“Halloween,” which came out just four years ago put Michael Myers back on top of the horror world. It’s disappointing and strange that he’s now falling and (metaphorically) stabbing himself with his sword.
The success of the 2018 movie took the franchise and Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, to new heights, even though she didn’t have much to do in last year’s “Halloween Kills,” a bloody slasher movie. “Halloween Ends,” the previous film in director David Gordon Green’s trilogy, is too ambitious.
It gets two out of four stars, is rated R, and is now playing in theatres and streaming on Peacock. It does the same thing to the series’ other best asset by taking Michael’s mask away until he’s needed for a brutal fight at the end.
To bring you up to speed, let’s fast forwards to the present day in the fictional town of Haddonfield, where Laurie is currently living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and working on a novel while appearing having an everyday existence (for her). Michael has not been seen since the murder of her daughter four years ago (see: “Halloween Kills”), and he has not been caught.
As additional time has gone, “The Shape” of evil appears to have instead infected the town with a population full of jerks who hold Laurie responsible for the previous massacre and often torture Corey. Laurie forms a friendship with this young man who has been through his fair share of traumatic experiences after seeing him mistreated.
However, she notices something odd in his eyes and becomes concerned when he begins dating Allyson. This occurs around the same time as another Halloween in Haddonfield, which also turns out to be very violent.
“Ends” is a Halloween movie, complete with one brutally visceral kitchen fight for all the marbles between Laurie and Michael that, for the most part, doesn’t want to be a Halloween movie.
This fight takes place between Laurie and Michael. Even though there are a few particularly memorable murders, the film’s focus shifts more toward a family drama. This is evidenced by the fact that the tension between Laurie and Allyson at home is emphasized more than the horror movie elements.
This trilogy of “Halloween” films has intriguingly pushed into social commentary more than the OG slasher classic. Examples of this include women taking back their power in the movie released in 2018 and the investigation of mob violence in the film titled “Kills.”
This time, evil is portrayed as a virus that can affect an entire community. Michael is described as cancer that eats Haddonfield from the inside rather than being a relentless bogeyman. This is a clever variation on a theme that is left undercooked because there is so much else.
You can also read about these interesting tv shows:
- Umbrella Academy Season 3 Ending Explained!!
- Tekken Bloodline Anime Ending Explained: Who Died In The Fight Heihachi Or Jun?
As “Star Wars” can attest, bringing an end to a fan-favorite saga that has been going on for more than 40 years is no easy feat. Introducing a new main character and high concepts this late in the game increases the degree of difficulty, especially for a story that, at its core, is simply about a woman surviving a villain who won’t stop. In this context, “Halloween Ends” utilizes Curtis in a very effective manner.
The horror legend brings new humanity to her longtime role, and just when she thought she was (somewhat) safe, emotional pain and anguish are again heaped onto Laurie’s solid shoulders until she unleashes hell in a furniture-busting finale that gives the “Halloween” faithful a conclusion with just a hint of ambiguity. The horror legend brings new humanity to her longtime role as Laurie Strode.
The way “Ends” works are as follows: It’s a good-versus-evil slugfest that’s more complicated than it needs to be, and it’s a “Halloween” movie that should go out with a roar but instead closes with a masked wheeze. It’s an outcome that ventures too far afield from familiarity, and it’s a good-versus-evil slugfest that’s more complicated than it needs to be.
Please keep checking back on our homepage for additional information on Journalistpr.com.