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Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Tahmoh Penikett ... see more see more... , C. Ernst Harth , Rochelle Aytes , Quinn Lord , Lauren Lee Smith , Moneca Delain , Brett Kelly (II) , Britt McKillip , Isabelle Deluce , Jean-Luc Bilodeau , Alberto Ghisi , Samm Todd

Prolific director Bryan Singer takes a turn towards horror as the producer of this Halloween shocker directed by X2 and Superman Returns screenwriter Mike Dougherty. With four interwoven tales concern... read more read more...ing a high-school principal who moonlights as a vicious serial killer, a college-age virgin who's saving herself for that special someone, a woman whose hatred of Halloween is only exceeded by her husband's love of the mischievous holiday, and a callous group of teens who carry out an unforgivably cruel prank, this fall frightener mixes Tarantino-style storytelling with the kind of chills that can only occur on the darkest day of the year. Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, and Leslie Bibb all star in a Halloween treat that's sure to deliver a few nasty tricks. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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67% liked it

26,698 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

20 critics

R, 1 hr. 22 min.

Directed by: Michael Dougherty

Release Date: December 9, 2007

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DVD Release Date: October 6, 2009

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Stats: 3,543 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,543)

  • purplemegan
    December 7, 2011
    purplemegan
    Pretty creepy original stories that was a fun treat for Halloween. My only complain is that I actually wish it had been scarier, lol.
  • fb1033186916
    November 13, 2011
    fb1033186916
    Probably the best recommended movie to watch on Halloween's Eve. It's cleverly plotted, and the art direction is just breathtaking. It follows 4 stories of horror which are all amazingly intertwined. It's full of scares, laughs and some disturbing moments towards the end.
  • blkbomb
    October 28, 2011
    blkbomb
    Henry: You know, there are rules, you should be more careful. You might upset someone. 
    Emma: Oh please, who? 

    "Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life."

    Trick 'r Treat is definitely the best Halloween themed horror movie since Halloween. This actually is ... read moreway more Halloween themed and driven then the movie Halloween was. I love the idea for the film, a little pumpkin munchkin known as Sam wonders around Halloween night making sure people are obeying the rules and respecting the dead. 

    The film uses different story lines intertwined together. The synopsis here says there are four, but really there are five. There's a wife who isn't into the whole Halloween thing and to her disdain, her husband is. There's a high school principle who is also a serial killer. There's a group of sexy college chicks looking for dates. There's a bunch of preteen friends playing a prank on outcast Ronda. Then there is an old man who lives alone and hates Halloween, making sure to not watch any Halloween related television and to keep kids off his property.

    Some moments are standard horror gimmicks, but more than not the film is highly original, stylish and just fucking cool. There is one twist in particular that really took me by surprise because I expected to see what I've seen in other movies hundreds of times. Michael Dougherty obviously knows the standard cliches and he plays with the viewer more than once by leading us where we've been so many times, and then completely changing it up. It is all highly effective. This seriously is one of the coolest horror films to come out in quite a long time.

    Trick 'r Treat is becoming a Halloween tradition for me. Every Halloween isn't complete without a nice Halloween marathon and Trick 'r Treat. 
  • DreamExtractor
    October 9, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Trick r Treat was a frightening treat and I really enjoyed it. The plot was very well done and creepy and all tied together, it was really good for a horror film. The cast was creepy, they all played a good part and I thought they were pretty good. The film is scary, but not a... read mores much as I had hoped, the part with the werewolves was pretty dumb actually. It may not be the scariest horror flick, but its defininently one of the best I have seen in a while, I recommend it.
  • gokhale1
    March 28, 2011
    gokhale1
    Just when I thought the days of good horror were history, I found this surprise package by the name of "Trick 'R Treat" delivered to my doorstep.

    Produced by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men) and written and directed by Michael Dougherty, what we have here is an exciti... read moreng anthology of five disparate stories, yet interwoven by a single or more common thread(s). All stories are set during the night of Halloween in the same neighbourhood. The reader is advised to refrain from going through detailed plot summaries on IMDB or elsewhere and am going to keep my plot synopsis as brief as possible.

    It is Halloween and it's a typical scene with jack-o-lanterns adorning household front yards, kids out on the streets trick-or-treating, youngsters/adults, partying away showing off their grotesque costumes. Amidst all the fervor and the festivities, the central characters in the film are up to something.....:


    0. The wraparound story centers around a little guy who wears a burlap sack over his head and appears to be present during the key events unfolding in each story.

    1. The story of Emma and Henry, a couple who return home one night from a Halloween party and get more than they bargained for.

    2. A school principal Mr. Wilkins (Dylan Baker) may be leading a double life as a serial killer.

    3. Five kids, after trick-or-treating decide to visit a local rock quarry, the site of the 30 year old Urban Legend of "The Halloween School Bus Massacre".

    4. A group of young college girls go out gallivanting in their enticing costumes, on the night of Halloween in search of party and pleasure. One of them is Laurie (Anna Paquin), a 22-year old virgin and wants her first time to be really "special"!

    5. A stubborn recluse, Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox), is visited by a very strange trick-or-treater and gets a taste of what Halloween is all about.


    While the premises of the individual stories are not entirely new to horror audiences, a remarkable attempt has been made of bringing them all together and blending them with a dash of twisted humour thrown in, in a fashion that makes "Trick 'R Treat" a unique and riveting horror experience. The presence of humour makes these tales darkly comic in spite of their inherent tragic overtones. Dougherty does a commendable job of presenting these stories on the screen and makes sure there are no wasted moments as he packs enough material in the 80 minutes something running time. At least three of these stories have their share of considerable unpredictability and genuine shock values.

    Dougherty also refrains from using gore to the extent of reaching gratuitous levels and keeps it just right, complemented with an adequately unsettling atmosphere that was essential for the film. His use of light, dark, and dimly lit nights, wonderfully captured by cinematographer Glen MacPherson, are something to look out for. A lit Jack-o-Lantern never looked this menacing; watch out for the clever way it has been used to create a horrifying effect in the Halloween School Bus Massacre story. Expect plenty of genuinely thrilling movie moments in here, made extra watchable by some good acting from Dylan Baker, Brian Cox and Anna Paquin.


    Also notable are the numerous movie references; nods to earlier cult horror films we all may have seen at some point or the other.

    Films like these remind us that horror is meant to be scary, yes...but at the same time it has to be exciting and enjoyable, and not lame, uninspired and boring. Michael Dougherty recognizes this very requirement of this viewer quite correctly and whips up a delightful feast. "Trick 'R Treat" is a welcome breath of fresh air for the starved horror aficionado who is tired of being subjected to regurgitated and recycled tripe in the name of horror these days. Not since "Creepshow" has a horror anthology been this enjoyable.


    What comes as a big shock though, is that this film was released direct-to-DVD after a handful of promo screenings for the public! It is appalling to see some very dimwitted horror films getting a full-scale release and films like these being pushed back. But it won't be long before it finds its place in the horror hall of fame or any list of essential horror, as the word spreads and more people get access to this film on DVD or otherwise.


    "Trick 'R Treat" is a fitting tribute to the Spirit of Halloween! Go ahead, indulge yourself!
  • FilmFanatik
    January 1, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    I love horror anthology tales, even if some of the tales in them are more interesting than others. This one was quiet good. It slips in a couple of places, but overall, is a very good time at the movies. Ten times more entertaining than any Saw sequel. I'd like to see films l... read moreike this take the place of something like the Saw franchise every Halloween.
  • fb100000145236770
    October 17, 2010
    fb100000145236770
    decent Halloween flick. Surprised I hadn't seen this yet.
  • CloudStrife84
    October 17, 2010
    CloudStrife84
    With Halloween just around the corner, what better way to start things out than watching a horror movie like this one. Smoothly interweaving four separate stories, it's also quite innovative for its genre. While the tales range in quality and degree of intriguement, they all have... read more something that caught my interest. A film that, altough not as scary as you may wish, holds both tricks and treats in the plenty. Tricks in the form of clever writing and effective jump-out-of-your-seat moments, and treats in the form of a great cast, and surprisingly high production value. The only unsolved mystery, is why it was released so long after it making (and not in the theatres I might add). It deserves better, as it has a whole lot more goodies in store than most other contemporary horror flicks.
  • cancercapricorn2002
    July 9, 2010
    cancercapricorn2002
    Although horror films come and go throughout each and every year, there are very few that try and succeed at capturing the mood of the Halloween holiday. Not since John Carpenter's 1978 masterpiece, "Halloween," has the holiday been so beautifully captured and capitalized upon --... read more that is, up until now.

    "Trick r' Treat" is a horror anthology much in the vein of Stephen King and George A. Romero's "Creepshow" and is the first film directed by Bryan Singer protégé Michael Dougherty. Based on a 1996 short-film/animation, "Seasons Greetings," the film features the likes of Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Leslie Bibb and Dylan Baker in its cast. The story is split into five separate tales, all interweaving through one another and finally coming full circle in the end. Throughout the 83 minutes the film effortlessly conforms to, we are treated to a sick serial-killer/principal sharing his hobbies with his son, a group of horny young women preying on unsuspecting men who perhaps need a shaving (see: werewolves), a prank conceived by children gone terribly wrong, and a crotchety old man who finds his past demons coming back to haunt him.

    All five stories are connected not only by certain characters bumping into one another, but more importantly, by a mysterious trick or treater known only as Sam. With his burlap-bag mask and grimy pajamas, he manages to creep into each story to ensure that the Halloween tradition is kept with, punishing those who disrespect the holiday. Despite the fact that this character doesn't say anything and is given virtually no background, he manages to become an iconic force in the movie. His visage is one that is sure to be remembered for years, as the film gains its inevitable cult-status.

    For a first time director, Dougherty provokes quite some disturbing imagery, with the aid of some arresting cinematography and outlandish costume and set designs. There's plenty of atmosphere to go around, and amidst some of the black humor at play, the film never once loses its illusion. Whatever time of year you view this in, it will put you in the Halloween spirit, which is perhaps its only real goal. It's a shame that it got the shaft by Warner Brothers that it did. Had it been given a proper theatrical release, it likely would have had a larger impact on not only the genre, but the pop-culture landscape in general. Its direct-to-DVD dumping certainly doesn't do it justice, as even the most jaded of horror fans will find this to be a true treat.
    This film will be added along with Carpenter's Halloween as my annual Halloween movie viewing night
  • newvogueravyn
    June 16, 2010
    newvogueravyn
    A fun and novel anthology film. It's perfect for being a Halloween favourite, because aside from it being the overriding theme the effects are good but not hugely overstated, and it's full of twisted humour.

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Critic Reviews

Joe Leydon
November 12, 2009
Joe Leydon, Variety

This slick and twisted effort should enjoy lengthy shelf life as a Halloween perennial. Full Review

Kevin A. Ranson
November 11, 2009
Kevin A. Ranson, MovieCrypt.com

Full of atmosphere, jack-o-lanterns, fun facts and yes, plenty of blood... exactly the film horror aficionados hope to see in theaters every October. Full Review

Walter Chaw
November 8, 2009
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

It's not a smart movie. Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
November 8, 2009
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

This movie loves Halloween so much you can almost taste the candy corn. Full Review

Jesse Hassenger
October 30, 2009
Jesse Hassenger, Filmcritic.com

has genuine holiday spirit Full Review

Edward Havens
October 29, 2009
Edward Havens, FilmJerk.com

What keeps "Trick" from attaining its lofty "Creepshow" aspirations is the lack of conflict and resolution. Full Review

Todd Gilchrist
October 23, 2009
Todd Gilchrist, Sci Fi Wire

Michael Dougherty's directorial debut is one treat that deserves not to be spoiled before it's opened. Full Review

October 23, 2009
Independent

The only shock is how Brian Cox and Anna Paquin ended up in something so atrocious. In trying to span so many genres, the film fails to hit the mark with any of them. Full Review

Nick Rogers
October 15, 2009
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com

Just as it would be alongside a fire, the spooky power of the myths and legends being spun is all in the style of the storyteller. This delivers the nasty goods with fluid grace and demented glee and ... Full Review

Larry Carroll
October 15, 2009
Larry Carroll, E! Online

Trick 'r Treat sequals Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Laurie: It's my first time, so just bear with me.
    • Steven: What are you doing?
    • Laurie: My, my. What big eyes you have.
    • Steven: My, my. What big eyes you have.
    • Danielle: (about Laurie) Mom always said she was the runt of the litter.
    • Schrader: Rhonda, calm down. It was all just a trick. Look, none of this is real. It was just a trick. A bad joke.
    • Macy: I'd say it was a pretty good one.
    • Macy: It happened 30 years ago, on a late Halloween afternoon. A school bus was on its usual route. But this wasn't your typical school bus, and they weren't your typical kids. There were eight of them, and they were different. Troubled. Disturbed. Every day, parents put their dirty secrets on this bus, to be driven to a school miles outside of town. But that day, the driver took a different route. And instead of taking the students home, he drove the bus to an abandoned rock quarry. This rock quarry. The kids didn't know that over the years, their parents had become exhausted, embarrassed. And they were willing to do anything to ease their burden. So one day, the parents approached the bus driver and made him an offer. With the money they collected together, they asked him to do the unthinkable. It almost worked perfectly. The driver was never heard from again. As for the bus, some say it sank so deep that it couldn't be found. Others say the town just didn't want it to be found. For all we know, it'still down there, and so are those kids.
    • Chip: (points) Is that Rhonda the retard?
    • Macy: She's not a retard, she's an idiot savant.
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