Michael Myers, the relentless masked murderer is back to prove that he is notoriously difficult to kill. The violins are ready to shriek, the knives are sharpened and polished and here we are again in Haddonfield, Illinois. Halloween Ends is running in your nearest theatres currently.
Halloween Ends Cast
A sequel to Halloween Kills (2021), David Gordon Green brings Halloween Ends starring Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie, the Last Girl of Michael Myers’ 1978 killing spree), James Jude Courtney (Myers), Andi Matichak (Allyson, Laurie’s granddaughter) and Will Patton (Deputy Frank Hawkins).
Storyline
Four years after the events of Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. 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 confront the evil she can’t control finally, once and for all. The runtime is 1h and 51m.
Review
The more significant part of the film revolves around Corey, he is shunned by the town for accidentally killing a child. His character presents plenty of opportunities to connect with Laurie and her granddaughter Allyson, opportunities for redemption, or a more sinister development. Eventually, Allyson and Corey begin a whirlwind romance between outsiders, locked in a small town they can escape as little as they can escape their neighbors’ preconceptions about them, and their own trauma.
The plot comes off as unfinished at times with a messy collection of reshoots that lacks thematic hold. They seem to miss the mark on a theme that could have been explored more instead of being misunderstood. The cinematography really tried it with innovative mirror shots and sewers used for shapely framing. References to the original series serve to make the fans feel like they’re in on everything, but not still not enough of a wow factor to consider. To conclude, it’s a one-time fun watch at best.
The movie shows the effect of evil and trauma first on a family, then escalating to mass madness, and now showing the burnt earth of a whole community ruined by collective trauma with no outlet. The ending of this particular film is a healing moment for Haddonfield, but it’s debatable if this is the ending the series deserves.
Green ties his three films together well, and he makes a good slasher with just the right amount of gore, scary music, things that go bump, and plenty of jumpscares. He serves fans with references, quotes, and recurring characters. The film is at its strongest when the fallout on the community from the last movie is shown, darkly, a descent, illustrated by the dirty underbelly of small American towns. But it does not credibly conclude with a truly satisfying ending for Laurie Strode and her 40 years of a violent duet with Michael Myers.
Halloween Ends is mainly fun to watch, it passes the time quickly, the plot is somewhat unjust, and it takes a fair share of tweaks. The acting stays solid for a slasher and has everything it needs with powerful moments when it shows the effects of trauma on individuals, a community, and a whole town. As a conclusion to the Halloween Series, it is clearly less epic than expected.
Sources: thehindu.com and theguardian.com
