Hallowarrior, on Shudder

It's the post-apocalyptic end times, Charlie Brown! That means the Great Pumpkin will never come again. Halloween used to be just-plain-old “Pumpkin’s” favorite day of the year. Now, it is a particularly painful reminder of her dead family. Frankly, she is starting to crack, but Pumpkin is still healthier than the trick-or-treaters who visit in director-screenwriter Ben Sottak’s Hallowarrior, which premieres Friday on Shudder.

Sottak hints that the gasmask Pumpkin wore as part of her last Halloween costume might have saved her life. Regardless, all she has left of her family are the home movies that are dragging her deeper into depression. Honestly, it is disturbing to see a pre-teen her age considering suicide. Nevertheless, she decorates for Halloween again, as if performing a solemn ritual. However, her decorations have become especially gross, reflecting her deteriorating state of mind. And then she finds three people rummaging through her house.

Thalia, the leader, tries to project cool motherly vibes, but there is something off about her. Royce is clearly just a thug, while teenaged Wendy truly does not want to be there. Obviously, they are bad news, but they are the first people Pumpkin has talked to in years, so she tries to ignore her intuition. Never do that.

Essentially, Hallowarrior is like a cross between The Road and Halloween. Thalia is as bad as we suspect, if not worse, and more of her cannibal freaks are waiting outside. However, their minds have diminished from long-term drug use, while Pumpkin has homefield advantage, so fair fight.

Hallowarrior is so gritty and grubby, you will want to take a shower and a shot of penicillin after watching it. The sleazy, throwback grindhouse vibe is something viewers will either love or hate. Regardless, for most mere mortals, the icky predatory themes are hard to embrace. There are moments of fun, when Hallowarrior could pass for Home Alone’s evil cousin, but in general, the tone could hardly get any grimmer. Or dimmer. Many Dogme 95 are more brightly lit than Hallowarrior.

Even though she serves as the heroic center of the film, there is something disconcerting about Milly Shapiro’s Pumpkin. She has a strong screen presence, but in this case, it is exhausting. At least Pumpkin outlives Shapiro’s character in Hereditary. Shannyn Sossamon and A.J. Bowen are massively creepy as Talia and Royce, to such an extent, viewers will wonder why Pumpkin did not open fire on them, as soon as they invaded her home.

Hallowarrior takes care of its exploitation business, but it plunges viewers into a very mind-space. There are many far worse horror films out there, but there are also plenty that are far less depressing. Only recommended for hardcore retro-grindhouse fans, Hallowarrior starts streaming this Friday (10/16) on Shudder.