Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Day After Halloween’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘The Day After Halloween’.
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Something that is genuinely fascinating about modern storytelling, is how little movies and books and everything in between, take the time to address a critical problem in our world. Specifically, toxic masculinity and perhaps toxic people in general. Because stories either won’t go near such a topic, or they sugarcoat it through and through in a strange effort to seemingly make it appear to not be as gross and disgusting as it can be and, in many ways, it does makes sense as to why. After all, stories are designed to help us escape everyday life, and while we enjoy some level of realism in them, too much is just too much and unsettling to say the least.
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Not to mention, putting that kind of trashy behavior on display, can be seen as gratuitous or celebratory in nature and really… no one has ever found the balance on how to address such matters or how perhaps we solve such matters. Something that is likely attributed to the fact, that there is no easy answer. For toxicity, stems from so many origin points and no two toxic people come from the same background. But as stories continue to dive into new territory and our demand for fresh entertainment continues… there are some filmmakers and storytellers out there looking to examine topics such as these in a direct and perhaps helpful manner, and it just so happens that a new dark comedy on the market, puts toxic behavior and a potential answer to it on display in The Day After Halloween.

A feat that this film accomplishes by introducing to a pair of dudes named Addison and Hayes on November the 1st and well… these two ‘gents’ have quite the problem on their hands. In that, in their bathtub is Addison’s girlfriend and she is most definitely dead. Prompting this duo to try and retrace their steps from a Halloween night mired in hard drinking to figure out how this happened as they prepare to do horrible things to solve the problem in front of them and well… that simple plot leads to quite the examination on toxic masculinity and its disgusting nature. For Addison and Hayes are in fact, two dudes that don’t give a crap about anyone or anything but themselves and spend a great deal of time relishing in their dude-bro personas and well… that leads to a movie that might put some folks off.

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Because let’s be honest, if we want to see that kind of behavior and machismo crap, we know where to go in our own towns to see it. Which is why we avoid those areas in the first place. But it is important to put it on display here. Because it should in fact, disgust us and make us uncomfortable. For it is gross and unsavory behavior. The kind that we need to recognize exists so we can start to call it out for how uncomfortable it is and so we can start figuring out how to ease these poor souls out of it and deal with the ones that don’t let it go appropriately. Which according to this film, would involve isolation so that their ilk wouldn’t be able to feed off of the negative vibes that they need to survive.
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But while that does make for some fascinating commentary on the modern dude-bro and how he thrives in his toxic world, none of those elements really sound related to horror, but the dark stuff is there. After all, the solution to deal with that dead body, is quite gruesome and horrifying in nature. As is what led to her death and the surprise supernatural element in this story truly brings the horror home. Since that just offers up a fascinating twist that is also mired in commentary, one that subtly speaks to the trouble that guys like this bring upon themselves since it is a well-known fact that negativity attracts negativity. 

If anything, this is just a unique film through and through, one that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Because this writer cannot stress this enough, these guys are straight trash, with no redeeming value in a medium where we want something to latch onto. But you won’t find that here and if by chance you cannot reconcile that and the dark places this film goes, then it is totally understandable if you opt to back away and try out something else. But for those that want to experience a horror film that pushes the envelope and really challenges the viewer with some tough concepts, then give this brave motion picture and chance and hold on tight when the ride begins. Because this takes you to some ugly, ugly places.  

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