Hallowarrior

Why I took it off the list:

I’d been really excited for this post-apocalyptic horror ever since I read the premise a couple of years back. And thought that it sounded immensely appealing to me.

Also it boasts the presence of two talented actors: Milly Shaprio (Charlie in Hereditary) and Shannyn Sossamon (The Rules of Attraction, Wristcutters).

It was actually screening during the 2026 Sitges Film Festival, but since it hit streaming just a few days later, I decided to hold off and watch it at home.

So, let’s dig in!

Review of Hallowarrior (2026)

Hallowarrior tackles a question I don’t think I’ve ever seen before: What do holidays mean in a world where society has collapsed?

Usually, the characters in post-apocalyptic fiction are too busy worrying about their survival to bother celebrating Halloween or Christmas. And so it proves with most of the survivors of a vaguely-defined plague in this film.

However, there is one crucial exception: a girl who goes by the nickname Pumpkin (Shapiro), who happens to be obsessed with Halloween. And, believing she’s the last girl on Earth, has plenty of time to plan her favorite holiday.

She’s converted her family’s rural farmhouse into a veritable haunted house, packed to the max with Halloween decor. And mostly passes her time scavenging for new decorations, as well as candy: one of the last available sources of food, as the crops are shown to have gone to shit.

As the film opens, she’s preparing to spend her fourth Halloween night alone. But is desperately hoping for some trick or treaters to show up, even putting out a bowl of candy, and preparing a tub with apples (though rotten beyond recognition) for bobbing.

And she broadcasts a radio message inviting anyone out there to stop by her “haunted house” for a good-old fashioned celebration of the holiday. Before settling down to watch old tapes of her family carving jack-o’-lanterns.

However, once again, it turns out you should be careful what you wish for, as a gang of hardened scavengers do indeed show up unexpectedly. Who do not share the same naive outlook as Pumpkin.

Immensely Entertaining

Hallowarrior is not the best film I’ve seen this October (that would be No Rest for the Wicked.) But, though it has a strong competitors in Buddy and Drag, it might be the most fun.

And surprisingly quite sweet, thanks mostly to the characterization of Pumpkin and Shaprio’s performance. Pumpkin is a true innocent, someone who has manged to keep her optimism and sense of decency alive though her love of her family’s favorite holiday.

Which is nicely contrasted with the attitudes of her gatecrashers, who mostly scoff at the idea of celebrating a holiday that honors the dead. As that concept has become foreign to them amid so much of it.

However, the leader of the raiders, Talia (Sossamon), seems to get where Pumpkin is coming from. And appears empathetic, asking her about her family and understanding her loneliness.

This is maybe the most notable project I’ve seen Sossamon in since Wayward Pines (2015-16), where she was stuck as bland supportive wife side character. But here she gets a juicy character to play with, and oozes the charisma she displayed in some of her earlier roles.

But, well, appearances can be deceiving. And writer/director Ben Sottak gradually drops chilling hints that these might not be the companions that Pumpkin is looking for.

However, at the same time, he builds a charming rapport between Pumpkin and the guarded Wendy (Ajani Russell, great). Whose icy facade and skepticism gradually thaws as she gets to know the good-heated young girl. And she eventually breaks rank to warn Pumpkin about Talia’s true intentions.

From here on out, the film becomes a home invasion thriller. But a very atmospheric one, with Pumpkin’s decor, some fantastic lighting choices, and the grotesque design of much of Talia’s “family” combining to make the film an ideal Halloween watch.

My only real problem Hallowarrior is that it feels a little too slight. As this premise arguably allows for a whole range of possibilities which the film doesn’t explore.

Still, it ends on a satisfying note. And there’s a potential set-up for a sequel, should Sottak wish to return to this world (and if the film does well enough). I for one would love to watch the continuing adventures of Pumpkin on a future Halloween night.

Score: 7.5/10