For nearly 45 years, John Carpenterâs classic âHalloweenâ franchise has taken the world of horror by storm. From the filmâs iconic theme song to the infamously terrifying Michael Meyers, to beloved final girl Laurie Strode played by the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis, A lot of the slasher genre owes a great big debt to the original 1978 film. When âHalloweenâ was first conceived, it was done so in 17 days on a meager budget of $325,000 ($1.5 million in todayâs world) with no expectations of a franchise, let alone multiple timelines. However, once the film made around $50-$60 million at the box office, the possibilities were endless. We were graced with endless sequels, off-shoots (âSeason of the Witchâ), and even a remake. The story of a masked man haunting the town of Haddonfield still, after 4 decades, remains ripe for commercial opportunity.
As is the case with most horror franchises, Iâve had my ups & downs with the Halloween franchise. While the original from 1978 will no doubt remain a horror classic, Iâve always found 1998âs âHalloween H20: 20 Years Laterâ to be one of my all-time favorites. To me, it had the best version of Laurie Strode, a solid supporting cast (Josh Hartnett, LL Cool J, & Academy Award Nominee Michelle Williams), and an epic showdown between Laurie and Micheal. I also really enjoyed the 2018 ârequelâ as well. Just like with H20, âHalloween (2018)â (or as I sometimes call it, âH40â) also shows a more bad-ass Laurie Strode getting ready to take on the shape once and for all and even had one hell of a third act. Sure, itâs not without its issues: dumb podcasters, The evil doctor twist, and some out-of-place humor, but It still remained a true return to form for the franchise after the gratuitous Rob Zombie remake from 2007 and its bizarre and pretentious 2009 sequel. As for last yearâs follow-up, âHalloween Killsâ, not so much. While the film is certainly true in its advertising, It was an absolute step down from its predecessor. The film may have featured plenty of carnage and an exploration of mob mentality but, the movie not only sidelined Laurie but, suffered from being the middle chapter of a trilogy. In other words, all blood and no payoff.
Now, we flash forward 4 years after the events of the past two âHalloweenâ films where Laurie (played once again by Jamie Lee Curtis) is actively working towards leaving her traumatic past behind. Her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak) is also moving on despite the fact that her mom, Karen (Judy Greer), was butchered at the end of the last film. As Laurie and her grandaughter try to adapt to their new lives in Haddonfield, an evil that vanished has returned. Once Laurie learns of Michealâs return, she prepares for one last face-off, only this time: There can only be one.
Before I dive in, I just want to put up a quick disclaimer: This review will (of course) be 100% SPOILER-FREE. There are plenty of plot elements in this movie that the marketing has not disclosed and I will have to do some tip-toeing around just to get my point across. Expect a spoiler-filled discussion within the next few days. Without further ado, letâs get ready to rumble.
The âHalloweenâ franchise is no stranger to taking creative risks. The filmâs 3rd installment, titled âSeason of the Witchâ, remains the only movie to not have Micheal Meyers. As âHalloween Endsâ started, I was genuinely worried at first. While I often respect filmmakersâ decisions to take massive swings and make radical creative changes, Iâve seen that power be used for good as well as (for a lack of a better word) evil. Iâd often argue that the past few films that have attempted this (Marvelâs âEternalsâ, âMatrix Resurrectionsâ, & of course, âThe Last Jediâ) didnât do it for me. However, (again, keeping things under wraps) âHalloween Endsâ managed to actually land for me by simply doing so without detatching from the narrative being paved down by its predecessors. The upside to this is that this is still very much Laurieâs story and, unlike âKillsâ, She does far more than sit in a hospital bed and spout expository dialogue. Michael on the other hand.. thatâs a kind-of different story.
Jamie Lee Curtis remains an impeccable icon as Laurie Strode. While we get to see Laurie receive some of the support sheâs been needing fo the past 44 years, Itâs pretty evident that her story has yet to come to a conclusion. It was nice to see Laurie do her best to live a more normal life after the events of the previous films, even though the rest of Haddonfield is absolute rubbish. I really like how director David Gordon Green and Co-Writer Danny McBride take time to make the town Haddonfield itself a character with it's own arc. In âHalloween Killsâ, we get to see the grim and ugly result of the entire town becoming an angry mob, akin to tempremental fans of certain franchises or public figures that appear on my Twitter feed. We get to see the real cost of people being reckless and stupid. In âHalloween Endsâ, we get to see how cruel and hateful the entire town has become, just like those same people on my Twitter feed. Laurie walks out fo grocery store in a very pleasant mood only for someone to approach her and publicly berate her for the events of the last film. Itâs harsh and borderline tragic, making me feel for her. I will also say that Laurie in this film feels very similar to her character from âH20â.
As far as the others, Andi Matichak still shines as Laurieâs grandaughter, Allyson. Her arc contributes heavily to much of the filmâs undisclosed plot which involves a new character, Corey Cunningham. I really liked Rohan Campbell as Corey and I do like the reflective storytelling that occurs here between he and Laurie. His arc, however, is a tad messy. Itâs nice to see Will Patton and Kyle Richards back as Officer Hawkins and Lindsey Wallace respectively but, they are sidelined. It was pretty evident that the film had no idea what to do with some its more established surviving characters that it randomly drops them (similar to âJurassic World: Dominionâ) at the tip of a hat. It honestly feels like, despite this being the conclusion to a trilogy, there are still a few loose ends that have yet to be remotely glanced at.
There are going to be plenty of people that hate the huge risk that this film took, raidcally shifting it narrative. I can totally understand this as it, for a while, doesnât necessarily feel like a âHalloweenâ movie. The biggest downside to this, however, is that it hurts the filmâs pacing. We spend far too much time on this other plot than the main event. We donât even make it to the big showdown until the last 20 minutes. However, those last 20 minutes had my heart rate through the roof. The big showdown goes on for a bit but, it constantly toys with your expectations as it goes on. Without giving anything away though, This film delivers on one thing that neither âJurassic World: Dominionâ nor âRise of Skywalkerâ were capable of delivering: actual payoff. While I felt confused throughout most of âHalloween Endsâ, The filmâs conclusion left me with an odd sense of satisfaction.
The best way to describe âHalloween Endsâ is like playing a video game where you stop in the middle of story mode to spend some time on side quests, and then return for the boss fight. It almost feels like a season of a TV show was cramed into a 2 hour movie. While itâs narrative is messy, I still liked it. The kills, despite being nowhere near as brutal as âHalloween Killsâ are savage. There arenât many but, there is one involving a vinyl record is both nasty and darkly funny. The creative direction in which this finale goes is absolutely admirable and very much circumvents my expectations in a way that works. Most importantly, while Laurieâs last stand isnât perfect, it still landed despite its shortcomings.
Final Verdict:
âHalloween Endsâ not with a big fiery bang nor a whimper but, on a flawed yet satisfying note, giving the 2018 trilogy and the legendary Laurie Strode a suprisingly strong send-off