Trick 'r Treat

"Poison, drowning, claw, or knife. So many ways to take a life."

2025 1h 22m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🍅

82%

FRESH

⭐

6.7

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 119🍅82%Rotten Tomatoes★6.7IMDB · 113,954

HorrorFantasyComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank, and a bitter old recluse receives an uninvited guest.

“Poison, drowning, claw, or knife. So many ways to take a life.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Brian Cox
Mr. Kreeg
Quinn Lord
Sam / Peeping Tommy
Anna Paquin
Laurie
Dylan Baker
Steven
Leslie Bibb
Emma
Tahmoh Penikett
Henry
Rochelle Aytes
Maria
Britt McKillip
Macy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Dougherty
Writers: Michael Dougherty
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

82 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 0% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released last year.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Dougherty, shot by Glen MacPherson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Douglas Pipes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Ivison shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Brian Cox and Quinn Lord and Anna Paquin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Poison, drowning, claw, or knife. So many ways to take a life.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Dougherty directs. Glen MacPherson behind the camera. Douglas Pipes scores. Robert Ivison cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Earned back only 0% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released last year.
4Directed by Michael Dougherty, shot by Glen MacPherson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Douglas Pipes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Robert Ivison shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Brian Cox and Quinn Lord and Anna Paquin carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Poison, drowning, claw, or knife. So many ways to take a life.".
9IMDB entry: tt0862856 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "monster", "holiday", "halloween", "paranormal phenomena".
11Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Glen MacPherson
Original score: Douglas Pipes
Editing: Robert Ivison
Production design: Mark S. Freeborn
Costume design: Trish Keating
Makeup / hair: Connie Parker
VFX supervisor: Charlene Eberle Douglas
Sound: Iain Pattison
Runtime: 82 min · 1h 22m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $12,000,000
Box office: $27,909
Return: 0% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Trick 'r Treat (2025)
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 6.7/10 · 113,954 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

6 wins & 7 nominations total

Also by

Michael Dougherty

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-11-01
★ 8/10
No tricks here, just a treat. Trick 'r Treat is written and directed by Michael Dougherty. It stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. Music is by Douglas Pipes and cinematography by Glen MacPherson. Trick 'r Treat plays out as an anthology of four Halloween related stories. One tiny figure with a burlap sack over its head links the film together. Warner Brothers kept it on the shelf for two years, a mistake since it happens to be a delightful little frightener that appears to be made with a love of omnibus shockers from back in the day. It's never overtly scary or bloody, but it has a twisted slickness that is rather pleasing in this day and age of poor horror remakes and boorish cash cow sequels. Neatly performed by the cast and with tech credits high from the camera folk, it homages simple horror pleasures as it celebrates Halloween. With a glint in its eye and a macabre smile on the lips, this non linear treat should be perennial viewing for the Halloween hordes. Especially since it rewards still further on repeat viewings. 8/10
Repo Jack2020-10-28
★ 8/10
A better-than-expected horror anthology with some creepy good Halloween scares.
whitsbrain2024-01-30
★ 7/10
I love anthologies. A well told short story is better than a long story arc or a drawn-out character study way more often than not. So, when Trick 'R Treat came along, it proved to me that while it's not something the majority of the population wants to see, there are filmmakers out there who still value the format. It's too bad then that Trick 'R Treat wasn't more of a treat. It looks great and it has its entertaining moments. I mostly enjoyed the story of an odd girl who gets her revenge from some unlikely assistants and a man who has to deal with a strange trick or treater. Unfortunately, these stories aren't the most original things you'll ever see. They are more a tribute to urban legends and other Halloween clichés. The way that the four stories are intertwined is different. It's not a Creepshow-style format as there is nothing that truly divides the stories. Trick 'R Treat is well done but it's not particularly exciting.