Catching Up On Cinema Theatrical Edition: Halloween Ends (2022)

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In a very special, “Theatrical Edition” of Catching Up On Cinema, Kyle and Trevor review David Gordon Green's, Halloween Ends (2022)!

The third and final chapter of David Gordon Green's recent trilogy of films, Halloween Ends (2022) is yet another in a long line of highly divisive Halloween/Michael Myers sequels.

The 13th entry in the Halloween film series, Halloween Ends sees the franchise veer into unexpected territory, dedicating much of its screen time and characterization to elements that are potentially unwelcome by Michael Myers super fans.

Earnest (albeit ham-fisted) in its continued exploration of the themes of trauma and hysteria introduced in Gordon Green's own Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021), Halloween Ends is unfortunately a case of a film being possessed of fine ideas that are unfortunately not explored to the extent one would hope after an entire trilogy spent dog paddling in them.

Handsomely shot, and once again beautifully scored by the father son duo of John and Cody Carpenter, Halloween Ends is tonally and aesthetically in line with earlier entries in the series, though in some ways that may be to its detriment.

3/4ths of a bold and unique entry in the Halloween franchise, Halloween Ends is a well made slasher with strong performances and interesting ideas, though it unfortunately betrays itself in its final reel by concluding the story that franchise fans would likely demand, rather than the one that the film had been telling, quite ably, prior to the finale.

Alternatively, one could also view the film as an earnest conclusion of the Laurie Strode/Michael Myers story, effectively conveying the evolution of Laurie's struggle with her trauma.

Perhaps Halloween Ends' greatest liability comes in the form of effectively innovating, introducing ideas and characters that this reviewer was more interested in continuing to explore, amid a concluding chapter in a trilogy that's conclusion was near preordained by virtue of Ends needing to maintain symmetry with Gordon Green's earlier films.

A divisive film, to the point that this reviewer is still uncertain of its overall quality and enjoyability, Halloween Ends is a fine, if not somewhat uneven Halloween sequel.

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