MPAA Rating: R/ Genre: Slasher/Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle, Will Patton, Rohan Campbell, Kyle Richards, Michael O’Leary, Omar Dorsey/Runtime: 111 minutes

Stop me when you’ve heard this particular cinematic bedtime story before: in the year 1963 in a small seemingly idyllic community in Illinois (though you’d swear with those palm trees it was California) known as Haddonfield, a young boy spied on his sister spending *ahem* “quality time with her boyfriend from outside their home. Once the boyfriend left however, the young boy, for reasons that are still a complete mystery, made his way into the house, went to the kitchen, pulled out a large knife, crept upstairs, and proceeded to swiftly and mercilessly butcher his sister in cold blood. 15 years after that horrific night, this young man fled the mental institute he had been kept in, went back to his hometown with his doctor in pursuit, and killed even more people with the exception of a young woman by the name of Laurie Strode who actually managed to best him. As for what happened after that……well honestly that really does all depend. I say that because when it comes to the story being told in the horror franchise Halloween there really are quite a few distinct paths to choose from. One version of the story has the killer terrorize the young lady in the hospital and die in an inferno, but not before it’s revealed that the two are related. Another picks up from there and deals with the madman going after the young woman’s daughter and ultimately culminates in the reveal that the madman is under the possession of a Druid curse. Then of course there’s the third thread that shows that the young woman faked her death and living her best life as a private school’s headmistress before being terrorized yet again only to have that particular thread wrap itself up with a reality show being filmed at the killer’s home and Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks being involved somehow (believe me I have a hard time wrapping my head around it too). Then there is the one that started back in 2018 and picked up the story directly from the first one and played out in real time as we see that this madman had managed to find his way back on to the streets and yet not only did he add a few more notches to his kill list, but he also managed to withstand being shot, stabbed, being hit with a variety of objects, and even darn near got cooked alive yet again. With that in mind, this current trio of films in this long-standing series did something unique. Not only did it bring back Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, but it also made a promise to the viewers that with the installment I am reviewing today known as Halloween Ends, it would serve as a possible wrap-up to the whole franchise and to the character of Laurie Strode altogether. Suffice it to say that is an incredibly ambitious statement to make and one that definitely had fans intrigued. Yet despite having the chance to bring something novel and fresh to the table, this one instead proves to be quite the mess to say nothing of one that actually makes me wonder just when in the world we are going to see another stab at this material. Suffice it to say that I know that Michael Myers is by no means against giving people an end that is as messy as possible, but honestly I do wish this end was one that was perhaps a wee bit cleaner than he usually is known for.

The plot is as follows: picking up a solid 4 years after the events of Halloween Ends, we see that Michael Myers has seemingly gone into a form of serial killer hibernation and iconic heroine Laurie Strode has actually managed to, at least seemingly, move forward in her, life. Indeed she’s writing a book about her life, she’s actually trying to see if there is something there with Frank Hawkins (even if they haven’t moved past the awkward flirting stage), and she is living with granddaughter Allyson who has found purpose as well courtesy of her job as a nurse. Of course, we all know that something has to give and in this case that would be a young man (and fellow town pariah) by the name of Corey Cunningham. Cunningham, we quickly learn in the beginning of the film, was at one time a happy go lucky young man who tragedy dealt a cruel blow to on Halloween night in 2019 when he was babysitting a kid and things….didn’t exactly go so well for the kid’s physical wellbeing. Yet despite not facing any legal action for what occurred that fateful night, we see that the community has never really forgiven him so he just tries as best he can to keep a low profile and live his life in a form of exile. Or at least he was until Laurie tries to set him and Allyson up thinking it might be good for the both of them and lo and behold a tentative relationship does start to form. Unfortunately for our trio of characters, to say nothing of the rest of Haddonfield, it isn’t long before a rash decision by some of the younger town citizens results in not only Michael coming out of hiding, but certain fallout occurring that will see the stage be set for a final showdown between the most horrific demon the town has ever had to face and the survivor who is ready to do whatever it takes to see that his reign of terror is at long last put to an end….

Now in terms of work being done behind the camera it should be noted that, as compared to 95% of the other entries in this franchise, this film’s helmer and creative team has always made it clear that this film and the two proceeding it were very much meant to operate as a three-part story. Perhaps this is why, as compared to the other movies that could just be seen as “more of the same”, there were always little nods at certain thematic concepts that the creative team behind the camera tried to aim for discussing within the framework of this trilogy whilst also showing us as movie goers a possible endgame. Perhaps this is why it is so perplexing to me to see that this slice of cinema is one that feels like a blending together of half-thought-out concepts that not only share no connection with each other, but also somehow make how successful the entries from 2018 and 2021 proved to be to give off the vibe of being accidental at best. Indeed, the entry of 2018 looked into trying to move on from traumas from your past whilst the 2nd one showed just how perilous herd mentality can be for a community and its denizens. The theme of this film seems to really want to tie into both grief and how accepting your own inner evil can bring about consequences you never intended, but it really doesn’t go as in-depth as the other two were willing to. Thus, it is not that this film doesn’t have a message; rather it’s that it is incapable of regaling it to the viewer in an effective manner. Yet perhaps the thing that makes this even more exasperating to this reviewer would be the fact that, despite critics not viewing Halloween Kills from 2021 as favorably as the 2018 Halloween, this slice and dice of cinema actually manages to make Halloween Kills seem both better and worse than the critics thought at the time. Indeed seeing as that installment was the 2nd entry in this trilogy, audiences were fully aware that there would be questions raised that would not get an answer in that movie. Yet rather than really investigate any further into those unanswered questions, this film never takes the time to go into any detail on them thus making them feel like a annoying tease. At the same time though, the concept of the townspeople forming a vigilante mob of sorts to hunt Michael down and the exploration of the unintended consequences that mob violence can have most assuredly seem like brilliant storytelling as compared to the slog present in this film. Suffice it to say that even though Green’s first stab at this franchise definitely gave off the vibe of being a reminder as much as possible of the first movie, this is one that feels like a blending of the entries that concentrated on her daughter Jamie Lloyd (aka Halloween 4, 5, and Druid ehhh 6). A vibe it provides proof of by not only departing from the character of Laurie as a key element, but also courtesy of an investigation into the aftermath of Michael rampaging around Haddonfield, nudges toward a possible reason for what could compel a person to kill, and even a few moments that are underground. Of course, seeing as there are movie goers among you who do have an appreciation for those entries, I have no doubt that there are those of you out there who will advocate for this film since you’ll just simply appreciate seeing Michael Myers and Laurie on the big screen again. With that in mind, the third act does at least keep the promise of the two icons duking it out “one final time”, but the problem is that not only does it feel rushed and underdeveloped, but it also doesn’t distinguish itself in a lot of ways from the other throwdowns the two have had in prior installments.

Of course, as we all know a movie can be a mess behind the camera, but if the performances in front of the camera aren’t too bad then the movie can still be seen as somewhat salvageable. While that is true to an extent here, I will also say that the performances are also rather unusual. This starts with Laurie Strode played once again by the great Jamie Lee Curtis and yet I am not entirely convinced that this portrayal was not given to us by a pod person version of Jamie Lee Curtis rather than the actual actress herself. I say that because this film isn’t entirely sure on how to handle this character. Indeed, as we got to see in the first installment back in 2018, Laurie’s conflict with Michael in 1978 was a pinnacle chapter in her life that not only damaged her psychologically, but also pushed those she loved away from her. To that end, whilst Halloween Kills still presented us with this warrior woman version of Laurie albeit one that has been put on the bench due to her physical wounds, this one gives us a Laurie that is actually (for all intents and purposes) healed both physically and psychologically. However, the problem here is that this film keeps shuffling back and forth between Laurie being a loving yet slightly dotty grandmother and a hardened survivor and can’t decide which avenue it wants her to go down. I mean sure it’s just as odd to see Laurie screaming obscenities because her pie is burning in the oven as it was to see her on a homemade shooting range back in 2018, but at least the shooting range Laurie was understandable given what the experience Michael put her through had done to her psyche in the past 4 decades. In this film however, it really does feel like we are meeting Laurie for that first time all over again and as a result, despite a game effort from Jamie Lee Curtis, the film really doesn’t gift her with the necessary resonance in regards to the encroaching “final conflict” with Michael. As for the other noteworthy characters in this installment, it should be noted that yes we do a get a good performance from relative newcomer Rohan Campbell in the role of Corey that is quite empathetic as well as intricate, but I have to be honest I am a bit confused as to why this character was brought in. Suffice it to say that I can’t say too much about why due to his arc in this having massive spoilers attached to it, but what I can say is that the film does spend way more time with him than it does with either Laurie or (especially) Michael and that does prove to be just a wee bit problematic in the grand scheme of things. With that being said though, there are at least a couple of performances that I would love to make note of here. The first being I do still appreciate the work being done here by the iconic Will Patton as Deputy Frank Hawkins. Yes, he might not have as much screentime in this one as he does the other two, but Patton still proves to be a wonderful fit for the part and he and Curtis do have a delightfully awkward chemistry with each other that is kind of adorable to see play out here in their scenes together. The second performance I would like to point out is that, even though her character has gone down a road in this narratively speaking that I would not have guessed, I do really appreciate the returning Andi Matichak reprising her role of Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson. Indeed not only does Matichak give a fairly three-dimensional performance in the role in each of these movies, but she does a wonderful job in her moments where she is interacting with the other characters especially when it comes to her scenes with Curtis which prove to be quite potent from an emotional perspective knowing all that her character has gone through. Indeed, I know that the first movie in some ways might have been trying to suggest that she was going to become the main character of this 3-part story, but I really do wish that had happened because Matichak has a screen presence that is truly second to none and I can’t wait to see where she winds up next as an actress following her time in this franchise.

All in all is Halloween Ends the worst entry in this long-running horror franchise? Honestly no. Not even close. That is an “honor” that, at least in the eyes of this reviewer, still manages to belong exclusively to 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection (though the theatrical cut of 1995’s Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers could be a close second). With that in mind, is this the best of the franchise? Again not even close (that is an honor that I feel will ALWAYS belong to the original from all the way back in 1978). With that in mind therefore, you are probably wondering just where this one lands for me. Well in my mind this installment lands fairly close to the 2^nd Halloween film that Rob Zombie did back in 2009 due to how similar the two are in some key ways. By that I mean here is an installment that is actually willing to try and do something different from the norm, but is then horrifically and tragically let down by not fully developing the intriguing ideas it is operating with, containing plot points that could have been genuinely chilling, but instead will leave you most assuredly scratching your head at how confusingly underwritten they are, and giving us performances of certain characters that are honestly baffling due to how much they are a complete 180 from what we have come to expect from them in previous installments. Suffice it to say therefore that Halloween Ends is not only a mess in a lot of ways despite the fact that several members of the cast in this are trying to work with this material as best as they can (a phrase I use rather loosely). Rather, it is also a stumble across the finish line rather than a triumphant victory lap that if you even remotely believe will prove to be the proverbial final bow for this particular franchise….well let’s just say I might have some oceanfront property in Arizona that you might be interested in looking at it too. After all, dear reader don’t you know that evil never truly dies. Instead, it just transfers over to the next producer who is willing to bring it to the masses because their salary based almost entirely on total box office gross is depending on it. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Halloween Ends “2022” a resounding 2.5 out of 5.