Halloween Ends 2022 (Spoilers)

The Halloween franchise has taken many twists and turns since its origins back in 1978, but on October 14, 2022, with the incorporation of a few new twists and turns, Halloween did in fact END.

For a substantial number of Halloween fans, the "end" came with huge disappointment. In some cases, I have seen unadulterated hatred and outrage. So, what was it about Halloween Ends that so many of us loved, yet so many others adamantly hated? How could one installment in such a beloved franchise create that much of a divide? I'm still trying to figure that out, but I will do my best to dissect the bits I love from the bits so many others despised.

In fact, I believe this is a movie that warrants two separate reviews.  This review will be written to express how much I enjoyed this movie. I actually love[d] Halloween Ends more than any other installment in the entire franchise, but I will lightly address the reasons why I believe so many fans were not just disappointed, but completely infuriated over this final chapter in David Gordon Green's Halloween saga.

I recently read a comment where a woman said that she didn't like this movie because it brought absolutely nothing "new" to the table? Um, apparently we watched two different movies, because that's exactly what I felt like Halloween Ends did. It brought something to the table that has never been used in the franchise. In my opinion, it has been heavily implied that there is a supernatural element to Michael Myers, but none of the writers/directors have chosen to delve into it, until now.

The opening of the movie cues Universal, Miramax, and Blumhouse roll-ins preceding music aired by Haddonfield's local radio station. This is actually not only clever, but significant placement because the radio station and its DJ gets highlighted in the guts of the movie. Green 'played' that one very well. Pun intended.

It's Halloween Night (2019) in Haddonfield, Illinois. As the intro music plays we are introduced to our principle lead character (Corey) as he rides his bike through 'trick r treaters' to get to the house where he will spend the evening babysitting. I won't take pause for every single detail, but this movie is like a dark mirror image of the original in many senses, and Corey babysitting is certainly an example one of those mirror image reflections.

"It's Halloween. We're going to have a good time tonight."

Corey is babysitting Jeremy Allen for the evening in order for Mr. and Mrs. Allen to attend the company Halloween Party being held down the road from their house. Once the Allen's leave, you quickly discover that Jeremy is a mean-spirited, smart-mouthed little punk.

A lesson to take away; don't be a punk on Halloween because the wrath of instant karma can hit hard and quite literally knock you down. Sorry! I couldn't resist.

As the night progresses, Jeremy's attitude and prankster nature intensify and while Corey continuously tries to deter the kid and avoid playing into his bullying and instigating behavior; the kid is relentless. After Jeremy briefly agitates Corey about the "Boogeyman" killing babysitters and not coming after kids, Corey gets up and goes to the kitchen. Jeremy instantly takes Corey's babysitting nightmare to the next level. Jeremy decides to sneak out of the family room and hide elsewhere in the house. He knocks over a floor lamp, opens the front door, and makes various alarming noises to scare Corey and trigger concern. This opening scene was representative of 'the beginning of the end.'

Once he ascends the spiraling staircase that was showcased upon his arrival to the Allen's house, Corey gets locked in the attic by Jeremy. I knew something was going to happen - but I was not expecting THAT! This scene with Mr. and Mrs. Allen watching the fate of their potty mouthed little son was one of the most jaw-dropping moments in my entire cinematic experience. The shock of this scene managed to surpass that of which I felt in the moment when Dexter Morgan walked into his bathroom and found the final remnants of Trinity. Talk about shocking! Just like that ... My. Jaw. Was. Wide. Open. 

The score drops right after Jeremy does [sorry, I did it again! I couldn't help it]. The score was playing and my jaw was still hanging wide open. It was in that moment that I knew that this movie was about to do something different.

Let me back up just a little before I go any further. I won't lie, I had rolled my eyes dozens of times when the Halloween Ends trailers played each time I visited the theater to watch other movies. I knew I would watch Halloween Ends, just because I try my hardest to support the horror genre by frequenting the cinema - but I truly expected to hate Ends. I did not like Green's other two installments in this trilogy, so what on earth could possibly make me like Ends? I am still completely ecstatic to be wrong about that. Arguably, haters will tell me that I like a "bad" movie. But what makes a movie bad? Does a group of haters who claim a movie is horrible, make them the end all, be all on the definition of a "bad" movie? Well, no more than me loving a movie makes me the end all, be all. But in this particular case, I'm right and they are wrong. I am the end-all, be all. Halloween Ends was awesome and I have rewatched this movie so many times that I've lost count. I saw it THREE times in the theater. I am currently reading the book, but life keeps stopping me in my tracks and I can't seem to finish it.

Sometimes bullies are the common denominator in a story about a person who was on the brink and finally snapped. Halloween Ends uses examples of bullying to the extent that it might actually make you question whether or not excessive bullying can make an otherwise good-person snap. I think the movie does a great job at making the viewer question whether a person capable of horrible atrocities always had evil within in them or if they a person can truly be pushed toward darkness and become evil. In this third installment of the trilogy I am convinced that Corey was truly a good person and was transformed into evil by all of the horrible people he constantly had to deal with.

I also like that the movie prompts the question about evil and whether a person can be turned to evil, but does not use it as an excuse for people to commit evil. Corey always had a choice ... well ... he at least had a choice up until he encountered Michael Myers. I think once he was face to face with Michael, everything changed and there was a deeper transformation that took control of him.

The other part of the story that I actually enjoyed was the love story between Allyson and Corey. She was the hero who survived Michael Myers and he was known as the psycho babysitter. They are both broken and traumatized from labels and stigmas attached to them by the townspeople for reasons on opposite ends of the spectrum, but with one common denominator — Michael Myers.

Their connection was fast (too fast to be realistic according to some) and for that it receives a lot of negative feedback. Chemistry and compatibility can and does happen in an instant though. I have had friendships and romantic connections spark with one conversation. It happens. These two had all the wrong reasons favoring them to be right for one another.

The saddest part of this love story is that they both realized that they needed to leave Haddonfield in order to have normal lives, but Corey met Michael before he realized the need for to have this discussion with Allyson.  There is something so intriguing to me about the idea of running away with someone and getting away from all the bullshit, that it deeply saddens me that Corey and Allyson were stopped in their tracks by the stranglehold of evil. Corey was a good boy gone bad ... very, very bad.

By the time we reach the scene where Michael grabs Corey and their sanctimonious connection takes place — it is already too late. But even after that moment takes place, Corey continues to try to fight the evil that has now laid its footprint within him. He has such deep feelings for Allyson that he is determined to go to her and escape with her. After he encounters Michael and he returns to see Allyson, Laurie immediately senses the evil within him, but Allyson is unable or unwilling to see it. This is representative of our everyday lives and how we become both jaded to certain elements and live in a state of denial over the things we don't want to address.

The idea that evil is never destroyed and always takes new form (Shape), is what helps me forgive the previous movies in the franchise. Evil as a force or entity works well for me. It helps make sense of Michael's ability to keep coming back after attacks against him that most certainly should have killed him.

As the story in Halloween Ends progresses we watch as an even greater divide between Allyson and Laurie pushes them further apart. Corey and Allyson fall more deeply in love and everything spirals out of control. Unfortunately, there was no way the story could have had a happy ending, but it wouldn't have been a Halloween movie if it had.

I do believe that the way the story closes, it leaves the door wide open for the Boogeyman to return.

The cast was superb. Everyone gave pretty outstanding performances. I think Corey's introduction offered a poetic ending. The beginning and end of his story was combined, making the end of the trilogy even more traumatic in my opinion.

The cinematography was beautiful and the scenes were well-paced. The lighting, the wardrobe, the shots, and edits all flowed very well to keep the story interesting and fluid.

The SCORE - well, the score was more exciting than ever. Halloween stands alone in the score department. There simply isn't another score in cinema that excites me as much and I have quite a few that I love. I love the mix of the old with the new and just when you think the score can't hit any harder — it does.

THE SHAPE was in full, beautiful form and honestly I was sad to see him go. Fans were outraged that Myers didn't get much screen time, but fact checkers have debunked that claim and it simply isn't true. I love that the story focused on how Michael Myers has impacted every life through all facets of life in Haddonfield. By doing this ... Michael was actually able to be on-screen even when he wasn't. Does that make sense? His presence was always there. Now that the story has been told, we all know that Michael was not only present in "spirit" when not onscreen, but was especially present in his new little side-kick. <3

Was Corey always evil? Was Michael always evil? Or is this an example that expresses that evil can be let inside ....

Two Bloody Thumbs Up!!!!