This review of David Gordon Green’s conclusion to his conclusion to the trilogy contains SPOILERS.
STOP READING IF YOU WANT TO KNOW NOTHING OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE CONCLUSION TO THE TRILOGY. ANYTHING AFTER THIS OPENING PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR HALLOWEEN ENDS. IT WILL NOT REVEAL THE THIRD ACT OR WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES BUT IT WILL SPOIL A FEW PLOT POINTS AS IT IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCUSS ANYTHING ABOUT THE FILM WITHOUT ADDRESSING A POINT HERE AND THERE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Halloween Ends takes place, mostly, 4 years after Halloween Kills which took place in 2018, forty years after Michael Myers played by James Jude Courtney as The Shape and Laurie Strode played by Jamie Lee Curtis, first met. This re-imagination of the franchise is one of the timelines that is a direct sequel to Carpenter’s 1978 Masterpiece and follows that with this new trilogy. Now to discuss the new film, Halloween Ends. The film opens in 2019 with one of the most gruesome, disturbing, f-d up openings I’ve ever seen in a film. It focuses on our new character, Corey Cunningham played by Rohan Campbell as he is baby-sitting a spoiled brat of a child who refuses to believe in the boogeyman. One thing leads to another, and Corey is blamed and charged with a horrific crime. Fast forward to modern day, and Corey is trying to live his life and is constantly berated by the town and a group of four obnoxious teenagers. Being picked on one day Laurie comes to his rescue and introduces him to her granddaughter, Allyson played by Andi Matichak. Something between these two ‘damaged’ characters click and they become entranced with one another. However, as the film progresses, Corey finds himself across from Michael, however, Michael is weakened. Four years have passed since Haddonfield laid absolute waste to him, and he has never been able to fully recover. While Michael would typically take his victims to their final resting place, he sees himself in Corey who becomes obsessed with becoming the new Boogeyman and becomes his protégé, thusly possibly creating a new world of terror for another Strode and another new monster to lay lingering to haunt and dismantle the town of Haddonfield.
What die-hard fans are going to either love or hate about Halloween Ends, is that while being billed as the final encounter between Laurie and Michael is how it is being promoted, they’re hardly in the film. Their encounter and Michael’s majority screen time occurs almost entirely in the third act, and while it is brilliant and excellent delivering on all fronts, 30 odd minutes of 110 minutes for the two leading characters is sort of a turn off. However, the way the story is crafted and supplemented with Corey and Allyson works and delivers something new to satisfy people willing to accept change.
There is no need to discuss the performance by Jamie Lee Curtis as she has mastered this role for the past forty-four years, she is the best she could be, doesn’t pretend to be in her thirties playing the role. She is presumably in her 60s while still trying to fight off her monster, she can still kick massive ass and be a badass, but her age makes her wiser and adds to her character depth. Andi Matichak whose been involved since 2018 has thoroughly developed throughout three movies and her arc truly comes full circle with Halloween Ends. Rohan Campbell is the new comer, and maybe it’s because I just binged Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer, but I couldn’t help but shake the fact this Rohan Campbell can be the next great serial killer for a docuseries. He has the look, pacing, attitude and demeanour to scare the absolute bejesus out of someone. The chemistry that is also shared between Rohan, Andi, Jamie and even James Jude Courtney is excellent and taking risks, especially for such a beloved franchise pays off for David Gordon Green.
Halloween Ends swings for the fences and absolutely knocks it out of the park. There is so much divisiveness on this title, and it’s completely warranted, audiences are either going to love or hate Halloween Ends. For the risks it took, refusing to fall victim to formula and cookie-cutter procedures, it certainly delivers and packs the ultimate punch. It is nothing that you could possibly expect, it is absolutely psychotic and lives up to its name. Halloween Ends should stay true to its namesake, and leave this as the final entry in the Green trilogy.
