Halloween Ends

Last night, I saw “Halloween Ends,” which was released in theaters and on the paid tiers of Peacock for 60 days, two days ago. How is this conclusion to this continuity of the franchise? Let’s find out:

The legacy of the “Halloween” franchises cannot be understated. After John Carpenter’s original film was released in 1978, it created a surge to the horror genre unlike any film made prior. While influence from “Black Christmas” and “Psycho” was noticeable, the unique visuals and subject matter opened the door for slashers to be introduced into the mainstream. More than forty years later, the effects of “Halloween” are still impactful to this day. This made the release of David Gordon Green’s 2018 reboot a must-watch. Seeing how well received it got was amazing. The 2021 “Halloween Kills” was not met with the same acclaim, but continued to tell the story of Green and collaborator Danny McBride. The final film in their trilogy was released, and “Halloween Ends” will definitely be a troublesome one for years.

Picking up four years after the events of “Halloween Kills,” Laurie Strode (Jaime Lee Curtis) and Alyson (Andi Matichak) have been moving forward. After the murder of Alyson’s parents, the two finally found some peace in Haddonfield. One day, Laurie meets fellow outsider Corey Cunnigham, played by Rohan Campbell, being ganged up by high schoolers one day. Laurie brings Corey into Alyson’s office for medical attention, and the two young adults start a relationship. However, as Corey and Alyson begin to get closer, Laurie begins to see signs from her past. With Michael Myers still out there, there is reason to worry in Haddonfield.

Alan French said in his review, “The story of Halloween Ends seems primed for Rob Zombie levels of reception. The way the story unfolds, Green and McBride seem keen on shaking up the franchise. However, this also leaves many purists on the outs. To some, Halloween is dependent on copious amounts of Michael Myers, and Halloween Ends does not play bring this aspect about in a traditional sense.” Myers lurks over the film in about every scene, but the shape does not always take on the role of primary villain.

At the same time, Green and McBride continue to find the themes they’ve made to look at since the 2018 reboot. A lot of this “Halloween” forces Laurie Strode to look at her character’s strengths and weaknesses. French said, “She seems to have moved on, but there’s a lingering question of paranoia to the detriment of her other relationships. Curtis once again delivers an introspective and haunting performance, one that easily ranks amongst her best in the franchise’s history.”

French continued, “That paranoia and fear does not stay with Strode, but instead has infected all of Haddonfield. After the dozens of deaths at Myers’ hands in Halloween Kills, the cast is almost entirely reset.” Besides Curtis, Matichak, Kyle Richards, and brief cameos from Will Patton, the rest of the ensemble changes completely. This gives “Halloween Ends” with a challenge of covering the path for new characters in the supposed finale of the franchise. This becomes a burden on the film, and slows down the pace so much.

The majority of the story comes through Corey, and your connection to him as a performer will definitely make you to not like this film. French said, “While he seems sincere early in the film, his ability to maintain his charm dissipates. While this seems to be an intentional choice of the filmmakers, it also hurts our ties to our perspective for most of the movie. If anything, they put their finger too heavily on the scale, and the red flags stunning obvious to everyone except a single character. Playing a Romeo and Juliet story arc does work, and left this critic cold.”

French continued, “Additionally, the setup required to deliver this story eats up more than half the film. In many ways, this feels like a showdown that would have been welcomed as Part 2 of the trilogy, while Kills feels more like the epic conclusion.” Instead, those wishing to see a faceoff between Michael and Laurie should be shown “Halloween: H20,” which gives this part of the story in more exciting ways.

There will be many who like the direction and shared questions that “Halloween Ends” looks at. However, for the conclusion of this franchise and Curtis’ sendoff for Laurie Strode, there are some legitimately confusing decisions. French said, “The kills and violence that does cross the screen makes for some extremely entertaining and wild moments.” Sadly, the final film is a messy, unfocused conclusion to the forty plus year franchise.

This was really a mixed bag, confusing film. Why focus more on Corey and his relationship with Alyson, and not have Michael in the film that much. Isn’t this supposed to be a “Halloween” film, why is he not the main focus? However, if this is supposed to be the final film in the franchise, the way it ends is the most satisfying. It doesn’t end the way everyone thinks, but the way it does is fine enough. If you want to check it out and don’t want to go to the theaters, see it on Peacock, since it will be there for 60 days.

Thank you for reading my review today. Look out tomorrow for the next installment in “M. Night Shyamalan Month.”