Halloween Ends Review

David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy has come to an end with Halloween Ends. It has already garnered a reputation as one of the divisive films in the Halloween franchise.

It has been four years since Michael Myers’ escape and rampage. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has attempted to move on with her life by moving back to Haddonfield and sharing a house with her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak). Laurie attempts to set up Allyson with Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), a local mechanic who had been accused of manslaughter. However, as Allyson and Corey get closer a darkness awakens in the young man.

The Halloween franchise has been one of the ups and down. This included Green’s reboot trilogy because Halloween (2018) was a great legacy sequel that brought new life to the franchise. Halloween Kills was a big downgrade because it was a ridiculously stupid film where the citizens of Haddonfield form a pose. It was a film that required everyone to act stupid and was a farce that had a gritty, realistic look.

Halloween Ends took the controversial step of barely featuring Michael Myers. The film’s focus was on Corey, his descent into violence, and his relationship with Allyson. The film played out more like a coming-of-age drama than a slasher horror. It’s fitting for Green because he started his career making critically acclaimed dramas but Halloween Ends felt more like an original screenplay that was altered to feature more Halloween elements.

Halloween Ends did attempt to have some big themes about the impact of Myers’ rampage and the death of Jeremy (Jaxon Goldenberg). They took a personal toll on Laurie and Corey, and there was a social aspect. Laurie and Corey were still struggling after the events of 2018 and 2019, they were suffering from survivor’s guilt. Corey was a lonely figure who kept to himself and looked like a broken man. Laurie was trying to live a normal life but that was difficult since she had been living as a survivalist for 40 years.

Nor would Haddonfield let Laurie and Corey forget these events. Corey was seen as nothing more than a child killer. He was bullied by some high schoolers and if Corey tried to enjoy himself, he was made to feel guilty about it. His situation, at least at the beginning of the film, felt all too real. Laurie was on the receiving end of victim blaming. There were people who saw Laurie as responsible for the return of Michael Myers and the misery he caused. However, their logic was incredibly faulty seeing that Michael Myers escaped from a bus crash, and in Halloween Kills Laurie was in a hospital bed and Michael Myers killed Laurie’s daughter.

The theme of Haddonfield’s residents turning on Laurie and Corey does connect Halloween Ends to Halloween Kills. Both films showed Michael Myers turning Haddonfield into an ugly place. In Halloween Kills people turned to mob justice, whilst in Halloween Ends the impact was psychological.

Halloween Ends had a good bedrock for a drama, but as a slasher horror film it falters. Green’s Halloween trilogy had aimed for a grittier and more realistic look and tone, yet Halloween Ends aimed to shatter that. Corey started killing after he encountered Michael Myers and it can be interpreted that the slasher villain transferred his bloodlust into the young man, giving the film a supernatural edge. It’s a similar idea to the ending of Halloween IV where Jamie killed her foster mum after touching Michael Myers. The other interpretation can be that Michael Myers sensed the evil in Corey so didn’t bother killing him. Either interpretation undercuts the trilogy’s realism.

The kills in this film were over-the-top. Usually this would be a selling point for a slasher film because they want to see the creative deaths. However, Halloween Ends aimrf to be a serious character drama, so the gruesome deaths didn’t fit. The violence and staging of some of the kills came across as hilarious which wasn’t the intent.

The promotion for Halloween Ends emphasises the role of Michael Myers in the film and being the final confrontation between the killer and Laurie. Audiences would leave annoyed since Halloween Ends was a bait-and-switch. The film has also been marketed as the end of the saga but considering how profitable these films are the franchise will be revisited in some form.

Green’s trilogy did mirror the original three films. Halloween (1978) and Halloween (2018) had a similar setup where a mad killer escapes on the scary holiday and causes carnage. Halloween II and Halloween Kills directly followed the events of their predecessors and had Laurie in hospital. Halloween Kills was the Season of the Witch of the trilogy. Season of the Witch was a controversial entry because it tried to take the franchise in a different direction and it received a negative reception when released, although it has a cult following now.

As an entry in the Halloween franchise Halloween Ends was a massive disappointment. It was a disjointed film because of the shifting tone, poor writing, and a conclusion out of obligation.