Halloween Ends

This thirteenth time out proves unlucky for poor Michael Myers. Hopefully.

Gore bore: Candice Rose and Rohan Campbell

The Halloween franchise that began in 1978 finally draws to a close!

John Carpenter’s original inspired many sequels and even a reboot from director David Gordon Green which lured Jamie Lee Curtis back into repeating her role as Laurie Strode. This final chapter takes place four years after the events of Halloween Kills and introduces new characters. Laurie is now living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) but is still haunted by her memories. A troubled young man called Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), who is accused of the death of a boy he was babysitting, enters their world and begins dating Allyson – to the horror of Laurie.

This is a potentially interesting new element to the story, but this development unfortunately fizzles out into some very routine shock/horror moments that fail to stop the first half from being plodding and dull. Then at last Michael Myers turns up. This makes for a superb climactic sequence accompanied by some sharp editing and Carpenter’s classic theme music, but by then it is far too late to save this very disappointing project.

GEORGE SAVVIDES

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell, Will Patton, Kyle Richards, James Jude Courtney, Jesse C. Boyd, Joanne Baron, Michael Barbieri, Destiny Mone, Candice Rose. 

Dir David Gordon Green, Pro Malek Akkad, Jason Blum and Bill Block, Screenplay Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier, Danny McBride and David Gordon Green, Ph Michael Simmonds, Pro Des Richard A. Wright, Ed Tim Alverson, Music John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies, Costumes Emily Gunshor, Sound Rich Bologna. 

Miramax/Blumhouse Productions/Trancas International Films/Rough House Pictures-Universal Pictures.
110 mins. USA/UK. 2022. UK and US Rel: 14 October 2022. Cert. 18.