WARNING: Contains Spoilers
The much-anticipated conclusion in the latest Halloween timeline has finally arrived with the October 14th release of Halloween Ends. The film is directed by David Gordon Green and once again stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode.
The initial response from Halloween fans has been mixed. Some seem to love it, some seem to hate it while others are neutral. The movie has a 5.1/10 score on IMDB.com, on RottenTomatoes it has a 40% tamometer score while the RottenTomatoes audience scores stands at 57%. 60% of Google users liked the film.
This was a difficult film to score a rating on for myself. There are somethings about the movie that I did not enjoy and some things that I loved.
What I Hate about Halloween Ends:
- Corey Cunningham.
I technically did not hate Corey Cunningham, in fact I felt really bad for him as he was a likeable character. At the same time, I feel like his character in this story was not necessary in the finale. Corey Cunningham scores more kills than Michael Myers in the film which I’m sure upset a lot of Halloween fans. I understand what the film was trying to do with his character but feel like it was poorly executed and overdone. - Evil Defined
In Halloween ends it is clear that the movie’s writers wanted to prove early on that evil never dies. We are either born evil or the evil is inside us just waiting to be unleashed. Corey Cunningham’s character seemed once to be the All-American guy. His life then turned upside down with the accidental murder of a child that turned him to a bullied outcast. Through it all, Corey still seemed to be decent. Then Michael Myers chokes him and looks into his eyes. The next thing you know Corey can’t control himself and becomes a mass murderer. I thought that was a lazy way to continue on that narrative. - The Absence of Michael Myers.
With the inclusion of Corey Cunningham’s character we see less of Michael Myers throughout the movie. Laurie Strode is an iconic character in the Halloween series but people pay to see Michael! - The Evolution of Michael Myers
Michael is now an elderly man who is not as strong as he use to be. He gets the opportunity to drag Corey into his hideout spot after Corey is pushed off a bridge up above by the bullies. Michael chokes Corey to near death before looking in his eyes and seeing what all Corey has been through. At that point he lets Corey go and Corey goes on to become a killer. This was one of the biggest issues I had with the film. That scene and what proceeded gave Michael a perceived supernatural power yet that doesn’t relate to his now limited physical abilities. Does Michael have supernatural abilities that are just mentally sourced? I think that argument can be made in relation to the mental strain that Michael has put on Laurie and the whole town of Haddonfield.
What I Love About Halloween Ends:
1. Closure.
Halloween Ends does give an ending to this timeline. Michael gets stabbed and has his throat and wrist slit. This time Laurie took no chances and paraded Michaels body through town where she then put his body into an industrial sized grinder. Here we see Michael’s body being torn to pieces. Michael Myers has always survived a lot but his body has never been mutilated in that manner.
2. Laurie Strode
With Michaels death, it seems as if Laurie may finally be able to find peace of mind. The ending was a calming scene where it looks like she has a chance at love and happiness with Deputy Hawkins.
3. Visuals
The movies visuals were very well done which I appreciated.
In conclusion, while this film is far from perfect, I did enjoy it. I would like to give it one more watch to see if I missed anything or have any different thoughts. I certainly understand why some people hate it, especially those who are hardcore Michael Myers fans. The film wins in some areas and misses the spot in others.
The most important question myself and others have. Is this really the END of Michael Myers? Maybe for this timeline but I expect we have not seen the last of Michael Myers or the Halloween series. If there is another reboot, I will be anxiously waiting to see where it goes.
HFH SCORE: 6.4
View Date: 10/15/2022
Where I Watched “Halloween Ends?” Peacock