Halloween Ends Dir: David Gordon Green (Film Review)

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Halloween Ends, or does it? The latest and last(?) installation of the Halloween franchise that began way back in 1978 by John Carpenter and Debra Hill opens today.

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell, Kyle Richards, Nick Castle, Will Patton

Longtime fans of the slasher flick will recognise a few familiar names in addition to Carpenter’s in the credits. Reprising roles from the ’78 film are Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle Richards and Nick Castle as Michael Myers.

Halloween Ends serves as a sequel to two films…the 1978 original Halloween and last year’s Halloween Kills and as such, takes on a bit too much at once.

Myself, I saw the original back in the day, but have pretty much ignored all the sequels (there are 12 including this one). So, does Halloween Ends hold up for the casual fan?

Yes and no.

Or I should say no and yes, as I found the first half of the film somewhat convoluted and a bit tedious as it centered on the events of the previous Halloween Kills film which I had not seen.

The plot revolves around a teenage boy, Corey Cunningham, played by Rohan Campbell, who is withdrawn and emotionally broken after falsely being accused of killing a young boy he had been babysitting. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) takes pity and encourages her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) to befriend him. She does, they connect and trouble ensues in the form of bullying, violence and eventually murder.

The second half of the film focusses more on Laurie and its here where things get interesting…and gory. I’m gonna say that Jamie Lee Curtis is not a great actress, but let’s face it, we’ve been watching her for years and it is satisfying to see the conflict between her and Mike Myers finally play itself out to the end.

Or is it?

With a franchise like this, there is always a chance of a sequel, as long as there is an audience willing to pay for tickets, but for me, Halloween Ends serves as a satisfying end to a franchise that, I think, many hadn’t realized was even still happening.

The final fight scene is worth the wait and we’ll keep the winner a secret for now.

So grab some popcorn and an L&P and keep your expectations low and you’ll have a fine old time.

Marty Duda

Halloween Ends opens in cinemas today

Marty Duda
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