Halloween Ends (2022)

If you loved Halloween Ends then you should probably just skip this review entirely. I really disliked it, although my hopes weren’t that high after also disliking Halloween Kills, and I will specify my reasons here. But before I do that, as divisive as this film has proven to be, let me say that a) I don’t dislike a film for doing something different, and b) I don’t judge any Halloween film based on the screentime for Michael Myers. A lot of people have already labelled detractors of this movie as typical genre fanboys who cannot accept change (there have been a lot of tiresome exclamations of “5cream was so right”). I am sure some viewers have their mindset stuck in that rut, but others may have valid criticisms of a film that seems to undo whatever this trilogy, and it is hard to even call it a trilogy at this point, was aiming for.

Things start well. The shadow of Michael Myers still looms large, and young Corey (Rohan Campbell) is a babysitter who finds his evening ending in the worst possible way. Skip forward by a few years, Corey is trying to get on with his life. His reputation precedes him though, sadly. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, as if you need reminding) had meanwhile somehow found a state of peace, helped by the fact that she is now writing down her story. Her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), lives with her, and hangs about until she starts to become interested in Corey. Resentment burns through the young couple, a fire so strong that they wouldn’t mind seeing Haddonfield turned to ash, and Corey may be unable to contain his rage. And then there’s Michael Myers, coming perilously close to living the last of his days out as a Chris Farley character, ready to regain his energy enough for another showdown with Laurie. Because we were all shown it in the trailer, and those involved in these films pretend to be daring only until they revert to the fan-pleasing scenes they inevitably squeeze into each instalment.

The biggest problem here is a script that seems to want viewers to forget everything that we saw in the last movie. Remember the mob mentality that was immensely damaging to a town unable to heal its wounds? That’s gone. The grit and awareness of Laurie, someone who lived their life ever-ready for a battle they knew was always upcoming? Gone. Individuals defined by their encounters with the boogeyman? Yes, the leads still have that aspect, but everyone else seems to have moved on in a way that totally dismisses the past few years. Paul Brad Logan and Chris Bernier both join Danny McBride and director David Gordon Green in the writing department for this finale, but it’s difficult to pin any blame on them. This franchise “reinvigoration” has been in the hands of McBride and Green since it first started to take shape (no pun intended), and this fumbled ending shows that they never really considered how to make something consistent and cohesive.

There are some interesting choices made here, not least of which is the focus on Corey, but Green and co. are unable to commit to those choices. They don’t do right by the interesting idea at the heart of this, which should have been a study of a community making a whole new boogeyman, and subsequently waste the opportunity to also give Curtis more to do, while her character could have been the only one to see, and perhaps try to heal, the potential damage that she could see happening to someone not already beyond saving. This may have also helped to maintain a sense of the menacing presence of Myers, a character who can cause almost as much terror and tension by being offscreen as he can when on the rampage, instead of sidelining him and having his infrequent appearances feel ever so slightly patronizing.

The things that work are the things that work in every Halloween movie. Curtis, the music, and the quiet streets of Haddonfield. And I have to say that Campbell was a great choice to play Corey. Oh, and the opening title sequence is superb, and would have been even better if certain elements had been used more effectively (see last paragraph), which I do think was their initial aim. Sadly, nothing else feels good enough. There are only one or two impressive “bodycount” moments, the wild plot tangents aren’t taken far enough, and the predictable and inevitable ending is, by this point, just sadly laughable and pathetic. Poor Andi Matichak is also a negative, her flat performance not helped in the slightest by a script that asks her to do nothing more than fall very quickly for a boy who never really gives her a good enough reason to stick around and put faith in him. Which can happen in real life, I know, but it doesn’t help this movie.

Being divisive isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and many artists would prefer that you love or hate something they have done, as opposed to just sitting right in the middle, so I am still pleased to see that this has created so much discussion and passion. I have heard, and understood, people who really liked the decisions made here. I just strongly disagree, and I think this review clearly explains why I feel the way I do.

I will never bring myself to absolutely hate any Halloween movie, it is my favourite horror movie franchise (despite so few of the films being great), but this sits alongside Halloween Kills, for me, as the worst of the lot. I am glad this “era” is over, and I hope whoever has the next crack at it will take a bit more care, or at least be willing to move much further away from the comfort zone collage of nods, winks, and fan-service that we had here.

4/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews