Halloween Ends (2022)

The development of the slasher category in the third millennium is still happening in spurts. The first was the completion of the peak of popularity at the turn of the XX and XXI centuries, the second began conditionally with “Halloween 2007” and ended in 2013 with the movie “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D”, and the third started in 2018 and also with a new “Halloween”. Apparently, Michael Myers, with his pale mask and absolute silence, looks like the most powerful figure in the subgenre in the eyes of directors.

Almost immediately making a reference to the first part, the film shows us how the characters watch “Something”. And I must say that over time, the feeling of meaninglessness of such a reference turns out to be false: “Halloween Ends” seems to emerge from oblivion and does not repeat the mistakes of the previous part, in which Michael Myers was shown to be an absolutely unkillable creature. “Halloween ends” is even somewhat similar to the remake of Rob Zombie, because here we also see the formation of a killer, and many residents of Haddonfield cause rejection. It must be assumed that the key to the success of slashers in the third millennium lies precisely in this: to deal with those characters who are not sorry. Michael Myers looks tired in this part. Of course, for more than forty years, any character will get a little tired, unless he is Godzilla. At the same time, the level of skill with which Mayes kills victims has only grown. Stabbings have become more sophisticated, ambush attacks too. The high-collared jacket gives the killer an even greater shade of ominousness and even gives a resemblance to the version from the remake of Rob Zombie. “Myers the Butcher” is a better option than the figurative absolute evil.

A small, but very joyful scene turned out to be with a disco, where there is solid pleasant music, which new films really lack. This is also a reason to say that “Halloween ends” is very good, but it still has enough minuses. And the main one is Laurie Strode. Well, I don’t like that she was turned into a crazy old lady who, it turns out, unwittingly connected with Myers all her life. Dr. Loomis was a little crazy, but he’s not in the last three movies. By turning one character into another, the franchise loses its wealth. The only thing that saves the situation is Lori’s article, which she writes throughout the film, and this article sounds pretty good in principle. But it’s also a shame that the film buries the potential with a new villain with its own hands, almost literally. And when this happens, the feeling of uselessness and fatigue of what is happening makes itself felt, especially since Jamie Lee Curtis in the frame constantly looks exhausted.

Yes, many of the murders and moments of the script turned out to be successful, but since the franchise continues, it needs something radically new. I’m willing to bet that we will definitely see a new “Halloween” in 2028 (the authors will definitely not allow themselves to miss the fiftieth anniversary), and I seriously expect to see the titular villain in the cosmic future. It will be an expected and even desired experiment.