If you love Halloween (who doesn't?) and are ready to dive into the season, this film is a great place to start. The cinematography is really amazing throughout the film, with settings that perfectly evoke that crisp fall, apples-and-pumpkins, spooky-costume excitation you had as a kid... progressing to the more adult terror of the claustrophobic caught-in-a-nightmare horror genre trope. Although the premise is novel and a bit mind bending (don't want to spoil it here), there's also a nostalgic nod to the classics - from haunted house and creepy characters, to the time-honored sheet ghost costume. The acting is really good. The clown is one of the most nightmarish I've seen. The character of the daughter is played with the spot-on preteen attitude. Although the pace does drag a bit in places, the dream-like quality definitely adds to the atmosphere and suspense. I really liked that the last scene brings the film full circle.
