Halloween Ends (2022)

Halloween Ends is special because it refuses to coast on nostalgia; it swings for something stranger and more intimate, treating Haddonfield’s wounds as the real monster lurking in the corners. David Gordon Green opens with a jolt and then lets the film simmer in a grim, autumnal dread, where rage, shame, and obsession feel as sharp as any knife. Jamie Lee Curtis anchors it with weathered authority and surprising tenderness, making Laurie’s hard-won attempt at peace feel earned even when the darkness comes knocking. It’s not a traditional Michael-my-way-through-the-body-count sequel—some fans will bristle at how boldly it shifts its focus—but if you want a franchise finale that takes risks, builds mood, and leaves you with something to chew on besides jump scares, this one is worth the walk down that moonlit street.

Halloween Ends is clearly trying to do something bolder than a standard slasher finale: it pivots toward a “how evil spreads” story and aims to give Laurie a thematic, healing-driven ending rather than just another body-count rematch. The problem is that the movie spends so much time on a new central figure and side drama that it can feel like you’re watching a different film that occasionally remembers it’s supposed to wrap up a decades-long rivalry. The pacing is uneven, the scares are hit-or-miss, and if you’re showing up primarily for relentless Michael-versus-Laurie tension, you may find the payoff arrives late and doesn’t fully justify the detour. Still, Jamie Lee Curtis brings real conviction, and there are a few nasty, well-staged moments—just don’t expect the cathartic, crowd-pleasing “final chapter” energy the title promises.