Why Allyson From Halloween Kills Looks So Familiar
The "Halloween" franchise has a new budding star, thanks to this young performer's portrayal of Allyson, the latest young woman to be drawn into the generational struggle against masked serial killer Michael Myers.
The passing of the Strode family torch was originally set up in David Gordon Green's 2018 reboot, in which Allyson battles Michael with her mother Karen Nelson (Judy Greer) and grandmother Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) at the end of the film. But the idea is amplified tremendously in "Halloween Kills."
We wouldn't want to spoil anything, but this is Michael Myers we're talking about. Has he ever really been stopped? By the time the credits roll on "Halloween Kills," you may get a new answer to that question. Then again, you may not. One thing's for certain, however, the youngest member of the Strode clan has proved a worthy inheritor of the fight against the hulking psychopath in this quintessential slasher franchise. She's played by Andi Matichak, and If you've been looking for other places to see this rising star, here are a few places to track down her increasingly familiar face.
Andi Matichak had guest spots on Orange is the New Black and Blue Bloods
In the early phase of her career, Matichak spent her days acting on television shows before transitioning to the big screen with "Halloween" (2018). Her TV career includes guest spots on the third season of "Orange Is the New Black" as Meadow, and the CBS drama "Blue Bloods" as Caroline.
"I thought the girl from the new Halloween movie looked sort of familiar," wrote one commenter on a OITNB Fandom discussion page.
"You know, I don't think they ever went into depth on how her and Brook met, what exactly their connections are or came from or anything," another said, in reference to Meadow's friendship with Brook Soso (Kimiko Glenn). "She just kinda appeared after being mentioned once or twice during Soso's period of talkativeness," the user added.
Matichak's last television credit came in 2017, right before she was cast in David Gordon Green's "Halloween."
Matichak had horror roles in Assimilate and Foxhole
The role of Allyson in "Halloween" was Andi Matichak's first major film appearance and ultimately opened the door to a number of other opportunities for the Massachusetts native and former college soccer player, including parts in the 2019 sci-fi horror "Assimilate" and the 2020 wartime fright flick "Foxhole."
In "Assimilate," Matichak plays a lacrosse player named Kayla Shepard who is the love interest of main character Zach Henderson, played by "Super 8" actor Joel Courtney. They are joined by Disney Channel actor Calum Worthy, who plays a youth named Randy Foster. The IMDb description for "Assimilate" reads: "Three friends making a web series about their town discover that their neighbors are being killed and replaced by creatures who are perfect copies of their victims."
The movie "Foxhole," which was released in early October 2021, is described on IMDb as "unfolding over the span of 36 hours in three separate wars — The American Civil War, World War I, and Iraq." The story follows five soldiers "confined in a foxhole as they grapple with morality, futility, and an increasingly volatile combat situation."
Matichak starred in the supernatural thriller Son
Andi Matichak's first leading role came in the horror flick "Son," in which she starred alongside Emile Hirsch (via IMDb). The movie was released in March 2021 as COVID was still hindering Hollywood. Matichak told The Hollywood Reporter at the time that her prior experience working with Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer on "Halloween" helped prepare her for the part.
"This was the first time that I was number one on the call sheet and the outright lead of a film," Matichak said. "So, watching Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer navigate a set and lead on set was invaluable. I was able to take that into the filming of 'Son' and know how to approach being a leader on set and how to do it with grace, strength and kindness. That is something that the two of them do incredibly well ... So it feels like a blessing that I was able to have them in my corner, especially so early on in my career. I was able to learn so much from them both on and off set."
In "Son," Matichak portrays a single mother and former cult member who will do anything to protect her son from "terrifying forces in her past," according to the IMDb description. "That's the strength of a mother, and that's the maternal instinct and the strength of a grandmother and matriarch," Matichak told THR. "It's something that we're seeing more and more in film, which is really exciting. And it's being portrayed by many different people and age groups, which is really fun."
Next up, you'll be able to catch Matichak in the epic conclusion of the rebooted "Halloween" trilogy, "Halloween Ends."