Halloween Ends

It’s hard to think of a franchise with more retcons, different timelines, and broken continuity than the Halloween franchise. How strange to think that a classic horror film from 1978 that excels in its own contained sense of simplicity would bring such a convoluted series of films. The John Carpenter classic changed the face of horror, helping give life to the slasher genre as we’ve come to know it. The franchise consists of 13 films, or 12 if you exclude the attempted anthology film confusingly titled Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, which is set apart from the Michael Myers-centered films. This is a franchise that has seen its boogeyman go from initially hunting down and killing babysitters, to then stalking the babysitter who turns out to be his sister, to stalking his niece, being controlled by a cult of evil Druid’s, and even being karate kicked out of a window by Busta Rhymes. He’s also been stabbed, shot in the eye, set on fire, decapitated, but then not actually decapitated; there just doesn’t seem to be a way to actually kill Michael Myers.

When filmmaker David Gordon Green set out to make a proper sequel to the original classic that negates all the other films in the franchise, which meant erasing the idiotic twist of making Laurie Strode and Michael Myers brother and sister, returning to the simplicity that made the original so iconic, it was hard not to get excited. That film, also titled Halloween, managed to bring classic scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis back for a proper follow-up and won over both critics and audiences grossing nearly $300 million. Instead of letting history repeat itself, the decision was made to make this a trilogy of films that would end the saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode for good this time. After the disappointing follow-up, last year’s Halloween Kills, we now have the long-awaited conclusion in the aptly titled, Halloween Ends. It’s a film bound for endless debates and discussions, given its ambitious nature, but ultimately serves as a fitting swan song for Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode and her boogeyman.

Halloween Ends picks up four years after the events of Halloween Kills where Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) has desecrated dozens of townsfolk, including Laurie Strode’s daughter and has vanished without a trace. The town of Haddonfield is struggling to move on, with reoccurring tragedies continuously opening up the wounds of the towns tortured past. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is done with living in fear, attempting to live the life she never afforded for herself. She lives with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichek) and is working on a novel, hoping that sharing her traumatic life story may help others, as well as help herself find some semblance of closure. Of course, this is a Halloween film, so surely Laurie’s attempt at peace is upended as Michael is most definitely alive, setting up a climactic showdown that hopes to bring this saga to its end.

After the mixed reception to the mess that was Halloween Kills, it appears David Gordon Green and his creative team have taken some criticisms to heart with a story that is far more ambitious and thoughtful. In fact, Ends feels far removed from the events of Kills, making that film feel almost pointless, save for its glorious kill sequences. Serving as a grand finale for the story of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, Green and retuning co-writer, Danny McBride, alongside new writers Chris Bernier and Paul Brad Logan, take a much wiser approach to this film by allowing themselves time to establish much stronger character motivations, some real depth and fewer needless detours. Green, a filmmaker with one of the most diverse filmographies this side of the 21st century, takes a number of inspirations from 80’s horror cinema, particularly a beloved Carpenter classic that I won’t mention as it would likely give away one of the core ideas of the film. The narrative structure and tone is highly reminiscent of films from the era, even down to its portrayal of local bullies who essentially attempt to kill their peers.

Green and returning cinematographer Michael Simmonds have made their best looking Halloween film with some remarkable use of the widescreen frame, harkening back to Dean Cundey’s groundbreaking work in the 1978 original. You can feel the added attention to detail in the presentation versus the slick, but unremarkable aesthetic of the previous two films. Green even stages some of the best dramatic moments of his trilogy here, giving his actors more weighted material to delve into.

Returning to do the films score is, of course, John Carpenter, alongside Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies. While this score may not have any immediately memorable tracks such as The Shape Hunts Allyson from the 2018 film, this body of work is instead more minimalist, emphasizing mood and creating an evocative atmosphere. Hardcore fans will be disappointed to find Ends has a handful of kills that happen off-screen and the slower pace doesn’t allow for as many deaths as the previous two films. That said, there are some remarkably gruesome sequences, including a nasty bit with a severed tongue that might actually be the most gnarly visual in the entire franchise.

What’s most fascinating about Halloween Ends is just how bold and ambitious many of its creative decisions are. This practically feels like a Season of the Witch-style anthology film set within the confines of an actual Halloween sequel. This is a welcomingly strange film, but one that may not push itself enough. The story takes some mighty big swings and unlike Halloween Kills, many of them work. However, with each swing that works, there’s an aspect to it that doesn’t.

Take Rob Zombie’s Halloween films for example. Zombie’s nihilistic Halloween 2 fully commits to its own brand of audaciousness, delving head first in its abstract vision of collective trauma. Green doesn’t merely dip his toe, but rather places his foot firmly in a newfound sense of outlandishness. There are some rich metaphors that are explored, dealing with Haddonfield’s communal trauma and how the town continues to eat away at itself, something that was too bluntly displayed in Kills. However, unlike Zombie, Green does pull back from completely embracing his films more singular ideas, leaving a strange middle ground causing aspects of the story to feel half-baked. This also clashes with the sense of realism that has maintained throughout this trilogy, leaving a trail of plot holes and muddled logic. The segue into the climactic showdown is rather disjointed and comes off a sluggish middle section that would benefit from a few less plot contrivances.

One major new plot development deals with the introduction of character Corey (Rohan Campbell, Netflix’s Virgin River), a loner with a tragic past who falls in love in Allyson. Without getting into too much detail, this role is not an easy one, it’s rather tricky to nail down, but Campbell does a fine job at giving both pathos and layers to a character that could make or break the film. James Jude Courtney is deserving of praise as his memorable portrayal of The Shape is consistently menacing and frightening. Andi Matichek is given far more to do here than in the previous two installments and proves she’s a naturally charismatic performer that can easily stand side-by-side with likes of Jamie Lee Curtis.

As a final swan song to the role that gave her the career she has today, Curtis gives a performance that is worthy of the character’s legacy. After her worst nightmare comes true and takes the life of her only daughter, this is a Laurie who is trying to reclaim a life that was robbed of her for most of her life. We get to see a light in her that hasn’t been seen since Carpenter’s original, but also the weight and guilt of seeing so many perish around her after she hoped of his return; her desire for Michael to return so that she may finally kill him, only to have him leave a trail of more bloodshed and for him to completely disappear. Curtis gives a multi-dimensional portrayal of Laurie Strode that serves as a bittersweet final bow to the genre’s true Final Girl.

Halloween Ends is audacious and highly flawed; it takes big swings and bold new directions that previous entries attempted to take and failed miserably at. However, director David Gordon Green sticks the landing and brings the saga of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers to a satisfying and cathartic conclusion.