Film Review: "Halloween Ends" (2022).

From the creators of Halloween Kills comes Halloween Ends. This slasher film directed by David Gordon Green, written by Green, Danny McBride, Paul Brad Logan and Chris Bernier, and based on the characters created by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is a sequel to Halloween Kills (2021), the final installment in the H40 trilogy, and the thirteenth installment in the Halloween franchise. Four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham, is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all.

In July 2019, Bloody Disgusting reported that a third film was in development along with the then-untitled Halloween Kills, with Green returning as director. The site also claimed that the studio was considering releasing both films in October 2020. Green, McBride and Jeff Fradley had initially planned out a two film story arc, but would ultimately opt for a trilogy after realizing they had more material than originally thought. Later that month, Universal Pictures revealed the titles and release dates of the two sequels: Halloween Kills, set to be released on October 16, 2020, and Halloween Ends, set to be released on October 15, 2021. Green was officially announced to direct both films and co-write the scripts with McBride, while Jamie Lee Curtis would reprise her role in both films. Scott Teems was confirmed as a co-writer for Halloween Kills, while Paul Brad Logan and Chris Bernier were announced as co-writers of Halloween Ends. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Universal Pictures moved Halloween Kills to 2021 and Halloween Ends was moved to October 2022. By late January 2022, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle, Will Patton, Kyle Richards, and Omar Dorsey were confirmed to reprise their roles. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early March. Filming took place in Wilmington, North Carolina and Savannah, Georgia under the working title Cave Dweller. It was originally planned to film Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends back to back, but did not occur due to the "intense schedule". Filming was expected to take place in 2021 in Wilmington, North Carolina, but was quietly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film stars Curtis, Matichak, Courtney, Castle, Patton, Richards, and Dorsey. The kill count is high, and the kills are brutal, but that still can't make up for everything this movie does wrong with its characters.

Like Kills, Ends takes the respect earned by it's predecessor and squanders it for buckets of gore. Myers continues to be a standout as he tears through a series-high bodycount. The script and characters; however, are the movie's biggest fatalities.

Simon says Halloween Ends receives:

Also, see my review for Halloween Kills.