31 Days of Horror Movies: Halloween Ends, I Bet I’m About to Offend You

Who’s ready for some controversy? Of course I am talking about the newest installment in the Halloween franchise, Halloween Ends. This franchise is very near and dear to my own heart and it’s just as important to many other people. The end of the franchise has been extremely polarizing: you either love this movie or you hate it. There has been no in between. I am on the love it side and before you light your torches and sharpen your pitchforks, let me explain why. There will be moderate spoilers ahead, so if you don’t mind that, keep on reading. 

Halloween Ends time jumps a couple times in its runtime. At first, we find ourselves six months after the events of Halloween Kills. Michael disappeared after the massacre in front of his home, Karen is in fact dead and Haddonfield is on edge. Everyone is paranoid and crime has skyrocketed. In an unfortunate accident, a young boy is killed in his babysitter’s care. Suddenly we are four years after the night he came home. Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is looking great with her 1978 haircut back, her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), lives with her and both of them are just trying to move on with their lives.

Allyson cuddles up to the babysitter in said child-killing incident, Corey (Rohan Campbell), and just wants to feel SOMETHING. Poor Corey is ostracized by the Haddonfield residents. The OG Boogeyman went MIA, so they needed a new one to fill The Shape-sized hole in their hearts. When people begin dying again in Haddonfield, everyone is looking for someone to blame. Unfortunately for Allyson, when Laurie looks at Corey, she sees the blackest eyes…the devil’s eyes.

Many people didn’t like Halloween Ends for a few reasons. For one, the structure of this film is considerably different than the first two in the trilogy. There is less of a focus on Michael and more on the consequences of the previous movies. There is also a lack of humor in Halloween Ends but that doesn’t mean that it is without its tender moments. Soft conversations between Laurie and Deputy Francis (Will Patton) help to break up the carnage with some tender feels. Finally, many people thought the ending was just too much, too hokey or just ridiculous.

I enjoyed that Halloween Ends changed up the film format. Sure, we see a final showdown between Michael and Laurie, but it’s not just a hack ‘n’ slash film, there’s at least a little bit of depth to it. To address the humor, the best installments of the franchise didn’t utilize humor in the runtime. Think about Halloween 1978 or even Halloween II. It may not be canon in the trilogy but it was a great sequel and leaned more on the serious side. It wasn’t until H20 and Resurrection that the silly stuff really kicked in. I take that back *coughcultofthorncough*

In terms of the ending…I loved it. Maybe some people would think it a bit extra but as far as an ending goes, this one was a ton of fun. The biggest issue with final girls and boys in horror films is that they never make sure the big baddie is truly dead. Well, I promise you, there is no question about it it Halloween Ends. Not once did I think what they did was too over the top.

Halloween Ends is brutal with gore gags that will knock your socks off. On top of it all, it was shot beautifully with well lit, cinematic angles and environments. I think this is the prettiest Halloween movie I’ve seen released. Rohan Campbell did a phenomenal job as Corey and Curtis is always amazing in everything she is in.

Halloween Ends is a big recommendation from me. I don’t care what the haters of the film say. I have been watching the Halloween franchise since I was knee high to a grasshopper way back in the 1900’s. If the series had to end, this was a helluva way to do it. Bravo to David Gordon Green for ending the series on a film that fans can be proud of. It’s streaming now on Peacock Premium. If you don’t have a subscription, get yourself a trial and watch the movie. It’ll do you some good.

What did you think about Halloween Ends? Tell us all about it in the comments section.