Review: Halloween Ends

It all started in 1978 when Michael Myers first appeared in Haddonfield. Everyone that crossed his path was violently killed, apart from Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), who miraculously survived. Their cat-and-mouse game was the premise for seven films (excluding Halloween III: Season of the Witch). He wants to finish what he started, and she wants to save the town from the gruesome killer. They’re now heading to their final confrontation in Halloween Ends. Who will survive (if anyone)? You will find out if you’re watching the film but not when reading this review cause it’s spoiler-free.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie in Halloween Ends — Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie in *Halloween Ends*
// Credit: Ryan Green/Universal Pictures

Evil is on the run again!

Halloween is around the corner, and in recent years, it was the period during which the inhabitants of Haddonfield took precautions to stay out of the hands of Michael Myers. However, not this time. No one has seen the killer in many years and even Laurie and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) seem to have turned a leaf on the dark past. Laurie writes her autobiography while Allyson is a nurse at the local hospital. Allyson’s life is about to become much brighter when Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), who injured himself after a brawl, enters the hospital.

Both take an immediate interest in each other, and soon they go on a first date. They realize that they have a lot in common, including what seems to be a dark past. When Laurie meets Corey, the anger, darkness, and emptiness in his eyes reveal more about him than she wants. While she wants to warn Allyson about it, the latter seems to have entirely fallen into Corey’s hands. Will Halloween once again be a dark day for Laurie, Allyson, and Haddonfield, or will they have a peaceful Halloween?

“When is someone going to get murdered?”

When reading the synopsis, you would think that Halloween Ends is one of those movies in which blood and murder fill the screen every minute. Even more so when you know that we didn’t describe the vicious murders that get this film going. However, apart from that murder, you have to wait for ages before another body turns up. When we watched the movie, an audience member shouted, “When is someone going to get murdered?” We fully agreed with his question. Most of the film is about Laurie writing her biography and Allyson finding the happiness she deserves. There are sinister figures, extremely recognizable masks and gruesome bodies, but those are rarities, especially during the film’s first part.

Andi Matichak as Allyson in Halloween Ends
// Credit: Ryan Green/Universal Pictures

If you’re wondering when Myers appears for the first time (apart from during the flashback to the 2018 movie), be prepared, it takes a while before he makes his entrance. He’s not as present as he should have been, but when Myers appears, he’s as compelling and horrifying as always. It’s clear that director David Gordon Green (Halloween Kills, Stronger) and his writing team want to take the Halloween franchise in another direction for the last film, but was that a good idea?

Curtis is still the Scream Queen

While there’s a lack of Myers, blood and murder, there’s the usual amount of great acting performances. Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Knives Out) is still the Scream Queen, as her performance is spot on. As Laurie, she captures the perfect balance between being relatively at peace with life and being badass and determined to get rid of all the evil in the world. Matichak (Foxhole, Son) gives a captivating performance as the broken but still headstrong and hopeful Allyson. Campbell (Operation Christmas Drop, Diablo) makes an impressive impact as the innocent looking but with darkness-filled young man.

A bold decision that paid off or the wrong way to end a 40-year-old franchise?

Taking the Halloween franchise in a different direction is something to applaud, but it might have been better if Green and his team didn’t wait until the last film. While the movie introduces a fresh plot and brand-new characters, maybe people just wanted a two-hour slasher movie like the previous ones. Depending on what one you want, you will either love or hate Halloween Ends. But, no matter what you want, you still get a grand finale and stunning acting performances.

Rating: (3 / 5)