Warning: There are some minor spoilers ahead for Halloween Ends. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, please come back here once you have!
Halloween Ends is the thirteenth movie in the Halloween franchise, and the twelfth to feature the iconic antagonist Michael Myers (1982’s Halloween III: Season of the Witch is an anthology installment). But more importantly, it is the third and final entry in David Gordon Green’s series of films.
Since its inception in 1978 with John Carpenter’s classic, the Halloween franchise has seen its fair share of sequels and reboots. This latest series of films, however, acts as a sort of “de-boot”, restoring the timeline that started with the original film.
Like many blockbusters, the pandemic caused Halloween Ends to undergo a number of delays in getting to the theater. Nevertheless, as there’s only a one-year gap between the film and its 2021 predecessor, fans still get to enjoy a back-to-back release, which was intended from the get-go.
With that said, a back-to-back release of Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills would have made a lot more sense, as both films take place on the same night, making Halloween Kills as direct a sequel as Halloween II (1981) is to the 1978 original. Halloween Ends, you see, is distanced by more than just time.
Not only does it take place four years after the events of that chaotic night, Ends is vastly different in both tone and structure. While it does, for the most part, act as the conclusion to a trilogy, it’s reasonable to assume that, over time, fans might come to consider this as something of a stand-alone entry.
The film opens on Halloween night in 2019, one year after the events of Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills. Teenager Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) is babysitting a young boy when a game of hide-and-seek results in a fatal accident that leaves a mostly-innocent Corey red-handed.
Three years later, Corey is trying to hold together the shadow of a normal existence in Haddonfield, but locals aren’t letting him forget the tragedy. The same goes for Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who, despite trying to move on with her life, is often the target of blame from survivors of Halloween 2018.
Halloween (2018) deals with the aftermath of trauma, while Halloween Kills deals with community trauma, Ends, however, is a commentary on how infectious that trauma can be. Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) hasn’t been seen in four years, yet he still has Haddonfield in a grip of fear.
But when Corey experiences a close encounter with a decrepit Michael, who’s now hiding out in a storm drain, the town becomes plagued with a new killing spree - except this time it isn’t Michael behind the mask. And it’s up to Laurie and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) to stop the new “bogeyman”.
Exactly how Corey becomes inspired, though, is seemingly left open to interpretation. Either way, a Halloween movie with a new killer is a bold new take, especially for the final film in a trilogy, but it’s something many fans and critics will undoubtedly take great issue with.
In fact, there are a number of moments throughout Ends that might leave audiences scratching their heads. As such, it’s clear that the filmmakers opted for a film that thinks far more outside the box than its more run-of-the-mill predecessors.
This isn’t the first time the Halloween franchise has had what will ultimately become a divisive entry, though. The aforementioned anthology entry Halloween III speaks for itself, while Rob Zombie’s Halloween II (2009) remains a hotly-debated installment.
But while the latest sequel takes huge strides to surprise audiences, while also offering up a satisfying conclusion to the latest series of Halloween films, it isn’t without flaws - no Halloween movie is, not even Carpenter’s bonafide classic. There are also some missed opportunities that will frustrate many viewers.
Despite some missteps, Ends is a huge improvement over the 2021 sequel. Storytelling, dialogue, and direction have been fine-tuned, while the film makes a case for being the most atmospheric Halloween installment since Carpenter’s original.
So, does Halloween Ends work as both a Halloween movie and as a conclusion to a trilogy of films (or four films, when you include the 1978 original)? The answer isn’t so clear, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t in for a riveting Halloween installment that subverts many expectations.
Halloween Ends takes some huge risks, and if it’s a murder-by-numbers sequel you’re after, you might be sorely disappointed. But if you’re looking for a sequel that’s surprisingly thought-provoking and a little outside the box, Halloween Ends has plenty of tricks and treats…
As per Blumhouse Pictures (via Wikipedia), here’s the official synopsis for Halloween Ends, the final chapter in David Gordon Green’s Halloween Trilogy:
Four years after the events of Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson after the death of her parents.
Laurie has decided to take all the fear and rage, she has been holding onto for the last 4 decades and write a memoir which is almost completed.
Michael Myers has once again disappeared and hasn’t been seen since. This time Laurie has decided to liberate her fear and rage and embrace life with open arms.
All is quiet in Haddonfield, but when a young man, Corey Cunningham, is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she couldn’t control, once and for all.
Halloween Ends stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Will Patton, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, and Kyle Richards, who will be reprising their roles as Laurie Strode, Frank Hawkins, Allyson Nelson, Michael Myers, and Lindsey Wallace.
Newcomers include Rohan Campbell (Corey Cunningham) and Michael O’Leary (Dr. Mathis).
Halloween Ends is now out in theaters and is also streaming on Peacock.
