Trick 'R' Treat - 2008 * * * *

Poison, drowning, claw or knife, so many ways to take a life.

I had a feeling I was going to love this before I watched it and my hunch turned out to be right.

Trick 'r' treat follows 4 stories that are in some way connected to each other, all based around Halloween. I love how you finish watching one story and the end locks into the beginning of something at the very start of the film. You will also find yourself saying 'ah, it all falls into place now' a number of times which is always reassuring in a film.

Not giving too much away, my favorite story is about a group of kids who, aware of an old and tragic legend that happened 30 years ago, decide to walk to the outskirts of the town to see the spot where 'it happened.' What follows next actually scared me quite a bit.

There is an undertone of black comedy here which I feel is normally essential for a new age, modern American horror film. Whereas British films rely on subtle humor ( i.e. Vincent Price camping it up), Americans get right in there and make everyone chuckle whilst hiding behind the sofa. It's a bizarre experience. It's also worth a watch, or at such a short duration, maybe 2.