Movie Review: Halloween Ends

credit: Halloween Ends

Is anyone really surprised that there are fans of the Halloween franchise who are calling for a reshoot and more shots of Michael Myers? It’s not at all hard to think that superfans of this story would have reacted with disgust and a great deal of disappointment since this movie was far more about Corey and the apparent sickness that is Myers and how it got to Corey, forcing him to murder those who had done him wrong.

Unfortunately, considering that we get to see Corey accidentally killing a young boy who is, admittedly, tormenting him by throwing the fact that he survived Michael Myers and has him trapped in an attic. Still, the fact that Corey sends a kid plummeting to his death on accident is a big enough incident to turn the entire town of Haddonfield against him.

There are a lot of movies, great and not so great, that have used this idea in the past, and this is one reason why this movie feels like it kind of hit a sour note and just kept pushing it until the end. 

credit: Halloween Ends

The limited screen time given to Michael Myers was kind of offputting for a lot of fans.

One could argue that other movies in this franchise have given Michael very little time, and it’s worked to great effect, but this time around, it would appear that the movie was trying to say something, such as the idea that Michael, despite being deadly, is now a tired old man. The fact that Corey took his mask and survived another encounter with him is evidence enough that this could be true.

But it does still appear to infuriate a lot of fans who were looking forward to seeing the masked one impose his will upon Haddonfield once again. It was certainly easy to see his continued influence since even the name Michael Myers appeared to terrify some folks, while others used it as a punchline. But the moment that Corey went on his spree, it was bound to happen that the killings would be attributed to Myers, simply because this was his night and his reputation that made it so.  

Laurie looks insanely unbalanced in this movie. 

To be fair, she’s been unbalanced for a while, but people don’t want to admit as much unless it benefits the story. This time around, though, she attempted to hide her disturbed nature behind the visage of a wizened grandmother that has seen things that she’d like to forget but is still hardened in a way that’s a little off-putting. Seriously, when was the last time someone’s grandmother offered to slash a person’s tires for someone she had sympathy toward? That attitude kind of faded quickly, though, when it became apparent that Corey wasn’t quite as innocent and nice as Laurie had initially believed.

Throughout the franchise, she’s been able to experience a wide range of emotions, but it does feel as though this movie has shown her coming to the end of her rope once again, which is understandable since Michael has dominated much of her life. 

credit: Halloween Ends

It’s actually wise to ask if Corey is the victim or the killer. 

It does feel as though people might have been confused when it comes to Corey’s overall role since he didn’t start out as a bad guy, but the moment he looked into Michael’s eyes, something changed, and not for the better. The idea that the madness and evil that Michael represented could have imprinted upon another human being is kind of interesting, but it’s also far more terrifying than the man himself since thinking that such evil could be contagious in any way is enough to make one think that those who are the most susceptible to such a thing would be a serious danger if they were to be spared by someone like Myers. But throughout the movie, Corey is trying to stay on the level, even though he doesn’t manage to make that happen. His role as an unwitting pawn is intriguing in a way, but it also feels as though Michael let out the evil that was already buried way down. 

The way this ended doesn’t bring as much closure as it should. 

It does feel as though there’s bound to be a great deal of confusion concerning this movie since fans are already making their wishes for a reshoot known, and others are currently analyzing every bit of it. Some might be doing so just to fully understand the imagery and what it all means, while others might be picking the movie apart to make certain that there is a way to reboot the movie and turn it into something that might actually make sense to their fragile, frazzled sensibilities. But if this is really the end, it will come as at least a small surprise.