Halloween: Homecoming

Halloween: Homecoming is a 2002 American slasher film and a direct sequel to Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. The film is directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Scream writer Kevin Williamson, who also wrote the screenplay for Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. The film features Josh Hartnett as John Strode, who seeks out Michael to avenge Laurie Strode's murder, while also connecting with his long lost sister. The film features Jacinda Barrett as Amanda Strode, while Emilie De Ravin plays her best friend Karen. Michelle Williams briefly reprised her role as Molly Cartwell, John's former girlfriend who is nearly murdered by Michael in the opening scene.

The film was shot in Pasadena, California like the first two Halloween films, while the scenes with the Myers house had to be shot at another location, as they original house had been bought and redone as a dentistry office.

The film was released on October 21st, 2002.

Summary
On Halloween in 2002, four years following the murders at Hillcrest Academy in Summer Glen, California, Laurie Strode has been institutionalized after having murdered the wrong man and fallen into catatonia. Her brother, Michael Myers, eventually arrives at the hospital, slaughtering his way through the staff, before murdering Laurie and making it appear as a suicide. When Laurie's son, John, learns of the murder he begins his own quest for vengeance.

Meanwhile, Michael comes home to Haddonfield and begins stalking a young woman whose father has ties to Michael's past, along with her friends.

Plot Synopsis
A couple of years following the Halloween murders at Hillcrest Academy in Summer Glen, California, Laurie Strode has been hospitalized for catatonia after having murdered the wrong man; Michael had swapped clothing with a paramedic, crushing his larynx in the process and rendering him speechless. However, Laurie has fooled the hospital staff into believing she is catatonic, when really she has been preparing for Michael's inevitable return. On October 31st, Michael appears as expected and murders two security guards and a nurse, before chasing Laurie up to the roof.

She traps him momentarily, ensnaring him in a rope and ready to drop him to his death, but he tricks her and pulls her over the edge of the roof, fatally wounding her. He then drops her into the bushes below, giving an serial killer-obsessed patient the murder weapon and framing him. The next morning, Laurie's son John is called the scene of the murder, where he attempts to convince the staff that Michael was behind the murder. However, they don't take him seriously and the patient possessing the knife Michael used is arrested instead.

Fearing the worst, John begins making his way to Haddonfield, while Michael murders a mechanic and steals his coveralls and truck. He drives to Haddonfield, with John in hot pursuit. John stops at the fueling station, where he discovers the mechanic's dead body stripped of his clothing and the truck gone. He quickly calls the police and his girlfriend, Molly, before continuing to Haddonfield armed with a pistol.

In Haddonfield, Sheriff Hunt says goodbye to his teenage daughter, Amanda, who meets her friends Elliott and Karen outside. The group walk to school, while Michael watches them in his vehicle. During class, Karen reveals that she and her boyfriend Derek are planning to attend a Halloween carnival in the next town over. Throughout the day, Michael stalks Amanda, Karen, and Elliott and later follows them to Russellville for the Halloween carnival.

John arrives in Haddonfield, where he meets with Sheriff Hunt, who states that Michael Myers burnt up in a fire years ago, but John proves him wrong by showing him the police reports for the Hillcrest murders and Laurie's own death. Hunt and his men begin searching for Amanda, who Hunt reveals is John's sister and Laurie's daughter, who she left with him to keep safe. They quickly make their way to Russellville, while the group walks around the carnival.

At the carnival, Karen and her boyfriend Derek enter a haunted house, where they proceed to have sex. However, Michael interrupts them and murders Derek by slashing his throat, before slicing open Karen's stomach. She stumbles out of the haunted house, bleeding heavily from her wound. At first, people believe it is only part of the carnival, until she succumbs to her wounds and dies. A frightened Amanda is attacked in the screaming crowd by Michael, who stabs her in the shoulder. She flees into the haunted house, with Michael in hot pursuit.

Inside the haunted house, Amanda is attacked by Michael in a room filled with mirrors. He shatters one, before Amanda picks up a glass shard and stabs him in the eye. She discovers Derek's body pinned to a wall, before running outside into the arms of Hunt. The police appear and rush inside, where they discover Derek's corpse inside. John explains who he is and his relation to Amanda, before taking her to the old Myers house.

There, Amanda waits for Michael in the upstairs bedroom brushing her hair, like Judith. Michael appears and attacks her, but John intervenes and a fight ensues. He lights a fire, which begins to consume the whole house. Amanda escapes outside, while John and Michael fight and Michael charges at John, knocking him out a window and into the front yard. Michael begins strangling John to death, but Amanda intervenes and strikes him in the back with an axe, apparently killing him.

The film ends in the morgue, as Michael's burnt and battered body is tended to by a nurse. When her back is turned, Michael suddenly sits up on the autopsy table as the film ends and the Halloween theme plays.

Cast & Characters
Brad Loree as The Shape, more commonly known as Michael Myers. He is a force of seemingly unstoppable evil who will stop at nothing to murder his entire family.

Josh Hartnett as John Strode, Laurie's son and Amanda's brother.

Jacinda Barrett as Amanda Hunt, Laurie's long lost daughter and Josh's sister. She was adopted by the Hunt family when Laurie faked her own death.

Hunter von Leer as Sheriff Gary Hunt, Leigh Brackett's successor and Haddonfield's current lawman.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, the only other survivor of Michael Myers' original killing spree and the mother of John and Amanda.

Emilie De Ravin as Karen Murphy, Amanda's best friend.

Devon Sawa as Elliott, Amanda and Karen's best friend. He has a crush on Amanda.

Kerr Smith as Jackson, Karen's boyfriend.

Michelle Williams as Molly Cartwell, John's former girlfriend.