To say that the Halloween franchise has had a turbulent history is an understatement. Starting with what has become THE classic slasher film and then twisting and turning its way through all manner of iterations both scary and goofy. When it rebooted in 2018, the filmmakers wisely overlooked all but the first in the series which let them tell their own story without worrying about the trappings of the many sequels or the disgrace that was the second Rob Zombie movie. The first in this new trilogy absolutely nailed the feel and magic of what made the 1978 classic so perfect, but Kills definitely left us all wanting as it felt more like a setup than a proper sequel. Halloween Ends looks to finally complete the 40-year grudge match between Michael Meyers and Laurie Strode, and while the journey it takes will be a divisive one, it’s rewarding not only for fans of the new films but the original as well.
Haddonfield is a shell of its former self and has been infected by the evil that Michael Meyers left behind years earlier. People are becoming more violent, and despair seems to lace the air. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), however, has almost put the past behind her. Since Michael’s disappearance, she has worked to free herself of his grasp and focus on writing her book and raising granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). But the past will never stay buried as the townsfolk still blame her for the pain and death that Michael unleashed upon them. Through this, Laurie finds a kindred spirit in Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), another outcast blamed for a tragic accident that has haunted him since. Both he and Andi instantly connect on their shared bond of being outcasts, but the ghost of Michael Meyers lingers, and his pervasive evil will end up staining more than just their souls.
Something we need to confront at the beginning is that this is not an objectively good movie. It has a weak script, plot points and twists are telegraphed and easy to figure out, and even the acting is just OK. It doesn’t break any new ground for the genre, and a good portion in the middle is slow and dragged out. But it IS fun, and that’s what matters most.
No one goes to a Halloween movie hoping to find the meaning of life. All we want is a few good jump scares, to see the guy in the William Shatner mask show up and start stabbing people and then a final showdown between him and Laurie. Put all of that together, and you have a pretty decent film which is exactly what Ends is.
Which isn’t to say there isn’t deeper meaning to be had if you go looking for it. Horror movies are generally morality plays, and Halloween has been diving into the idea of evil and what makes people into monsters for its entire run. I would say that the common theme running through all of Ends is the question of whether or not people are born evil or become it based on outside influences. Essentially, it asks if there is a little bit of Michael Meyers in all of us, and how and why we would let this monstrosity come to the surface.
Philosophy aside, Halloween Ends puts a fitting capstone not only on this trilogy but the movie that gave birth to everything. Everyone gets their moment to shine, even if only briefly, and the credits roll on a satisfying and bloody conclusion. Now it’s time to wait and see what the inevitable next iterations brings and how Michael will find his way back to the land of the living again.