Trick 'r Treat (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Megan S

  
  Pretty creepy original stories that was a fun treat for Halloween. My only complain is that I actually wish it had been scarier, lol.

• Paulo G

  
  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… More
  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.

• Melvin W

  
  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… More
  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 way 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. 

• Brad W

  
  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 as… More
  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 as 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.

• Aditya G

  
  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… More
  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 exciting 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!

• Tim S

  
  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… More
  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 like this take the place of something like the Saw franchise every Halloween.

• Everett J

  
  decent Halloween flick. Surprised I hadn't seen this yet.

• Mike S

  
  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… More
  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 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.

• David L

  
  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… More
  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 -- 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

• Kylie B

  
  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.

• Jeff "

  
  Finally being released in fall 09', two years overdue, Trick 'r Treat has many tricks and plenty of treats going for it. A film described by critics as the best Halloween themed horror film since John Carpenter's Halloween feature four interwoven stories of Halloween… More
  Finally being released in fall 09', two years overdue, Trick 'r Treat has many tricks and plenty of treats going for it. A film described by critics as the best Halloween themed horror film since John Carpenter's Halloween feature four interwoven stories of Halloween fun. This film lives up to the hype in every respect, as I finally saw it, I saw what many have said that this will become essential Halloween viewing in the years to come. The cast is superb and Michael Dougherty has definitely made a great film. However people have said that this is a boring, unscary film. I come to realize that people don't like this film because they just can't stand anything refreshing in the Horror genre, and that they just want to see some dull remake instead. This film is a definite breath of fresh air and I personally feel that it is the most original and best horror film since Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects. Grab some poisonous treat, sit back and enjoy this new found gem finally released on DVD.

• Nicki M

  
  Fun horror movie. More funny than scary, but nicely done and with a reasonably short running time, doesn't overstay it's welcome. All the colours look nice and bright too - I bet this would look amazing on blu ray. Kind of reminded me of "Creepshow".

• Emily A

  
  What fun this movie is! It's not everyday there comes along a cool little collection of horror sketches. I really like the way all four come together, and are united by the strange little trick or treater in the red foot pajamas.

• Nani V

  
  Trick 'r Treat is an excellent, creepy movie! Thanks to all the reviews on here, I finally grabbed it while out the other day. I loved each of the stories and how they brought all the characters together into one story. A must watch if you're interested in Halloween or being… More
  Trick 'r Treat is an excellent, creepy movie! Thanks to all the reviews on here, I finally grabbed it while out the other day. I loved each of the stories and how they brought all the characters together into one story. A must watch if you're interested in Halloween or being a little creeped out.

• Dean !

  
  A great collection of Halloween tales that overlap each other on one Halloween night in a small town. It has some great moments in the 4 main stories, mixing up an urban ghost story, scary creatures, slasher and just the plain weird. It has a good cast including Brian Cox looking a… More
  A great collection of Halloween tales that overlap each other on one Halloween night in a small town. It has some great moments in the 4 main stories, mixing up an urban ghost story, scary creatures, slasher and just the plain weird. It has a good cast including Brian Cox looking a little John Carpenter like and Anna Paquin of True Blood. The film also reminds the viewers of the reasons behind some of the traditions. A bit short at 80mins but very enjoyable, one of the best horror anthologies around! This could become a cult film taking into account it didn't get a cinema release....who knows why!? Plenty of extras on the DVD as well.

• Wahida K

  
  What makes this Movies so special? Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life. No! It is a Unique Halloween Movie.

• Conner R

  
  I can certainly see why it wasn't released theatrically, but it was still a great movie. It was a little on the short side, I wanted more! The stories were interwoven nicely, but with a bigger variety it would've done so much more for the viewer. I really liked the… More
  I can certainly see why it wasn't released theatrically, but it was still a great movie. It was a little on the short side, I wanted more! The stories were interwoven nicely, but with a bigger variety it would've done so much more for the viewer. I really liked the performances from everyone and they nailed the style the film was going for. The Sam character was by far the most interesting part and is what made me love the movie so much.

• James A

  
  Finally a great Halloween movie that respects the holiday.

• Dean M

  
  This follows four interwoven stories - including a group of bitchy, female college students; a bickering married couple - Halloween. Funnier than it is scary, genre fans should still get a kick out of this celebration of 1980s horror, especially the sillier, gory moments. It is the… More
  This follows four interwoven stories - including a group of bitchy, female college students; a bickering married couple - Halloween. Funnier than it is scary, genre fans should still get a kick out of this celebration of 1980s horror, especially the sillier, gory moments. It is the best when it's not trying too hard, an falters slightly when it attempts to incorporate alternate time-lines and flashbacks. This horror movie is like <i>Creepshow</i> meets <i>Halloween</i>. Buffeted by wonderful performances from Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb and Tahmoh Penikett.

• Lafe F

  
  A very special Halloween anthology in the Creepshow tradition. Five little stories piece together nicely with surprises along the way. Not too scary or gorey, but a lot of fun to get in the Halloween mood, as the entire movie is oozing with atmosphere. Recommended.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings