Spoiler-free review of Halloween: The End. Theatrical release October 14.
Within horror, the slasher subgenre is one of those that is having to reinvent itself the most, not only to continue causing fear among the respectable, but also to stay relevant. After all, today’s public is completely desensitized to violence and it is very difficult to impact the viewer. When it comes to resurrecting sagas like Scream o Halloween, its directors knew they couldn’t resort to being another movie with a ruthless killer running amok. Was that supposed to scare the same public as it did decades ago?
It is impossible to face Halloween: El Final without doing a bit of retrospective, not only in the new trilogy to which it belongs, but to the roots of evil created by John Carpenter. Inspired by Hitchcock’s movies or by movies like black christmas (1974), Halloween It would be released in 1978, seeking to join a more everyday type of terror. On the one hand, it sought to move away from the most supernatural terror, setting itself in a small American city, but on the other, it sought to appeal to the popular fear generated by the boogeyman, personifying it in the figure of Michael Myers. Not in vain, Myers has always appeared in the credits of the films in the saga as “The Shape”, which would translate as “the figure” or “the shape”, increasing the feeling of being more in front of a concept than in front of a man. The result was one of the most successful horror movies in historywhich has branched out over 40+ years into different sequels, reboots, and timelines.
The continuity of Halloween: El Final is formed by the first Halloween of 1978 and for the other two films belonging to David Gordon Green’s trilogy: Halloween Night (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021), both being excellent films of the genre and worthy sequels to the legendary saga. Beyond the good hand of the director, we cannot forget that Carpenter himself acts as executive producer of this new trilogy. His presence can be seen in how well these films have understood, not only the brand itself and the fascinating nature of Michael Myers, but also how to use his myth when it comes to offering a surprising horror product in times that run
And The halloween night It was the perfect resurrection of a classic slasher adapted to modern times, Halloween Kills It was an iteration as brave and interesting as it was controversial, transitioning between social horror and pure action to become the bloodiest film in the franchise. Watching the trailer for Halloween: El FinalI’m glad to see how little they wanted to show about it, but I’ll tell you in advance that it opts for a different direction from the previous ones, directing its narrative efforts to analyze the psychology of the psycho killer.
We are facing a film that It’s going to surprise a lot of people, both for better and for worse. Without a doubt, if there is a word that defines it it’s cathartic. Making certain sacrifices along the way, and not being as brilliant as his predecessors, Halloween: The End still feels like a worthy close to the longstanding conflict between the town of Haddonfield, Laurie Strode and Michael Myers.
“There are two types of evil in this world”
Four years have passed since the events of Halloween Kills, when to the cry of “evil dies tonight”, the inhabitants of Haddonfield came out to face their fears. Since then, Michael Myers has not been seen again, whose legacy as a bogeyman lives on, corrupting and filling the hearts of different generations with fear. Laurie, the mythical survivor played by a stellar Jamie Lee Curtis, after the events of the last film, decides to try to live as calmly and happily as possible, turn the page. However, it is not easy to fight against so many years of fear, especially considering that evil can take many forms…
The trailer of Halloween: The Ending advances that inevitable final showdown between Laurie and Michael, but I assure you that many surprises await you. We cannot ignore that this film, unlike its predecessors, is tied to certain needs. The center of the film had to be, once again, the toxic relationship between Michael and Laurie; a look at the past, a twilight present and a new future. However, the film does not stop introducing new and unexpected characters, as well as giving more prominence to old acquaintances such as Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson. Its very condition of “final” made it easy to recommend it to fans, but it is so dedicated to its history and what it has built over the years that I don’t think it can work as a normal horror movie.
The great importance that the film gives to its characters, as well as the continuous process of exploring how evil and fear influence the hearts of people, makes it very difficult to say that this is a horror movie. Even as a slasher, notwithstanding its numerous and bloody deaths, there are few moments in which it seeks to instill real fear in the viewer, beyond a couple of jumpscares and some more elaborate scares. In fact, it’s more of a thriller with (very funny) moments of gore, though that’s not a bad thing. It is a movie quick and very entertaining, with one of the most shocking opening scenes I’ve seen in a long time, disturbing deaths and an ending that lives up to expectations. Also the way he explores the psychology of his protagonists is interesting, at least most of the time.
“Halloween: The Ending feels like a fitting close to the longstanding conflict between the town of Haddonfield, Laurie Strode and Michael Myers”
Without revealing anything about its plot, some of the motivations that make it move forward, although they start from a very attractive premise, are not developed in such a satisfactory way. The plot is closely tied to the influence of Myers’s legacy on society as an important part of her power, but it is explored much more clumsily than in the previous ones. Yes, I think it’s done a good job in answering some of the questions about the nature of Myers himselfan ambiguity that has always been fascinating, and that in Halloween Kills It was already pointing in a direction that is consolidated here.
On the other hand, the one that Halloween: El Final is so indebted to its own history, it makes it a real gift for Jamie Lee Curtis, who gives us a performance with some of his best moments in the franchise. It is a pleasure to see her in this culmination of the character of Laurie, with very emotional moments, but also with great physical power. Also noteworthy is the perfect use made of Carpenter’s mythical soundtrack, both in its arrangements and in its presence at the right moments in the film; It is without a doubt another of those small gifts for the followers of the brand that they will undoubtedly appreciate.
Enjoy Halloween: El Final it is a matter of expectations. If you expect a traditional slasher, beyond its punctual (although very gore and always funny) Myers-brand scenes of savagery, I don’t think you’re going to find it here; neither the tone nor the argument focus on respecting conventions, although there is something of that in the formula.
On the other hand, if you go to Halloween: El Final With the simple intention of having a good time and seeing how the horrible and long history of violence of its protagonists ends, you will find a bloody, very entertaining and unconventional suspense film. A good point and end? to one of the genre’s most exhilarating revivals.