Originally envisioned as the first step towards taking the Halloween franchise towards anthology-type story-telling, Season of the Witch broke new ground. 1982's Halloween III: Season of the Witch tells the story of Dr. Daniel Challis as he's investigating the death of a patient brought in under his watch and murdered there too. Challis finds out the truth behind the tragedy is might be more disturbing than his death.
Witch isn't your typical horror film. It acts more like a mystery thriller that contains elements of the film rather than embracing it head one. Honestly, that's one of the major reasons this film is actually a quite intelligent and refreshing dip into the genre. It builds itself masterfully through what feel initially like out of place scenes; but ultimately tie together beautiful to create a compelling native that is matched only by its' visual nature.
Strong performances by Tom Atkins and Dan O' Herhily lead this haunting narrative of whodunit. In terms of pacing, it takes a bit from column A of Halloween and a bit from column B of Halloween II. The film does a magnificent job at pacing itself but does have moments of throw away scenes and a few pointless characters.
Overall, Halloween III: Season of the Witch is the product of mystery and horror. It's accompanied by strong acting, beautiful visuals and excellent pacing. There are elements of its' storytelling that do need to brighten up. Had these elements been written out this film definitely would have been on par with the original Halloween.
FINAL SCORE: 4/5
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