If at any point while watching Milly Shapiro as Charlie in Ari Aster’s Hereditary, you, like me, wished there was a whole film where she would be front and center, Hallowarrior just arrived to soothe that understandable need.
But the feature debut of an indie horror darling, Ben Sottak, actually offers more than a vehicle for an actor with an extraordinary on-screen presence, such as Shapiro. Hallowarrior is an entertaining mix of genres: a post-apocalyptic home invasion film, with a coming-of-age story engraved into it.
Milly Shapiro appears as Pumpkin, a 16-year-old lover of Halloween. The appeal of candies and jack-o’-lanterns seems to start dimming even for such a hardcore fan, since there is no one to share the festivities with in the dystopian world the girl has been living in for four years after a deadly virus rampaged through the planet.
Having lost her family, Pumpkin isn’t even sure if anyone else is left alive, but she still sends out an open invitation to come visit her at her farmhouse. And on Halloween night, a trio of strangers does arrive: a smooth-talking Thalia (Shannyn Sossamon), her grumpy husband Royce (genre veteran AJ Bowen), and even grumpier young Wendy (Ajani Russell).
From that point on, it’s easy to guess the direction the film will be taking, with its open nods to different versions of I Am Legend, The Purge, Home Alone, and the actual Halloween franchise. But Hallowarrior is a film that is here not to offer groundbreaking surprises, but to provide a wildly entertaining ride, and be strangely endearing for a movie that features scenes of jolly dismemberment.
When stripped of all the sparkly holiday décor, Sottak’s film is still filled with recognizable and deeply felt anxieties of our times: fear of isolation, desire to connect, and the need for basic human contact, all of which force Pumpkin to ignore the obvious red flags in her new friends’ behavior. At the same time, Halloween, the holiday shaped around the concept of wearing masks and possibly slaying your fears by becoming a superhero or monster (or both) yourself, becomes a perfect metaphor for the coming-of-age portion of the story, the one about the need to fully come into your own, leaving at least some parts of childhood innocence behind.
The genre mix can make Hallowarrior feel a bit disjointed at times, especially in terms of what and who it is using to get a scare out of the audience. The original trio, especially the wonderfully disturbing turn by Shannyn Sossamon, creates a slow-burn tension, a sense of almost imperceptible dread. The arrival of the other members of Thalia’s “family” is, of course, much more straightforward and has to do more with (very impressive) designs and practical effects.
Still, Hallowarrior holds its own, while also being blessedly concise, proving that, as the true lovers of this particular holiday, the authors are aware that, while gorging on candy is fun, there is a certain advantage to leaving room for more.
The film enjoys its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. It screens again tonight and tomorrow. Visit the film's page at the official site for more information.