Laurie Strode prepares for a final showdown with The Shape in Halloween Ends. Four years have passed since Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) returned to terrorize the town of Haddonfield, and the town hasn't been the same since. With Myers having vanished, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has been trying to rebuild her life with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). However, that changes when Allyson begins dating Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), a man who was made a social pariah due to an accidental manslaughter charge three years prior. The town's cruelty toward Corey lures Michael Myers to continue his reign of terror.
Halloween Ends is the concluding chapter of the legacy sequel trilogy co-written and directed by David Gordon Green. While both 2018's Halloween and last year's sequel Halloween Kills, occur on the same night, this concluding chapter jumps forward to the present day. The entire town of Haddonfield is still haunted by the now MIA Michael Myers, which has resulted in several copycat deaths. One such individual pegged as Haddonfield's new boogeyman is Corey Cunningham, who in 2019 was arrested for the murder of the boy he was babysitting. When Corey is introduced to Allyson by a sympathetic Laurie, it seems to be the chance for a new start for the troubled man. However, there is a darkness inside Corey that becomes attractive to Michael Myers.
While Halloween Ends is billed as the final showdown between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, the moment feels tacked on out of obligation. In hindsight, while I still think that 2018's Halloween was a satisfying legacy sequel that brought the franchise back to basics, I do not think David Gordon Green needed to make this into a trilogy. Halloween Kills lived up to its title and killed the majority of the characters we remotely care about, with the only survivors being Laurie, Allyson, Officer Hawkins (Will Patton), and Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards), with the latter two having barely anything to do in the film. After all, they have been through, Laurie and Allyson remain at odds over the former's obsession with Michael Myers, leading to the conflict that leads to the showdown.
Altogether, I believe Halloween Ends is the result of David Gordon Green and company running out of ideas and deciding to take the plot in a new direction that may alienate longtime fans of the franchise. While Halloween III: Season of the Witch ended up generating a cult following that is now viewed on its own terms, I cannot say the same about this third Halloween film. Ultimately, I believe this Halloween legacy sequel should have been one-and-done.
