’re a Trauma Survivor

For fans of the classic 1978 slasher flick, “Halloween,” a sequel starring some of the original cast is slated for release on Oct. 19. Directed by David Gordon Green, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and executive produced by John Carpenter, 2018’s “Halloween” will give the movie’s protagonist a chance to face her past trauma head on.

• What is PTSD?

In the original “Halloween,” which was created by Carpenter and Debra Hill, there was only one survivor after serial killer Michael Myers’ rampage: Laurie Strode (Curtis). The new sequel picks up 40 years later, with Laurie holed up in a bunker-like house where she has been struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while Michael is still detained in a facility.

Laurie seems content to be left alone, but two journalists set another terrifying series of events in motion as they investigate the old case. When Michael (Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney) escapes custody during a transport to a maximum security facility despite police and psychiatrist escort, Laurie isn’t content to sit idly by as he comes after her, her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).

The latest sequel is only one film in a much larger franchise, including 1998’s “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later,” which also starred Curtis. In contrast to that 20-year movie, where Laurie is paranoid and timid, 2018’s “Halloween” shows a different side of the character. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Curtis shared that the upcoming sequel was envisioned to bring trauma to life and explore how survivors cope in the aftermath of terrifying events.

“There are three choices when you’re traumatized and, boy, we’ve been hearing a little bit about trauma, and what people have done with their trauma,” Curtis said. “You can die from it, you can run from it or it will affect you for your whole life until you face it.”

At the beginning of the new film, Laurie still deals with PTSD. It’s taken over her life for decades, including constant hypervigilance and a safe room in her home. In the shadow of the #MeToo movement, 2018’s Laurie won’t pull any punches. This time, “Halloween” gives her the chance to master her trauma, an empowering turn of events for the film’s trio of female heroines.

“Everybody is talking about past trauma: Burying it, hiding it, squishing it, silencing it, shutting it up,” Curtis said. “We’re talking about this movie that actually, at its core, is about trauma, and trying to put a real face on horrific trauma, and that is what we attempted to do.”