CNN
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Forty-four years, 13 movies, and countless corpses later, it seems naive to think ‘Halloween Ends’ will truly mark the end of everything, but like the holiday it’s named for, it’s fun to pretend. . The producers are looking to bring some finality to this latest trilogy starring Jamie Lee Curtis, though it turns out to be the only original idea they conjure up in a weird and tedious film.
Indeed, film #13 proves less fortunate, creatively speaking, as director/co-writer David Gordon Green takes his third straight turn in that chair. Part of it has to do with an attempt to connect this slasher franchise to a deeper reflection on the nature of evil, which only results in ridiculously awkward moments in the wrong places.
That’s not to say those who go to the theater (or tune in through Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service) won’t be treated to skipping scares, twists, a tribute to director John Carpenter “The Thing,” and moments of extremely over-the-top gore. It’s just that the preliminaries to what amounts to the main event drag on, and the underlying desire to try something a little different falls flat.
Curtis’ Laurie Strode certainly paid a heavy price for her decades-long dance with killer Michael Myers, aka The Shape, but years after his disappearance, she’s trying to maintain a sense of normalcy by living with her orphaned granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matitchak). In fact, Laurie takes the initiative and introduces Allyson to Corey (Rohan Campbell), a shy guy bearing the emotional scars of his own Halloween tragedy, which may make them the weirdest soul mates possible.
Laurie also has a mildly uncomfortable run-in with the local cop (Will Patton), so efforts to inject touches of romance into the film happen on two generational tracks. Still, no one comes to “Halloween” waiting for “The Notebook,” so these interludes have the boring feel of killing time until it’s time to get down to the killing, which unfolds with predictability at best. effective but uninspired.
It’s been four years since ‘Halloween’ revived the franchise – delivering a huge opening weekend – with an extra-long gap before the ‘Halloween Kills’ sequel due to Covid. Still, while the wait was shorter this time around, the rewards are again minimal.
As noted, this long-running horror franchise has been too reliable an attraction for Universal and its partners to lie dormant forever, though an extended rest seems prudent. The promise to put “Halloween” in the rearview mirror is obviously partly a marketing ploy, but the studio should take the opportunity to take stock of what makes sense for The Shape of Things to come.
“Halloween Ends” premieres October 14 in US theaters and on Peacock. It is rated R.