Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life.|Oct. 26, 2007|United States|82 Min.|R
Genre: Adventure;Crime;Horror;Mystery;Thriller;Violence(Slasher)
Description: “Trick ‘r Treat” is a 2007 American anthology horror comedy film written and directed by Michael Dougherty and produced by Bryan Singer. The movie features a cast including Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox. It weaves together four Halloween-themed horror stories connected by a common character: Sam, a mysterious trick-or-treater dressed in ragged orange footie pajamas with a burlap sack over his head. Sam appears whenever a Halloween tradition is broken, tying the stories together.
Despite being delayed for two years and initially receiving limited screenings at film festivals, the film gained significant critical acclaim and has since developed a strong cult following. In October 2013, the filmmakers announced plans for a sequel, *Trick ‘r Treat 2*. In 2016, Dougherty collaborated with Legendary Pictures and AtmosFX to create a series of Halloween decorations featuring Sam. The film’s popularity continued to grow, with a themed “scare zone” introduced at Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights in 2017, followed by a haunted house in 2018.
One of the stories follows a group of trick-or-treaters—Macy, Sara, Chip, and Schrader—who meet Rhonda, a Halloween enthusiast with a reputation for being a savant. They visit a local flooded quarry where Macy recounts the chilling urban legend of the “Halloween School Bus Massacre.” According to the tale, eight children with disabilities were killed when a bus driver, paid by their exhausted parents, drove the bus off the quarry with the children shackled inside. To honor the victims, the group leaves eight jack-o’-lanterns by the lake. However, their attempt to prank Rhonda by pretending to be the undead children backfires when a real zombie child appears. As the group flees, Rhonda abandons them in the elevator, leaving them to face a gruesome fate. The story ends with Rhonda briefly encountering Sam, who acknowledges her with a respectful nod.
Cast director: Michael Dougherty
Cast actor: Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Quinn Lord, Tahmoh Penikett, Rochelle Aytes, Britt McKillip, Moneca Delain, Lauren Lee Smith
Original name: Trick ‘r Treat