Halloween Ends (2022)-Everyone’s entitled to one final scare

Directed by: David Gordon Green

Starring:  Jamie Lee CurtisAndi MatichakRohan CampbellWill PattonKyle Richards, and James Jude Courtney

Synopsis: Four years after her last encounter with masked killer Michael Myers, Laurie Strode is living with her granddaughter and trying to finish her memoir. Myers hasn’t been seen since, and Laurie finally decides to liberate herself from rage and fear and embrace life. However, when a young man stands accused of murdering a boy that he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that forces Laurie to confront the evil she can’t control.

Laurie Strode and Michael Myers meet for the last time. Only one will make it out alive. 

Halloween Ends picks up four years after the events of Halloween Kills. Michael has disappeared and Laurie and Allyson have found some sort of peace. 

A four-year gap separates Halloween Ends from Halloween Kills. Michael has disappeared, and Laurie and Allyson seem to have found some peace. There is a change of pace between Ends and the previous two entries, and the movie focuses on setting up and saying goodbye to characters. Laurie was reintroduced to us in 2018’s Halloween along with new characters. In Halloween Kills, many of the legacy characters returned and the story continued on the same night as in 2018. In Ends, Laurie and Allyson’s arcs are wrapped up, and Corey Cunningham’s arc starts and ends.

Corey and Allyson, both from Haddonfield and with traumatic pasts, form the center of Halloween Ends, a love story. Allyson is believed to be a survivor, but she’s related to Laurie, whom the town hates. Corey has become known as a murderer because of an accident that occurred shortly after Michael disappeared.

Outstanding performances

Rohan Campbell is perfectly cast as Corey and watching his character’s arc and story develop is such an intense journey.

Andi Matichak gets to do more with Allyson and dive deeper into the characters’ social and work lives. We also see how the character has mature since we last saw her. Jamie Lee Curtis gets to play Laurie as she was in the original Halloween combined with the battle-hardened Laurie we met in 2018. She never fails to make the character of Laurie interesting and watchable, she’s a character we root for. 

Michael Myers

James Jude Courtney returns as ‘The Shape’ for his final outing in the iconic mask. Compared to the previous two films, ‘The Shape’ doesn’t get much screen time but when he does, it’s memorable. Michael is at his weakest in Halloween Ends, and his first kill immediately proves that while he does become stronger after it, he will never be the same as in previous movies. A slight wince is sure to be experienced by viewers after watching the gory and memorable kills.  

Farewell to the iconic and legendary, Laurie Strode

Halloween Ends cements Jamie Lee Curtis as the ULTIMATE scream queen. A badge of honour she can wear and be proud of. There will be no other final girl that can top that of Laurie Strode and we have the talented Jamie Lee Curtis to thank for being there to tell the story and let us be a part of a 44-year journey. We saw her as the final girl, the final woman, the final mother and the final grandmother. Laurie’s journey comes full circle as does Jamie’s tenure as Laurie. Thank you, JLC. We salute you. 

Verdict – Controversial?

For me, Halloween Ends is a brilliant character piece and David Gordon Green makes a bold move taking the route he does. You will root for Corey the whole way through because he is a likeable character with an amazing arc, Rohan is a great actor, and Corey is a very likable character. In addition to getting to know Allyson much better, Matichak proves herself capable of leading a Halloween film if the opportunity arises.

Dare I say this is the best Halloween movie soundtrack ever! John Carpenter returns with a rip-roaring soundtrack which amps up the feel of the film and creates the OMG moments. The cinematography is amazing, and fans will be sure to appreciate it.  There are some great kills in Ends, which will make fans cheer. There is a brutal slugfest in the final fight that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Halloween Ends is a definitive bookend to David Gordon Green’s trilogy and to the saga of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers.

The finale we have been waiting for.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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