“Halloween Ends” Movie Review
The final installment of the Halloween trilogy, Halloween Ends, was released on October 14, 2022, and was directed by David Gordon Green. This movie was expected by many fans to be the final clash between Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis); however, the movie took an unexpected turn with its characters. Instead of focusing on Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, it introduces a new character by the name of Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell).
The movie opens on Corey who, through a series of unfortunate events, becomes shunned by the town of Haddonfield. Fast forward 4 years from the previous Halloween movie Laurie Strode is attempting to put her life back together. Unfortunately, that peace is short-lived with the reemergence of her nemesis, the evil Michael Myers.
Throughout the movie, the inclusion of Corey’s character felt unnecessary and unnatural. The movie was a story about Corey inside of a Michael Myers movie. It felt a lot like watching two movies when it then began to refocus on Michael halfway through. The movie shied away from Michael and Laurie’s story. Instead, this movie focused more on the impact that Micahel had on the town he committed his murders in. Mainly how a town and its community can be affected by the sins of one man. How an innocent community can turn in on itself and become the evil it encounters. The connection between Corey and Michael felt severely forced as well.
The cinematography at times seemed like I was watching an indie movie. Close ups of facial expressions and weird color themes to try and convey certain emotions. The killings were brutal but some were un-stylistic and nothing new to the typical slasher movies. Essentially, reused and unimaginative killings provide nothing new to the genre.
The character of Laurie, though still haunted by Michael Myers, seems misplaced and unfortunately doesn’t add much to the movie. This is indeed a lackluster way to say one final farewell to the woman who has essentially been crowned one of the “Scream Queens” of the 1970s Horror genre.
For anyone who wants to see a great Halloween movie, I would stick to the original from back in 1978. Unfortunately, this series ending really didn’t bring anything home for me. My rating for this would be a 4 out of 10 and I feel like I’m being nice. Other Halloween movies in the series just stick out better and continue to make a bigger and better cultural impact than this movie, and it just seems like one I would advise to miss.
