Halloween Ends closes the rivalry between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode on a satisfying note. But the journey to that isn’t what fans had anticipated. Before this epic battle, fans must endure a melodramatic story centered on a compelling new character. This allows the series to explore its evil theme further, but the narrative isn’t the strongest.
Jamie Lee Curtis originally closed the door on Michael Myers back in 2002. This year, Curtis has erased that with a more suitable end to Laurie Strode’s saga. Halloween Ends is destined to become a polarizing entry that manages to fail and succeeded. It successfully gives Laurie Strode a proper farewell but squanders her boogeyman.
Picking up four years later, Laurie has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. After a horrific babysitting accident, Laurie is forced to confront Michael Myers once and for all. David Gordon Green returns to direct and co-write with Danny McBride, Paul Logan, and Chris Bernier. Curtis is joined by Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Rohan Campbell, Kyle Richards’, and Will Patton.
I did like this narrative direction despite it feeling bizarre and disjointed. However, Halloween Ends makes Michael Myers seem like an afterthought in its efforts to tell a story about a town consumed by evil. Campbell stars as Corey Cunningham, a character with an arc that never feels earned. Corey is the target of town bullies due to an unfortunate accident. He also becomes your new threat midway through the film.
What’s baffling is this angle does have its strengths. Corey represents the evil Haddonfield refuses to move on from. The mistreatment he faces aids in letting you care for the boy. Sadly, his placement in this trilogy takes away from characters that had been here from the start. If this angle were applied to an existing character, it would become a more than serviceable narrative.
The Shape’s presence can be felt throughout the film, similar to how Pennywise can be felt even when absent from your screen. Many would argue The Shape’s lack of screen time is a problem. It’s not that, but how Michael is used when he appears certainly is an issue. He’s portrayed as a weak and incompetent slasher villain. Preserving Michael’s mystique has always been a must, and Halloween Ends fumbles in that regard.
This mishandling creates an absence of tension and suspense. Although, John Carpenter’s brilliant score is enough to fill that void at times. Courtney delivers another menacing performance as The Shape when necessary. Those moments of incompetence are just unnecessary. One instance might bring up bad memories from Halloween 5 for some fans.
Green and his co-writers don’t deliver a dull story, which saves a lot of their unexpected writing decisions. Laurie is more involved, a major improvement from last year’s film. She’s living with Allyson (Matichak), writing a memoir, crushing on Hawkins, and trying to stop letting paranoia lead her decision-making. Halloween Ends is one of the more thought-provoking entries, it just never fully sticks the landing with its messaging.
While Laurie is letting go of the past, Allyson has a great job at Haddonfield Memorial and has developed a wild child persona. Her arc can be disappointing depending on your perspective. That crowd-pleasing final girl is still there, she’s just ineffectively coping with the 2018 events. I found her arc to be very engaging and wish it was more fleshed out. The dialogue this time is an improvement as well, but cringe call to action moments still make an appearance.
As mentioned, bizarre decisions are featured throughout this film. For instance, Halloween Ends has multiple off-screen kills but finds time to showcase The Shape in the most awkward predicament. Laurie and Michael’s final battle is anticlimactic due to its duration, setup, and lack of conflict between the two. These two have a history, but Laurie has decided to forgive and put it behind her.
While it’s empowering for our final girl, it leads to a lackluster excuse to have her final battle with The Shape. Still, Halloween Ends accomplishes enough to remain serviceable. It’s not a good or bad movie but stays afloat thanks to its performances, visuals, and moderately successful narrative about a town that can’t let go of Michael Myers.
