new halloween movie reviews 2022

Halloween Ends

I wrote in my review of the 2018 reboot of “Halloween” that the team behind the film didn’t “really understand what made the first film a masterpiece.” Not to be that guy, but if the cluttered “ Halloween Kills ” didn’t prove me right then the baffling “Halloween Ends” certainly does. What’s so bizarre about this truly strange sequel is that it’s easy to admire its wide swings at doing something different with a trilogy closer, but Green and his team can’t figure out how to wed their undeniable ambition to something that’s coherent. Much like the criticism of the notoriously divisive “Halloween 3: Season of the Witch”—and some of the structure is intentionally a nod to that diversion from the Michael Myers formula—“Halloween Ends” is barely a “Halloween” movie. Rather than directly end what was set up in the previous film, it introduces a new antagonist, and spends way too much time on a half-baked young love story, but it has to come back to Laurie Strode ( Jamie Lee Curtis ), even if the final showdown has been drained of any sense of urgency by the convoluted route these films took to get there. It also doesn’t help that we all know that the title of this film is a lie. There will be another “Halloween” movie somewhere in the future, which will make this even more of an odd tangent in the history of a horror legend. Although “Halloween Pauses” probably doesn’t sound as exciting.

Rather than pick up after the chaos of the last film that left Judy Greer ’s Karen Nelson dead—a stupid choice that still annoys me—“Halloween Ends” opens in 2019 with a new character named Corey Cunningham (the downright bad Rohan Campbell , poorly directed to a dull performance). He’s babysitting for a kid in Haddonfield who’s a little scared by all the murder around town. When the kid decides to play a prank on Corey, it results in an accident that leaves the little scamp dead, turning Corey into a pariah. Three years later, Laurie is working on her memoir—allowing for way too much voiceover about the nature of evil and all that—and living with her granddaughter Allyson ( Andi Matichak ).

After being bullied by a series of marching band tough guys—which might be a movie first—Corey starts to crack, discovering Michael Myers in a sewer, where the two basically become BFFs, unleashing violence all over Haddonfield. The admittedly ambitious idea seems to be that evil is not just in notorious monsters like Michael Myers but could be unleashed in an average babysitter whose life is ruined by an accident. Corey ends up basically infected by the Myers’ evil, but Allyson can’t see his true depravity, falling more in love with the brooding maniac because, well, it’s a movie. To say the love story between Corey and Allyson is underwritten and unbelievable would be an understatement. It’s just poorly executed in every way.

A shocking amount of “Halloween Ends” is poorly executed with clunkier editing, framing, and writing than the other two films, as if the team were hired to make this one as a contractual requirement and were trying to get through it as quickly as possible. What’s more likely true is that Green and his team had a truly ambitious film idea about the nature of evil and how violent loners can be created by fearful societies … but they also had to make a “Halloween” movie. It’s the two concepts pushing and pulling against each other that tear this movie apart. What starts promising gets dumb, and Green can’t even manage the art of a quality kill, dispatching some victims here with remarkably forgettable monotony—only a DJ gets a death worth remembering. And we know it’s all leading to Laurie vs. Michael, something that had such promise in 2018 but doesn’t have any power left.

If this is truly the end, it’s a whimper, not a bang.

In theaters and on Peacock today.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode
Andi Matichak as Allyson Nelson
Will Patton as Frank Hawkins
Kyle Richards as Lindsey Wallace
James Jude Courtney as The Shape
Rohan Campbell as Corey Cunningham
Omar J. Dorsey as Sheriff Barker
Chris Bernier
Danny McBride
David Gordon Green
Paul Brad Logan

Writer (based on characters created by)

John Carpenter

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Michael Simmonds
Timothy Alverson

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Halloween Ends

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Halloween Ends -- for now, anyway -- with a frequently befuddling installment that's stabbed, slashed, and beaten by a series of frustrating missed opportunities.

Halloween Ends packs a few slasher thrills, but many fans will be disappointed by the way it concludes Michael Myers' gory saga.

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Halloween Ends

The plot follows the outcast Corey Cunningham who falls in love with Laurie Strode's granddaughter while a series of events, including crossing paths with Michael Myers, drives him to become... Read all The plot follows the outcast Corey Cunningham who falls in love with Laurie Strode's granddaughter while a series of events, including crossing paths with Michael Myers, drives him to become a serial killer. The plot follows the outcast Corey Cunningham who falls in love with Laurie Strode's granddaughter while a series of events, including crossing paths with Michael Myers, drives him to become a serial killer.

David Gordon Green
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Andi Matichak
James Jude Courtney
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Trivia Producer Jason Blum reiterated that, while it would not be the final film in the series, it will be the last Halloween movie under Blumhouse, with the rights of the film series reverting to producer Malek Akkad following the release of Ends. When Akkad himself was asked about the future after Ends, he half-jokingly quoted his late father Moustapha Akkad , who had always quoted series star Donald Pleasence : when asked how many Halloween movies he was going to make, he laughed and said, "I'm going to stop at 22."
Goofs When Michael Myers attacks Nurse Deb, stabbing her through the painting, the wires holding her up are visible.

Laurie Strode : I've run from you. I have chased you. I have tried to contain you. I have tried to forgive you. I thought maybe you were the Boogeyman. No, you're just a man who's about to stop breathing.

Crazy credits When the Blumhouse logo/credit is shown, Michael Myers can be seen outside the house.
Connections Edited from Halloween (1978)
Soundtracks Midnight Monsters Hop Written by Jack Huddle and Jim Robinson Performed by Jack & Jim Courtesy of Norman Petty Studios By arrangement with Mutiny Recordings

User reviews 1.5K

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Oct 14, 2022
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October 14, 2022 (United States)
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Oct 16, 2022
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‘halloween ends’ review: jamie lee curtis wields the knife, but david gordon green is the killer in silly trilogy capper.

Laurie Strode faces down her masked nemesis while struggling to protect her granddaughter from a new threat in this latest entry in the John Carpenter horror franchise.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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‘halloween ends’ review: gutsy final chapter is way better than ‘kills’.

After yawning through 2021’s disappointing “Halloween Kills,” we all wanted the horror reboot series to die a bloody death.

Thank God we left our chef’s knife in the drawer, though. Because when the credits roll at “Halloween Ends,” the actual final chapter that hits theaters and Peacock Friday, you’ll consider taking Wite-Out to the title and changing it to “Halloween Keeps Going, Please.”

Director David Gordon Green was deservedly lauded in 2018 for his superb first ‘ween film , which restored the Michael Myers vs. Laurie Strode death match to its 1970s gritty glory after a string of bombs in the 1990s and aughts. Here, he wraps up his contributions in an extremely satisfying way.

HALLOWEEN ENDS

Running time: 111 minutes. Rated R (bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout and some sexual references.) In theaters and on Peacock Oct. 14.

Most surprising are, well, the many surprises. John Carpenter’s 1978 “Halloween,” after all, established the well-worn slasher flick pattern that we now know as well as “Happy Birthday.”

“Ends” starts, as many such films do, at a lovely suburban house in Haddonfield, Ill., with Corey (Rohan Campbell) babysitting a bratty kid on Halloween night. Something horrible happens, but it’s not at all what we come in expecting. It’s much worse.

Some months later, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) decides to stop running from her boogeyman and moves out of her (now incinerated) bunker in the woods into a spooky blood-red, two-story home in town. I would’ve picked Punta Cana. But Laurie chooses the sort of property that looks like it can’t sell on Trulia because of the pesky quintuple murder that happened in the living room.

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) meets Corey (Rohan Campbell) in the final chapter of David Gordon Green's "Halloween" trilogy.

She lives with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and is working on a memoir. When she goes out, the jackass neighbors mock her and call the aging survivor of a serial rampage a “freak show.” (“Halloween” has never been particularly kind to my home state of Illinois.)

Allyson, who works as a nurse, starts up a controversial romance with Corey, whose life has taken a turn for the worse. The two bond over their emotional scars like pain is a piece of pasta in “Lady and the Tramp.”

All the while, Michael lurks.

Masked serial killer Michael Myers is explored in unexpected ways in "Halloween Ends."

Usually by the time most nostalgic series reach their conclusions, the end isn’t so much a competent movie as a shameless fanstravaganza filled with predictable moments for die-hards to clap. Not “Halloween Ends.” Green zeroes in on Corey, someone we’ve never met before, and his complex journey and transformation grab us with gusto.

Campbell, a 25-year-old Canadian actor who’s made no American films till now, is a major talent to watch. As Corey, he morphs from handsome and honor-roll to damaged, unhinged and borderline-possessed with little more than solid acting to rely on. (Carpenter’s classic “Halloween” theme music helps, too.) Yet, even as Corey becomes corrupted and Gollum-like, the audience doesn’t stop believing our guy can be redeemed. Right to the end. Then, duhr, we remember we’re at a horror movie — not “Silver Linings Playbook.”

Laurie and Michael are as formidable of opponents as Godzilla and King Kong.

And Curtis is strong as ever. Her Laurie has become as battle-hardened as a general on the front lines. There are glimpses of softness beneath her armor, but mostly she exists to be a warrior and protector. Fighting Myers is her raison d’être. Laurie and Michael, as far as opponents go, are up there with Godzilla and King Kong.

What I love about Green’s style is he has both a sense of the grand — he gives Michael’s mask the cinematic weight of Moses’ Ten Commandments slabs — and the goofy. One death in particular, gory though it may be, is a scream. And the transitions, well-edited by Timothy Alverson, give the movie the ceaseless momentum of a highway chase.

Green seems dead-set on closing the book on his “Halloween” trilogy. The final scenes are, pardon the expression, overkill, but they sure are finite. In the past, Michael has plummeted to the ground or been stabbed, shot, burnt and more. But whenever he falls off that horror-se, the optimistic madman gets right back up.

This time, that’ll take some doing.

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‘Halloween Ends’ Review: It Probably Doesn’t

David Gordon Green wraps up his reboot trilogy for a horror franchise that never stays dead for long.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

Can we imagine future Halloweens without a new “Halloween”? We might have to, if David Gordon Green’s “Halloween Ends,” the wrap-up film of the reboot trilogy he began in 2018 , plants a full stop on a 44-year-old franchise. Savvy viewers, though, will intuit the title’s missing question mark, understanding that Michael Myers, one of cinema’s fustiest boogeymen, is unlikely to remain interred for long.

And for a spell in “Halloween Ends” it seems as if Green might be offering a creative hand to his possible successors, only to withdraw it in favor of business as usual. Four years have passed since the events of “Halloween Kills,” and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has given up the gunslinging-granny look and doomsday prepping in favor of a cottage-core aesthetic and memoir writing. She and her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), have inexplicably remained in Haddonfield, Ill., where the townsfolk still blame Laurie for inciting Myers’s last stabbing spree and, presumably, for their plummeting property values.

Also shunned by the locals is Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), a geeky lad whose disastrous babysitting exploits three years earlier resulted in a dead child, a murder trial and an acquittal. Clearly, he’s perfect boyfriend material, and after saving him from the town bullies, Laurie introduces him to Allyson. Things go swimmingly until Corey encounters Myers one night in a dank cave beneath an underpass and learns there might be more to life than enduring insults and suffocating shame.

At first, Corey’s involvement with the visibly declining Myers (again played by James Jude Courtney) is strangely ill-defined, a cross between caretaker and understudy. But as proximity to evil causes Corey to change — being an acolyte apparently does wonders for the libido — his too-rapid transformation constitutes a missed opportunity for the franchise. By pumping up Corey’s psychological damage, Green could have made a passing-the-torch movie, giving Corey a clear framework for his capitulation to the allure of slaughter. This also would have meshed perfectly with Laurie’s declaration that evil doesn’t die, it just changes shape.

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Well, Halloween Ends Is a Pleasant Surprise

There are maybe two jump scares in Halloween Ends — neither of them good — and three decent kills, and yet somehow, David Gordon Green’s third and presumably final entry in the Halloween series winds up being the pleasantest of surprises. After the carnival-belly inanity of the previous movie, Halloween Kills , which swirled together au courant hot takes about trauma and media opportunism and mob justice in an unattended blender of fan service and gore, this new film takes a step back and remembers to tell a story, with characters and everything. In so doing, it plays to director Green’s strengths and largely steers clear of the pitfalls that dog many a horror sequel. There’s no desperation to escalate, no tiresome fetishization of the gruesome.

Indeed, the craziest thing in Halloween Ends might be its opening scene, which takes place on Halloween night 2019 and features a teenage babysitter, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), taking care of a young boy who’s a little too fond of pranks. Sure enough, one prank goes horribly wrong, and Corey is unfairly branded a child murderer. (Relax — it’s not a spoiler if it’s the first thing that happens in the movie.) Although he ultimately gets off, Corey’s life is ruined. He’s an outcast in the town of Haddonfield, Illinois, a place that knows a thing or two about child murders.

The only person who seems to show Corey any kind of grace is longtime franchise survivor Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who after the events of the previous film appears to be trying to shed much of her gun-toting, survivalist persona. She’s also working on a memoir, which means we get to see her at a computer, Carrie Bradshaw–style, offering voice-over insights about Michael Myers. (“As he was locked away in his prison, I disappeared into mine.”) Her new attempts at a soft-focus life notwithstanding, Laurie secretly wants to mix it up. One day, she saves Corey from a group of local teen bullies who are attacking him and helps slash their tires. Then she takes the bloodied young man to a nearby hospital, mainly in order to introduce him to her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), who works there.

Look, I never said that this movie made any sense . What Halloween Ends demonstrates is that it’s not impossible or ill-advised to crossbreed the slasher genre’s fondness for fantastical and broadly foreseeable schlock with a sense of acute unpredictability, to mix some sadness in with the silliness. We might know where the story is going generally, but individual scenes retain the element of surprise, as the story takes unexpected emotional detours.

Watching the slow-building romance of Corey and Allyson against the backdrop of this dead-end small town, it feels at times like director Green has finally brought to the series some of the charm of his earlier independent films. Here are two young people who’ve been ostracized by almost everyone around them, united by one another’s pain and loneliness; it’s the first time in many a Halloween picture that the characters have felt like actual people. Even though we can tell that nothing good can come of Corey’s increasing need to stand up for himself, we feel for him regardless. The film takes its time showing how guilt and fear can curdle into resentment and cruelty. In so doing, it wins us over to the characters’ side. Haddonfield, as these movies have repeatedly made clear, is a mostly terrible place. It’s hard not to empathize at least a little with Corey and Allyson’s burn it down energy.

Which is when Michael Myers finally shows up — not like an intruder or an otherworldly demon, but a spirit of evil lurking beneath Haddonfield. Literally: He’s apparently living in an abandoned concrete drainage pipe, half-dead among the cobwebs. One encounter with Corey, however, and suddenly Michael has a newfound lease on life, as if the negative energy of this place and these people has begun to feed him. It’s all very Ghostbusters II . It’s also, in its own way, surprising and tragic.

At least for the first half. Eventually, the movie does begin to indulge in gore and other typical genre kicks, which can feel like a bit of a letdown, in part because Green, despite having co-written and directed all of the entries in this most recent crop of Halloween sequels, isn’t really a horror guy. He doesn’t seem to have the precision and rhythm required to truly shock us. Luckily, with Halloween Ends , he’s found a way to make one of these movies his own, sans scares but with tons of atmosphere and a sense of queasy, gathering dread.

More than any other film in the series, Halloween Ends reminded me of 1982’s Halloween III: Season of the Witch , that bizarrely creepy, slow-burn one-off that was once widely loathed but has now (rightly) been reclaimed as a beloved cult item. The new movie is maybe not quite as goofy, but it has a similarly irreverent spirit, a refusal to fit into the demands of the broader slasher genre and a cavalier attitude toward this specific slasher’s so-called lore. After the dutiful but effective Halloween and the bloviatingly tedious Halloween Kills , at long last, Halloween Ends does manage to reinvent this series — right before (presumably) killing it dead forever.

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Halloween Ends is the best of the new Halloween trilogy

By richard urquiza | oct 14, 2022.

After successfully rebooting the franchise with 2018’s Halloween and then completely botching the sequel with 2021’s Halloween Kills , David Gordon Green returns with what is perhaps the best entry of the trilogy, Halloween Ends . I know what you’re thinking: any movie can be better than Halloween Kills , how much better are we talking?

In my opinion, the key choice that makes the difference for this movie is the daring decision to introduce the character of Cory (Rohan Campbell). The opening scene shows a 21-year-old Cory arriving at a babysitting gig. Charged with watching an enthusiastic child, the typical spooky occurrences have us thinking that Michael Myers is on the way. However, it turns out the killer had already made his entrance. An innocent prank results in the child’s gruesome demise, and Cory’s life takes a horrible turn.

This is surprising. If you saw the trailer above, or the commercials or even just posters, you know they frame Halloween Ends as an epic battle between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers. You would never have thought that both of their roles, as main character and main villain, would actually be siphoned off by Cory. This might cause an uproar among fans, but personally, I thought it pays off pretty well. It felt refreshing and new.

The trouble with it, and what I suspect may be a major complaint for some audience members, is that Myers himself is not nearly as much of a presence in this film as in past entities of the Halloween series. However, I think by putting more focus on Cory, the film is actually serving the main theme Myers has always represented: the inner evil, the idea that anyone is capable of being a beast.

The movie also does a lot with Laurie. Her involvement with the life of her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) as well as with Cory gives Jamie Lee Curtis plentiful opportunities to show off her abilities as an actor. Her conversations with Cory are particularly gripping, because Cory is basically the main character. Scenes with him always move the plot forward. Laurie’s scenes… eh, not always. I don’t really care much about Laurie’s relationship with Officer Hawkins, and I can only laugh off the scenes of various townsfolk making big leaps in logic and blaming Laurie for the various crimes of Michael Myers.

Cory is the guy who carries the movie. We are introduced to him as a sympathetic man forced into unfortunate circumstances and watch him evolve into a monster. I found his descent into evil far more entertaining than I would have another Myers rampage. I even found the romance between Cory and Allyson not only bearable but actually compelling. At first I thought I’d hate it, because it so blatantly indulged in the love-at-first-sight trope so many movies lean on. But a couple scenes in I sort of started to love it, because I was getting the idea that Allyson was a psychopath herself. Why else would she suddenly become obsessed with a guy she’d only known for a couple days? Also, the fact that a majority of Cory’s victims are people that annoyed her made me think she was pointing Cory in their direction. Well, killing the cop might have been Cory’s idea, but how did he just decide to go for the chatty nurse or douche doctor? Coincidence? I think not.

Allyson definitely has a screw loose, and I liked that. I wish they had lended more into that aspect of her character, as by the end it didn’t really amount to much. And speaking of the end of Halloween Ends …

Spoilers for Halloween Ends

If this was any other film, Cory would have been the main character through to the end. However, because this is “the final Halloween movie,” the film had to become about Laurie Strode eventually.

To set the scene: Cory, now a full-fledged killer obsessed with Allyson, goes to Laurie’s house to kill her. However, Laurie turns the tables on him, and in the end Cory commits suicide but makes it look like Laurie killed him, thus severing her relationship with Allyson, who arrives just in time to see what Cory wanted her to see. It’s established before that Allyson blames Laurie for some of the things Michael had done to their family over the years. (Again, not really sure how that’s Laurie’s fault, but I digress.)

Personally, I think I would have preferred a story that didn’t end with Cory committing suicide, because his arc begs something more; he needed a more meaningful death. But because his death leads to a change in Laurie’s relationship with her granddaughter, I was down with it.

However, after that Michael appears and has one final (very satisfying) showdown with Laurie. Allyson ends up saving Laurie, which was a total let down. It undermines the obsession Allyson was showing through the movie. I would have preferred a mixed bag ending rather than a happy one, even though I understand why they gave this to Laurie, who kills the monster who has haunted her for the majority of her life, even if her relationship with her granddaughter is ruined. The way things end, Cory and Allyson’s movie-long romance is rendered pointless.

CG kills make me ill

While I enjoyed the subversion of expectations in the script, the deaths left a lot to be desired. I’m no huge fan of slashers, but I know that part of the fun of them is the uniqueness of the killings. With some exceptions, such as the first death in the film or the killings at the scrapyard, most of the deaths are standard stabbings. To be fair, you could argue Halloween Ends is trying to be realistic. I think that works given Cory’s status as a novice murderer.

However, if you want to go down that route, I do think the murder scenes could have been crafted better. I’m sorry, but digital blood and CGI knives break my immersion. I want to feel that blade break skin and flesh. Give those scenes the slow pace and attention they deserve. Credit where it’s due: the special effects improve significantly for the climax. Laurie’s meticulous takedown of Michael is great; properly gory and wince-worthy. Just a shame that effort didn’t go into the whole of it.

Halloween Ends is not what people will expect; it sure as hell isn’t what the ads promised, and I suspect some hardcore fans will walk out of the movie disappointed. However, I found Halloween Ends both surprising and refreshing, and much more nuanced than the goofy orgy of blood that was Halloween Kills . There were some boring scenes and hokey writing here and there, but hey, nothing that bad.

And indeed, Halloween did end. Midnight has finally rung, the morning rises on November 1st, and the film kept its promise. No more disappearances of the killer’s body, no more dead fist clutching before a cut to black, and no more post-credit scenes. Halloween has truly ended. For me, that’s the biggest achievement of Halloween Ends . It ended the story, and in a movie industry dedicated to stories that never end, that’s an accomplishment.

Will this truly be the last Hollow’s Eve to be haunted by Michael Myers? Personally, I don’t think so. Maybe 10 years, maybe just five years down the line, that white-painted William Shatner mask will return to stalk adolescents yet again in some new timeline, and it’ll probably suck. However, for now, Halloween Ends on a high note. As one of the major spooktacular releases for this October, I say it is definitely worth a watch.

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Halloween Ends (2022) Review

ENDING ON A “BOOGEYMAN” WHIMPER

In 2018, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions released the horror slasher film Halloween , the eleventh installment in the Halloween series and the direct sequel to the original 1978 feature. Directed by David Gordon Green, the film, which starred Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, and Andi Matichak, is sets 40 years after the events of the first film and follows Laurie Strode, who post-traumatic encounter with Michael Meyers has left her paranoid of the masked man return, while her estranged daughter and granddaughter prepare for Halloween festivities as Michael escapes from captivity and runs amok on a murdering killing spree; prompting Laurie to take up arms / action against the Haddonfield “boogeyman” once again. 2018’s Halloween was received well by both fans and critics with mostly positive reviews, with many praising Curtis’s performance, Green’s direction, the score, and the kills, with a “return to basics” mantra that had alluded most of the Halloween sequels over the years. The film itself went onto to make roughly $255 million at the box office worldwide, becoming the highest grossing Halloween movie in the franchise as well as the highest horror slasher movie in the genre. With the idea for a planned new trilogy and with the success that this particular gained, Universal Studios / Blumhouse greenlit the next entry in Green’s new Halloween endeavor, with Halloween Kills being released in 2021. The movie continues immediately after the events of 2018’s Halloween , further exploring Meyer’s ruthlessness and violent killing spree on the citizens of Haddonfield as well as further testing the Strode family clan. While released both in theaters and on Peacock streaming service platform, Halloween Kills received mixed reviews from critics and moviegoers alike with the project receiving lower profits ($131 million) at the box office. Now, a year after the release of Halloween Kills , evil returns to Haddonfield and prepares to do battle with Laurie Strode for one final showdown in the film Halloween Ends . Does this last entry in Green’s trilogy gets a satisfying send off for Michael and Laure or does it end on a befuddling and weak final chapter in this new Halloween saga.

In 2019, Corey (Rohan Campbell), a young adult man with great prospect for the future, is on a babysitting assignment for one Jeremy Allen (Jaxon Goldenberg), an obnoxious kid from a wealthy family, on Halloween night. The experience proves to be deadly, with the boy locking Corey in a room, forcing the guardian to break the door down, yet not realizing the child is right behind it, watching him fall to his death. In 2022, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is trying to find solace within the darkness of her past; processing her experiences with Michael Myers by writing a book, hoping to bring some type of emotional closure as she rebuilds her life with her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), who’s struggling with feelings of loneliness. Witnessing the cruel treatment of Corey by local bullies, Laurie hopes to play matchmaker, bring the wayward man to meet Allyson, with the pair instantly hitting it off. Their relationship is challenged by the pressures of infamy, and when Corey is once again ridiculed by Haddonfield troublemakers, he makes an unexpected contact with Michael Myers, who’s been in hiding for several years in the sewers beneath the town. The initial contact with Haddonfield’s “boogeyman” shakes Corey, yet something begins to happen to the young man, which Laurie immediately recognizes and fears for what may come for Allyson and for the people in town.

THE GOOD / THE BAD

I was never a big fan of the Michael Myers Halloween movies; finding the whole masked slasher serial killer to be a bit repetitive. I did like the original 1978 film, but the subsequential sequels just felt dumb, silly, and started to get a tad bland; recycling several ideas and come up with concept that felt so off-kilter. Thus, I was a bit leery to see 2018’s Halloween , but I was quite taken with this direct sequel to the original Halloween movie. Yes, it had its faults and was still the same type of “slasher” endeavor, but I think that the story seems more refined and gave this franchise a “back to basics” mantra, which ultimately worked in the films favor. Plus, it returned the focus back to Curtis’s Laurie Strode; revolving the movie’s narrative around her and her relationship with her daughter, her estrangement from her granddaughter, and how fate brings her and Michael back together again for a fateful confrontation. It’s one of predictable plot points, with many classic horror cannon fodder supporting characters for Michael / The Shape to slash and kill, but 2018’s Halloween was a welcomed sight and certainly breathe new life into the long-running horror franchise. Flash forward to the year 2021 and Halloween Kills , the sequel to 2018’s Halloween , was released and it faced mixed results. Personally, I did like how it continued the narrative of what began in the 2018 film by immediately jumping right into the movie (as mentioned Halloween Kills takes place a few minutes after Halloween ) and continues to showcase Michael’s violent killing spree (perhaps the best in the series) and depicting the madness of what evil can do. That being said, the movie itself was riddled with problems, including sidelining Curtis’s Laurie Strode for most of the picture. Plus, goofy moments, cheesy dialogue lines, and ridiculous plot points hinder the sequel by limping towards its conclusion rather than hitting its stride. Thus, Halloween Kills faced a dilemma of having neither a beginning nor a real ending; becoming a middling middle chapter of this trilogy.

This brings me back to talking about Halloween Ends , a 2022 horror movie, the sequel to Halloween Kills , and the final installment in Green’s new Halloween trilogy. Given how the 2021 sequel was received by many, a third entry in this new Halloween narrative was questionable and could possibly redeem the faults of how Halloween Kills handle the story of the Strode family and the inhabitants of Haddonfield. Thus, when it was announced that the third movie (titled Halloween Ends ) was going to be coming out and a little bit interested to see where this final outing of Green’s trilogy will play out. How will Laurie (as well as Allyson) overcome their troubled pasts? How will Michael Myers resurface in the movie? Who will Myers kill? How will the final showdown between Laurie and Myers play out? All of these (and more) were just some of the questions that I pondered when thinking about how Halloween Ends will ultimately…well…end. There were a few movie trailers that were released over the past few months, but most of them were relatively short and acted almost like TV spots for the project and nothing more. Heck, I really didn’t see any of them when I went to the movies during the “coming attractions” previews. Perhaps this was a somewhat of a good thing as I can of went into the movie with very little previews of some of the feature’s highlighted scenes. So, I decided to catch the movie during its opening weekend (opening night) to see if this particular horror sequel will need justify the mistakes made in Halloween Kills and bring the conclusion to the Myers / Stroud conflict. And what did I think of it? Well, it was disappointing. Despite a good understanding of evil (and how it works) as well as solid final act, Halloween Ends is a confusing and clunky final outing for Green’s vision of this beloved horror franchise. There are some redeeming qualities to the movie, but those are few and far between, which makes the whole slasher endeavor uninteresting and tad bit goofy….and that’s disappointing, especially when the 2018 feature showed such promise.

Returning to the director’s chair is David Gordon Green, whose previous directorial works include the past two Halloween movies (2018’s Halloween and 2021’s Halloween Kills ) as well as several TV episodes such as Vice Principals and Eastbound & Down . Given his familiarity by directing the previous two films, Gordon’s returning to helm this particular Halloween sequel seems like suitable / logical choice, with the director approaching the material with knowledge of how to stage / execute such a horror endeavor for the modern age. Despite the film’s missteps in a few areas (more on that below), Green’s approach to this third and final outing of his Halloween trilogy does add a few more wrinkles into the narrative development. For starters, Green continues the narrative thread of the surviving members of Strode family and how they must move forward in their lives, despite the tragedy that has befallen them. Given the amount of attention that is received by having more of a stronger narrative story in Green’s Halloween movies than the previous iterations of this iconic slasher flick, it goes without saying Halloween Ends continues that trend by having a bit more grounded story to tell and focuses on characters rather just the common place “hack and slash”. This is further personified in the new character of Corey Cunningham, with the film’s opening sequences being dedicated to introducing him as well as the dark stigma that follows him throughout the feature. This is sort of a “give and take” in Halloween Ends as it’s probably an interesting aspect to fully examine yet becomes a bit trouble in its execution as the story unfolds.

Naturally, the move hints at the “big showdown” between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, with their final battle with each other being highlighted in the third act finale. It’s definitely exciting to see and delivers some of the best moments of the entire feature. It works. It’s fast, brutal, and tension-filled; something that was promised. That being said, I still think that the battle between Michael and Laurie in 2018’s Halloween was superior, yet what’s presented in Halloween Ends definitely is exciting and delivers on a solid showdown piece between the franchises’ protagonist and antagonist. Of course, like the other two Halloween movies, there killings that occur in the film still continue to be the big highlight of the feature, with Halloween Ends having some creative and downright gruesome deaths to some of the people of Haddonfield. I don’t think that they are quite as violent or dark as some that are depicted in Halloween Kills , but they are nevertheless they are quite effective in the usage of practical effects, creative moments, and how the feature still hasn’t lost its touch within the violent acts of an evil serial killer.

Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects that Green has done with his interpretations of the Halloween narrative is in making unified thematic message throughout the entire endeavor. With Green being the sole director for each of the films that make up this new trilogy, it’s bit fascinating that we (the viewers) get to see his complete vision for what he had for Michael Myers and the Strode family. This comes in contrast with so many franchises out there that are altered and / or changed in tone and narrative structures with passing of the baton between directors. So, while this particular installment has its issues (and ends up being the weaker entry of the three), it’s nice to see one director’s whole vision come to life from what he began back in 2018.

Naturally, this brings up the topic of the feature’s thematic elements of surrounding evil itself…. those who harbor it, born from it, or created from it. This poignant look into the nature of evil has been depicted throughout Green’s Halloween trilogy and showing different facets of particular force. This has been well-explained throughout the course of each installment, showcasing on how evil can’t be overthrown or beaten so easily, how evil can endure, and how the fear of evil can be manipulated in everyone. Thus, it comes at no surprise that Halloween Ends continues that trend, with Green displaying the nature of evil within the fragile state that is placed upon the character of Corey Cunningham…. how circumstance play out to be portrayed as the villain, how society looks upon him, and ultimately interact with him. In addition, Green still continues the trend of dealing with evil within the character of Laurie Strode, who (in the movie) is writing a book on surviving her hell-ish encounters with Myers. These sequences (that are presented in voiceover from Curtis’s Laurie) are good and help round out thematic message of dealing and overcoming the nature of evil.

Similar to what I previous mentioned in my two previous Halloween reviews, Halloween Ends presentation is relatively kept to a small budget, with the production giving (somewhere between $20-30 million), but I think that (like before) Green and his team once again smartly utilize what’s been giving to them and effective making the background setting of the movie believable and life-like in the various locations that take place to depict the town of Haddonfield. In comparison, to the two previous entries, this movie features new locations that, while different, definitely give off that classic “horror movie” appeal and décor, with especial attention drawing towards the feature’s “behind the scenes” team, including Richard A. Wright (production designs), Michael H. Ward (art direction), Shannon Hearing, Sean Keenan, and Jess Royal (set decorations), and Timothy Alverson (film editing. Naturally, the film’s cinematography by Michael Simmonds also provides this point, with the DP offering up a few slick camera angles and horror cinematics to help build upon the franchise’s iconic killing spree of gruesome violence. Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by original Halloween director John Carpenter as well as Cody Carpenter and Daniel A. Davies, is also fantastic to listen to throughout the movie. There are a couple of moments of where the score is compromised by modern style of movie soundtrack, but a great majority of the musical composition is derived of the classic horror style of the late 70s / 80s of techno-ish piano melodies and other nuances, which helps build up the feature’s tension and amping up the horror aspects for scare tactics. Of course, hearing the classic “Halloween” theme in the movie was always a treat to hear and still is iconic and chilling to hear.

Unfortunately, the movie comes with several glaring points of criticisms that really do cripple the movie from being quite outstanding or even memorable. Perhaps the biggest problem against the film is in the overall narrative construction that Halloween Ends goes through. What do I mean? Well….as mentioned above…. the movie does provide an interesting curve ball into this iconic horror slasher by introducing a new main character in the form of Corey Cunningham. However, while interesting, it actually becomes quite distraction in the film’s narrative, especially since his character gets more screen in the movie (as well in the script) and pushes aside the established ones. Of course, I do understand some of the reasoning behind it, with attention towards the nature of evil and the classic “mob mentality” can do to a person (as stated above), but it becomes too distraction to the main focus, which should be more focused on Strode family and their dealings with Michael Myers.

Because of this, Halloween Ends goes off more of a tangent and is much more less focused on the actual main plot of the movie. With so much time devoted to one particular new character, it’s almost like a story surrounding Corey could’ve been whole other movie entirely with the Halloween premise being shoehorned in. This makes for a very unbalance narrative to take and merely focuses on a “new type of evil”, which again fits Green’s vision for his Halloween trilogy, yet feels a bit “too little, too late” by the time it arrives in this movie. This also makes the film’s main plot twist feel very contrive and almost a bit lame. When it happened, I kind of felt cheated because it shouldn’t be this way, especially since this horror trilogy is focusing on Strode family and not so much on outsiders. Speaking of this new plot device twist, the first half of the feature feels rather dull and boring. There are some moments that definitely and are solid during this portion of the movie, yet it still feels a bit tiresome (almost a slog) to go through and doesn’t really have much excitement. Yes, it helps build up characters (new and old) for the movie, but feels boring to say the least. For slasher movie (and one of the more famous franchise of that particular subgenre), Halloween Ends has more of a psychological thriller with a splash of horror elements. It’s during the first half of which this tone feels like, with Green placing some divisive moments for character and building everything for the second half of the feature, which certainly does feel more like a Halloween movie. That being said, the pacing for Halloween Ends comes at that cost, with the first half being more of a psychological movie and not a horror slasher at all.

There are (of course) plenty of cheesy and off-putting character dialogue moments that are littered throughout the movie, which I do understand is a bit commonplace for horror movies, including the previous two Halloween features from Green. Yet, the come off just as bad and cringeworthy in several moments in the film, which I do hate because it shows a bit of lazy writing in the script handling and just reinforces how stupid / bad decisions that people make in horror movies. Again, I do know that is a common practice with horror flicks (more in the sense of classic horror slashers), but it just comes as a contrite. Another part of the movie that will surely draw more criticism is in how Michael Myers is handled in the movie. I’ll go more into detail my paragraphs below about it, but I felt that it was poorly mismanaged and also gets pushed aside, which was incredibly stupid on director and script handling. In fact, I completely forgot to mention the movie’s script was penned by Green as well as Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier, and Danny McBride, and it the final product of it all comes with famous coined phrase “too many cooks in the kitchen”, which makes Halloween Ends feels like its pulling from this way and that from different writers who wanted something else than what was originally projected. This comes at the cost of the movie having a very disjointed feeling and running a very haphazard narrative path that becomes problematic.

Lastly, I felt that the closing moments of the feature were a bit underwhelming. Given the fact that this movie is supposed to close out the infamous battle between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, it felt a bit incomplete and concludes the final moments of this beloved horror slasher franchise on a pretty “meh” moment. Maybe a few more scenes here and there would’ve suffice, with narrative and / or character bits to fully close this narrative for the franchise. Yet, what was presented barely suffice that and feels lackluster rather than rousing satisfaction.

Similar to what I said in my review for Halloween Kills , the cast in Halloween Ends still continues to be a mixture of okay and “meh” in opinion. While not as entirely bad as the 2021 sequel film, the movie still makes the characters either too broad or sidelines with inane quirks and traits that really don’t come to fruition as intended. Who probably fares the best in the movie is the one that draws the most criticism in Halloween Ends in the character Corey Cunningham, who is played by actor Rohan Campbell. Known for his roles in The Hardy Boys , Snowpiercer , and Operation Christmas Drop , Campbell isn’t quite the known actor, which is kind of good in my opinion, so there really not a whole lot to judge him on. On that point, I think that he actually does a good job in the film; making Corey feel very sympathetic in the first half of the feature through the usage of isolation and loneliness. You definitely feel for him, and Campbell does make the vulnerable moments work. However, as the movie progress, the character gets a bit messy (and confusing), which again is part of the problem with this particular film. This also makes the justification for his appearance in the movie a bit wonky and basically should’ve been removed altogether for a better focused narrative. Thus, in the end, despite Campbell’s efforts as an actor, the character of Corey Cunningham starts off strong, but becomes flat and generic.

Behind Campbell’s Corey, actress Andi Matichak returns this Halloween trilogy by reprising her character role of Allyson Strode, Laurie Strode’s granddaughter. Known for her roles in Miles , Evol , and Son , Matichak continues to be an interesting character in Gordon’s Halloween trilogy, yet it’s almost a step back from what was established back in Halloween Kills . It’s not for a lack of trying on Matichak’s part as her acting is good for what the character needs, yet can be a bit cheesy at times. However, most of criticism of Allyson comes from how she was written into Halloween Ends , especially since her character doesn’t really grow much in the movie. After coming into her own in Halloween Kills (more as a stronger protagonist than a cliched young teenage girl), Halloween Ends sees Allyson having more weaker narrative evolution. I get where the script was going for her character, a loss individual who is need of a friend (found in Corey Cunningham), but it feels a bit limp and underwhelming, especially as it moves into the latter half of the feature. Heck, she really doesn’t even reflect that much on the death of her mother, which was a big deal and could’ve played a larger part in the film. Thus, Matichak’s Allyson comes off as plot device cog in Halloween Ends , neither getting a good character arc like in the previous film nor dealing doing much except to push the plot forward.

Lastly, Halloween veteran actress Jamie Lee Curtis returns to reprise her beloved horror character role of Laurie Strode for one last time in the franchise. Known for her roles in True Lies , Freaky Friday , and Trading Places , Curtis has become a well-known actress throughout her career, with her performance as Laurie Strode being one of the more iconic roles in her filmography. This was probably one of the more interesting aspects of the 2018 Halloween film, with Curtis delivering a great performance as an older and more paranoid Laurie. In Halloween Kills , however, her character gets sidelined for most of the film, which was quite disappointing, but (on the other hand) it made room for Matichak and Greer to build upon their characters. Thus, in Halloween Ends , Laurie returns with more screen time, but still with some clunky hiccups along the way. Curtis is still a delightful treat as the older version of Laurie, who is still battle-hardened and cautious about the return of Myers, yet still has found a somewhat “peace” with her tragic past, especially after losing her daughter. It’s kind of amusing to see Curtis’s Laurie fretting about a burnt pie or going to the grocery store in the movie (a somewhat alternative universe Laurie Strode) and having more of a domestic side rather than just battling The Shape. Still, while these changes are indeed welcome, there were plenty of moments that could’ve easily been added to make the character more prominent in the movie as well as pushing her aside for larger side to make room for new characters (i.e., Corey Cunningham). In the end, Curtis still anchors the film in a good way and gives that extra punch in Halloween Ends’s narrative, yet still comes off as a little bit limp on fulling fleshing out Laurie Strode’s final outing.

Of course, the big “boogeyman” character in the movie returns, with Michael Myers / The Shape resurfacing after the events of Halloween Kills to wreak havoc on the town of Haddonfield. Like before, writer / director Nick Castle ( The Last Starfighter and Tap ) reprises the iconic horror character in a limited capacity, with much of the handling work for Michael is giving to actor James Jude Courtney ( Knot’s Landing and Far and Away ). Unfortunately, this particular iconic silent serial killer is pretty much sidelined for most of the movie (as mentioned above) and doesn’t have the same type of screen presence as he did in the previous two Halloween movies. Of course, his return at the end of the feature for the “big showdown” with Laurie works, but it’s a bit disappointing to see such a beloved horror character get reduced down in his own movie.

Sadly, the returning supporting characters from the previous two Halloween movies don’t really amount to much. This includes actors Will Patton ( Remember the Titans and Armageddon ) and Omar J. Dorsey ( The Blind Slide and Queen Sugar ) as Deputy Sherriff Frank Hawkins and the current sheriff of Haddonfield Sherriff Barker. It seemed like in the earlier scripts for the movie that Patton was going to have more of substantial role in the movie, especially when examining the familiarity with both Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. Unfortunately, the final form of the script doesn’t allow much for the character and diminishes Patton’s Frank Hawkins in the finished product of the feature. As for Barker, his screen time is greatly reduced and acts more like a cameo-like appearance in the film.

The rest of the cast, including actor Jesse C. Boyd ( Palmer and TURN: Washingtons Spies ) as Allyson’s ex-boyfriend Officer Mullaney, actress Joanne Baron ( Indignation and Total Eclipse ) as Corey’s overbearing mother Joan Cunningham, actor Rick Moose ( Blackbear and Magic City ) as Corey’s father Ronald Cunningham, actor Keraun Harris ( Black-ish and 30 Days 2 Life ) as local Haddonfield radio DJ Willy the Kid, actor Michael O’Leary ( Guiding Light and Law & Order: Organized Crime ) as Allyson’s boss at the local hospital Dr. Mathis, actress Michele Dawson ( Can’t Go Home and Criminal Minds ) as Allyson’s co-worker Deb, actor Michael Barbieri ( Spider-Man: Homecoming and The Dark Tower ) as leader of gang of bullies who target Corey named Terry, with actress Destiny Mone ( Red Hoods & Outlaws and Despise Not, My Youth ) as Stacy, actress Joey Harris ( Lisa Frankenstein ) as Margo, and musician Marteen as Billy, who make up Terry’s gang, young actor Jaxon Goldberg ( Alice and Modern Family ) as Jeremy Allen, and actress Candice Rose ( Stranger Things and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law ) and actor Jack William Marshall ( All Over It and A Cry from Within ) as Jeremy’s parents Mrs. and Mr. Allen, round out the remaining minor characters in the movie. While most of these characters have limited screen-time, their performances get the job done within Halloween End’s timeframe. Although, I felt maybe one or two of them could’ve been easily expanded upon or have more a prominent placement in the film (i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Allen).

FINAL THOUGHTS

Something old, something new arises once again in the town of Haddonfield as evil returns as Laurie Strode’s old nemesis resurfaces for one final confrontation in the movie Halloween Ends . Director David Gordon Green’s latest film returns to the narrative that began back in 2018; establishing what was presented in the previous two films and coming to its ending with this picture of masked serial killer and the struggles of several individuals who are entangled in “The Shape’s” terror. Unfortunately, despite the movie having a good presentation, several good character-built moments, a continuative thread of examining the nature of evil, the film struggles to find a proper balance, especially in throwing a curve ball in its narrative structure, a lame twist, clunky dialogue, a lack of the main villain, and underwhelming screen time (and development) for several characters to the franchise. Personally, I was bit disappointed in this movie. Yes, the movies thematical elements about evil is still quite intriguing and that the final confrontation between Michael and Laurie is thrilling (as well as few other nuances), but the movie still feels unbalanced and could’ve been so much more than what was presented. I still do like this particular trilogy much better than the other Halloween sequels, with a more “back to basics” essential of what made Carpenter’s classic a classic, but what started out great and exciting in 2018 has faded, becoming more of a slog. Thus, my recommendation for this movie is a sad “skip it” as the movie doesn’t really offer much beyond the film’s final twenty minutes. Of course, the future of the Halloween franchise still remains elusive with any type of possibilities, including a spin-off continuation or remakes of sorts. It’s hard to say, but I personally don’t think one would be great. In the end, Halloween Ends does what it sets out to do by given the long-awaited Michael Meyers / Laurie Strode saga of blood, violence, and death an ending, but fails to deliver a satisfying final outing for this narrative, making this new trilogy starting off with a “horror-filled” bang and ending on a “boogeyman” whimper.

2.4 Out of 5 (Skip It)

Released on: october 14th, 2022, reviewed on: october 18th, 2022.

Halloween Ends is 111 minutes long and is rated R for language, sexual situations, and violence, and gore

Halloween Ends is brutal, in the bad way

Jamie Lee Curtis’ horror trilogy-ender is more like a franchise burial

by Rafael Motamayor

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Bathed in blue light, Michael Myers twists Laurie’s arm in the kitchen in Halloween Ends

2021’s Halloween Kills was the Infinity War of the contemporary Halloween franchise — an ambitious movie that expanded the scope of its predecessor, but ultimately felt like an incomplete story. But instead of bringing things home with an Endgame equivalent, Halloween Ends plays out more like Game of Thrones season 8: a rushed entry that skips over important character development, kind of just forgets about plot points from the last two movies, and ends up betraying what made this reboot worth watching in the first place. David Gordon Green’s trilogy-capper does feel like a definitive ending to the Halloween series led by Jamie Lee Curtis, but fans might be begging for someone to take another stab at it rather than ending Michael Myers’ reign of terror on such a sour note.

Did you remember that Michael was a kid who stabbed his sister, killed a few babysitters, left one survivor who spent decades preparing for his return, then found himself trapped in her burning house, but somehow survived, and escaped to murder the survivor’s daughter? Green and co-writer Danny McBride, working this time with Paul Brad Logan and Chris Bernier, assume you don’t, as Halloween Ends kicks off with a whole flashback sequence recapping the entire story so far. The trust issues only get worse from there, as the horror movie constantly reminds viewers not just of moments in Halloween history, but of things that literally happened minutes before, and of character relationships that should be obvious by now.

Everything that isn’t bluntly pointed out is swept under the rug. Michael’s slaying of Karen (Judy Greer)? Don’t worry about it. The whole town enacting mob justice against Michael Myers at the end of Halloween Kills , then losing miserably? What matters is everyone’s still scared and paranoid. Instead of resolution, Halloween Ends picks up four years after the events of Kills , with everyone having forgotten about Michael, and the Strodes mostly on the sidelines. Green and his cohorts reframe the action on an unrelated character, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell). And as for the Shape, he’s been in hiding, until Corey stokes his thirst for blood.

Michael Myers in his raggedy white mask holds a bloody knife in the foyer of a rustic home in Halloween Ends

Despite this entire trilogy supposedly riding on the shoulders of Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode and her trauma, Halloween Ends never dives deeper into the trauma’s significance. It has multiple characters, including Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), to guilt Laurie into thinking that somehow Michael’s return was her fault for obsessing over him —despite both the audience, and multiple character witnesses like Allyson herself, knowing otherwise. The tonal shift borders on victim-shaming, and a complete betrayal to what was supposed to be the core of this movie.

Thankfully, Jamie Lee Curtis still shines as Laurie, who we meet here at a different point in her life. Four years after her brutal encounter, Ends finds Laurie writing a memoir, baking pies for Allyson, and flirting with Will Patton’s Deputy Hawkins. After two emotionally heavy performances in the previous two films, it is actually delightful to see Curtis get to flex her comedic muscles for a while, delivering some genuinely funny moments that should add fuel to the fire of her recent comments about wanting to do another Freaky Friday.

Though Halloween Ends seems in a big rush to reach the finish line, it dawdles toward the action one might expect from a Halloween movie. That’s because most of the 111-minute run time is spent on Corey, who becomes a social pariah after a deadly incident one Halloween night and gets strangely obsessed with Michael Myers.

If nothing else, the turn is ambitious. Halloween Kills expanded the scope to the entire town, and Halloween Ends makes some bold choices through Corey’s storyline, as the film explores whether evil is something created by one’s environment or something already within us, unshakable, and just waiting to be unleashed. Halloween Ends continues the thread from Kills of asking whether Michael Myers is a 70-something-year-old mentally ill man or evil incarnate, a supernatural being that heals himself through the act of killing and can almost pass on his essence to others.

Laurie in a green dress and belt and Corey in a brown leather jacket and jeans stand on a leaf-covered street in the suburbs in Halloween Ends

Unfortunately, Green doesn’t seem interested in answering the big questions. Nor can he find new ways to enliven Michael Myers, focusing on Corey for most of the run time, and using a vastly different and more angsty tone that belongs in a Kevin Williamson Scream script rather than a Halloween one. He discards the modernized John Carpenter visuals and camera work that became essential to his first Halloween sequel for a less creative or energetic film where the camera barely moves.

There is, of course, an actual confrontation between Laurie and Michael, one that arrives too little too late after an hour of following Corey. There are some cool and gruesome kills, but most of them happen off screen or are purposefully undermined by staging. Where Halloween Kills was a brutal slasher that seemed to place us in the shoes of the Shape, David Gordon Green tries everything he can to subvert the primal origins of the premise. There’s almost a sense of shame hanging over the entire movie.

The Halloween saga started by John Carpenter and Debra Hill in 1978 ends in this film, but the end can’t vindicate the existence of this continuation of the story. Even if 2018’s Halloween set out to explore trauma through horror, there’s nothing in Ends that pays off the probing. The trilogy wasn’t ultimately about how evil takes hold of us and creates havoc through paranoia. This was an ambitious trilogy that tried to take the Halloween franchise to new places, but it ultimately falls short, introducing so many ideas that it quickly abandons, while forgetting about the one thing it was always supposed to be about: Laurie Strode.

Halloween Ends opens in wide theatrical release and simultaneously streams on Peacock on Oct. 14.

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‘Halloween Ends’ Review: Michael Myers Saga Concludes, For Now, With a Whimper

Director David Gordon Green offers little more than a padded coda to the tale of Haddonfield, with a sudden focus on a brand-new character

The title “Halloween Ends” is a bit off, and that’s not just because nobody in their right mind seriously thinks this lucrative franchise will completely stop here.

Even if you take filmmaker David Gordon Green at his word, this new “Halloween” movie doesn’t put much of a button on the series. It says very little that wasn’t already said in “Halloween Kills,” a divisive sequel which attempted, with some success, to reframe the whole series as a treatise on multigenerational trauma, culminating with the metaphysical rebirth of Michael Myers as an immortal idea, a despicable living legend.

Instead of providing any fresh perspectives on Myers and his impact on the long-suffering town of Haddonfield — or its most famous residents, the Strode family — “Halloween Ends” merely offers an extended, one might say extremely padded, coda to the tale that Green has been telling. The film eventually provides some memorable gore but the ultimate conclusion is unconvincing and perfunctory. “Halloween Anecdotally Concludes” would have been much more accurate, although the studio’s marketing department would no doubt have hated it.

After a brief and shocking prelude, “Halloween Ends” picks up several years after the events of “Halloween” and “Halloween Kills.” Myers has disappeared without a trace, but it seems like every Halloween since that fateful night has been marred by tragic, mysterious deaths which may or may not have been the boogeyman’s handiwork. Maybe he’s out there killing people, or maybe Haddonfield is now just a place where horrible things happen all the time, as though his evil has infected it.

Surprisingly, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has taken Myers’ disappearance in stride. She’s living in suburbia again, with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak, “Foxhole”), and writing an autobiography to purge her inner demons. They’re still mourning the loss of their family members, but it appears that life, for once, is pretty good for the Strode family. It’s an observation that infuriates their deeply scarred neighbors, who constantly remind Laurie that her tragedy has ruined their lives.

Yes, Haddonfielders have long memories. They also refuse to let a young man named Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell, “The Hardy Boys”) forget a shocking tragedy in his own past. He’s guilt-ridden, repressed and fragile, and Laurie and Allyson immediately recognize him as a kindred spirit in need of love and support. If he can stop beating himself up – and if the townsfolk can stop beating him up, too – Corey might even realize that Allyson is not only totally into him but also charmingly forward about it.

The problem is that Corey might not be on a path to healing. He might be on a much darker journey, which could lead him into the literal and figurative catacombs of Haddonfield, where he’d find his own, very unusual place in the legacy of the town. What if Corey isn’t another Laurie Strode? What if he’s another Michael Myers?

At least, that’s the idea that “Halloween Ends” is toying with. It’s a bold decision to take a series that had previously focused on the Strode family and suddenly refocus much of it on a brand-new character, in what was supposed to be (allegedly) its final chapter. But the novelty wears off quickly. The script can’t seem to make up its mind about Corey. Either he was always evil, or he was driven to it by an oppressive community; both plot points get floated, and neither is supported very well by Campbell’s scattershot performance. It’s not intriguingly ambiguous — it’s just frustratingly non-committal, and it takes up most of the movie.

So much time and energy is dedicated to Corey’s plot that “Halloween Ends” no longer plays like a continuation of the original story. Instead, it’s like we’re watching a backdoor pilot episode for some kind of “Tales of Haddonfield” anthology horror series, where scary things happen on October 31 but are only tangentially related to the characters and ideas from the original films. Not a bad pitch for a show, but not a very satisfying film.

Green’s movie might have been stronger if it had committed to an anthology concept, instead of constantly reminding us that there are other, richer, pre-existing characters we could be focusing on more before eventually tacking the conclusion to their story onto the end of a “Corey Cunningham” standalone. Then again, the “Halloween” series has a bit of a sketchy history of transforming its third installments into unrelated anthology tales. If it’s an intentional throwback to “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” it’s less effective than its ridiculous but consistently entertaining 1982 predecessor.

Corey’s storyline ultimately yields some memorably gruesome set pieces, but Green’s screenplay — for which he shares credit with three other writers — struggles to make it fit into the rest of the puzzle. What does it even say about Allyson that she can fall in love with someone who, possibly, has a lot in common with the mass murderer who killed her mom? The world may never know, because the script for “Halloween Ends” doesn’t want to ask that or many other valid, potentially fascinating questions.

Instead, Corey’s story awkwardly segues into a tacked-on climax that’s probably supposed to give this all some sense of closure. But the events of the film are too arbitrary for that to be dramatically satisfying. What’s worse, it doesn’t even seem like the filmmakers are completely convinced it works either, since they spend most of the movie arguing that Haddonfield is a place where evil self-perpetuates, thanks to a populace that refuses to let anything die, before then giving the townsfolk a ham-fisted last-minute conclusion which, based on everyone’s behavior throughout the last two movies, is either completely unearned or unlikely to mean much to them in the long run.

“Halloween Ends” is far from the worst film in the series, but that says more about the series than it does about “Halloween Ends.” It’s hard to give a film credit for going in an unexpected direction when the direction is this aimless. As a slasher movie, it’s too backloaded to be broadly entertaining, and the handful of gruesome kills are counterbalanced by other, more humdrum slayings. Even cinematographer Michael Simmonds, whose oily shadows and eerie compositions made Green’s other “Halloween” movies total stunners, seems oddly subdued for most of “Halloween Ends.”

Perhaps “Halloween Ends” doesn’t work because — going back to that title — “Halloween” isn’t supposed to end. John Carpenter left the original with an almost complete lack of closure, which played less like a sequel tease and more like a threat. Michael Myers is still out there somewhere, literally or figuratively, and he’s going to get you. If he’s not, then this whole enterprise comes across as rather pointless. If evil can truly end — and especially if it ends this anticlimactically — it must not have been that powerful to begin with.

“Halloween Ends” opens in US theaters and streams exclusively on Peacock Oct. 14.

The 30 Best Halloween Movies to Get You in the Mood for Spooky Season

From gory escape rooms to nightmare Zoom calls, we've got you covered.

preview for Halloween Ends Trailer (Universal Pictures)

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While horror movies were once reserved for Halloween , it's now acceptable to watch them at pretty much any time of year. And whether or not you're a fan of scaring yourself silly with creepy content, it doesn't hurt to start preparing for the holiday that's spawned a million franchises. Perhaps you don't know how Michael Myers got his start or why Freddy Krueger haunts people's dreams. Maybe you're in the mood for some gruesome feminist horror, or you want to watch films set on Halloween itself. Whatever you're in the mood for, we've rounded up some of the spookiest Halloween movies around.

Halloween (1978)

John Carpenter turned Jamie Lee Curtis into the original scream queen when he cast her in 1978's Halloween , which was also her first movie role. Set on the creepiest night of the year, Halloween introduces us to Michael Myers, who seems intent on making the holiday memorable after escaping from an institution. The film has spawned a slew of sequels, some successful, some cringe-worthy. But it's undeniable that 1978's Halloween remains an iconic moment in American cinema that's guaranteed to creep you out.

Halloween (2018)

Throughout the years, Michael Myers has evolved. With 2018's Halloween , director David Gordon Green reset the timeline, making this movie a direct sequel to Carpenter's 1978 masterpiece. Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Laurie Strode, who has been living with the trauma of Michael's attack for 40 years. When he manages to escape (again), she's ready. Follow this up with 2021's Halloween Kills , and Halloween Ends , due in October 2022.

Candyman (2021)

Directed by Nia DaCosta, with a screenplay co-written by Jordan Peele , 2021's Candyman breathes new life (and bee stings) into the iconic franchise. If you grew up fearing the legend, the Candyman reboot will tap into your terror by expanding the universe. Visually terrifying, Candyman explores themes of gentrification, race, and the demonisation of Black victims. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Anthony McCoy, an artist with an unhealthy Candyman obsession, who needs to find out what really took place at Cabrini-Green.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

Set on Halloween in 1968, this horror anthology is packed with strange and frightening tales. A group of kids discover a mysterious book written by a young girl who committed suicide after being accused of witchcraft. From hulking scarecrows waking up to spider bites spawning millions of tiny spiders, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is an unusual addition to any Halloween.

The Purge (2013)

2013's The Purge started a sprawling franchise, and serves as a stark indictment of what can happen when power and corruption meet. The premise is simple: on one night of every year, all crime is legal, even murder. In this first instalment, Ethan Hawke plays a family man profiting off of his supposedly purge-proof security systems. Three sequels, a prequel, and two seasons of a TV series have followed.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Hocus Pocus has been delighting audiences for three decades already, and a sequel is set to arrive in October 2022. The original Halloween-themed horror comedy stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker , and Kathy Najimy as three witches who are accidentally resurrected on Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts. If you're not in the mood for serious scares, revisiting Hocus Pocus is the perfect compromise.

Sinister (2012)

Ethan Hawke stars as a true-crime writer looking for his next story, who relocates his family into a house where some mysterious deaths occurred. He soon discovers a collection of Super 8 videos showing a series of increasingly grisly murders, and it's not long before his entire family is at risk.

Jordan Peele's Us stars Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke as a couple confronted by their (extremely violent) doppelgangers. What follows is an extremely fast-paced and bloody film filled with unguessable twists. Unmissable horror.

Happy Death Day (2017)

Part slasher, part horror comedy, Happy Death Day follows college student Tree as she relives the worst day of her life, literally. Just like in Groundhog Day , Tree realizes she's stuck in a time loop, which forces her to try to identify a killer stalking campus in a Babyface mask. A sequel followed in 2019.

Midsommar (2019)

Florence Pugh delivers the performance of her career (so far) in Ari Aster's sunny horror movie. Following a family tragedy, Dani (Pugh) travels to Sweden to attend a famous midsummer festival with her boyfriend and his friends. What the group doesn't realize, though, is that they've walked into the clutches of a Scandinavian pagan cult.

Escape Room (2019)

Maybe you're a fan of escape rooms, but for some of us, the idea of being locked in a room and forced to solve a series of puzzles sounds like hell. Escape Room is based upon this very premise, except each room ends up being deadly for at least one player. 2021's Escape Room: Tournament of Champions takes the concept even further. Rather than attending an escape room this Halloween, just stay home and heed this film's warning instead.

Jennifer's Body (2009)

There's a reason why Megan Fox considers Jennifer's Body to be one of her proudest moments. Written by Oscar-winner Diablo Cody, Jennifer's Body stars Amanda Seyfried as Needy, whose childhood friend, Jennifer, is possessed by a demon and can't stop killing boys. The perfect feminist comedy horror for any day of the year, tbh.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Since 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street , Freddy Krueger hasn't stopped haunting our dreams. Robert Englund, who recently appeared in Season 4 of Stranger Things , portrays Krueger, the iconic boogeyman with the clawed glove. Many sequels have followed, but Wes Craven's initial Elm Street outing remains the best.

Carrie (1976)

Carrie might not be set on Halloween, but its aesthetic oozes October 31. Adapted from Stephen King's novel of the same name, Sissy Spacek plays the titular character, an awkward teenager with secret telekinetic abilities and an overbearing religious mother. When Carrie is unexpectedly invited to prom, she decides to attend, not realizing what some of the students have in store for her.

Get Out (2017)

Daniel Kaluuya stars as Chris, a photographer who gets invited upstate to meet his girlfriend's very white family. After unsettling interactions with the property's Black staff members, Chris suspects something strange is going on. A fateful hypnotherapy session to cure his smoking introduces Chris, and the audience, to the "Sunken Place." Thanks to Jordan Peele's directorial debut, the horror genre and pop culture in general are forever changed

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

This little horror anthology didn't get enough love upon its release, but a growing cult of fans have made up for that in the years since. An eclectic cast including True Blood 's Anna Paquin and Succession 's Brian Cox makes Trick 'r Treat eminently watchable. The movie tells four separate stories, all which feature burlap-sack-wearing trick-or-treater Sam, who appears whenever someone breaks a Halloween tradition.

The Exorcist (1973)

Parodied in just about every spoof, 1973's The Exorcist is the very definition of a horror movie classic. If, like me, you avoided the film as a kid, for fear of being possessed like the main character, you can rest assured that The Exorcist is gentler than its reputation might suggest. However, from its jaw-dropping practical effects to the eerie ambience throughout, there's never a bad time to revisit The Exorcist .

Audition (1999)

Japanese horror movie Audition , directed by Takashi Miike, focuses on Shigeharu, a widower staging fake auditions to meet a new partner, at the behest of his son. However, when he meets Asami Yamazaki during the process, he has no idea what she actually has in store for him. Much like The Exorcist , Audition has become a film of legend, that is not for the faint of heart.

Scream (1996)

Forget the reboot. Directed by horror god Wes Craven, with a script from Dawson's Creek 's very own Kevin Williamson, Scream literally changed the game by sending up the very genre its a part of. From its acerbic dialogue to Mr. Ghostface's iconic costume to Drew Barrymore's unforgettable appearance, 1996's Scream is impossible to recreate.

The Strangers

After Kristen (Liv Tyler) rejects James' marriage proposal, the pair spend a tense night in his childhood home following a friend's wedding. When James goes to buy cigarettes, strange things start happening around the house, and it's unclear if there's a supernatural element to the disturbances or not. A shocking denouement reveals all. Follow it up with the equally brutal The Strangers: Prey at Night , starring Christina Hendricks and Martin Henderson, released in 2018.

Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness , and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.

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A horror buff picks the 10 best new scary movies to stream this Halloween

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It’s the most spine-tingling time of the year: Spooky season is here and there’s no shortage of scary new stories to devour, from twisty thrillers and Lovecraftian yarns to bloodthirsty aliens, ax-wielding maniacs and macabre stop-motion delights.

With streaming options galore for getting your horror fix, it’s also a great moment to be a genre fanatic. Love horror of all kinds, all year-round? Check out the impeccably curated releases on specialty streaming platform Shudder . Dare to dive even further into the depths of cult cinema? Try Arrow ’s library of classic and contemporary titles.

Even Criterion Channel ’s got a killer lineup of iconic ‘80s horror on offer this month, including Kathryn Bigelow’s rare-to-streaming 1987 vampire classic “Near Dark.”

But if you’re looking for new frights to watch, we’ve got you covered right here. So get your pumpkins carved, throw on a Ghoul Log or two , fill up those candy bowls and hit play on the best new chilling tales you can watch at home this Halloween weekend.

‘Barbarian’

Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes Rating: R Streaming: Amazon Prime: Rent/Buy . | Disney+: Included . | HBO Max: Included

The best horror movie of the year has arrived on streaming via HBO Max! Writer-director Zach Cregger’s twisty classic in the making , about a woman (Georgina Campbell) who finds her sketchy Airbnb already occupied by a mysterious stranger (“It’s” Bill Skarsgård), is a must whether you’ve experienced its deliciously labyrinthine chills in theaters or are diving in for a first viewing.

Pair “Barbarian” — also starring Justin Long and Matthew Patrick Davis, in memorable turns best left unspoiled — with James Wan’s “ Malignant ,” the WTF horror champion of last year. Make it an over-the-top Halloween triple feature by adding this year’s “ Orphan: First Kill ” to your playlist, and rejoice, for a new era of bonkers original horror is upon us.

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A gnarly hand touches a man's dimly lit, bloody face.

‘Deadstream’

Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes. Rating: Not rated. Streaming: Shudder: Included | AMC+: Included

With its ghoulish “Evil Dead”-style roller coaster energy and a live-streaming protagonist you love to hate, “Deadstream” will be remembered as a signpost of our Very Online times. Filmmaking duo Vanessa and Joseph Winter bring a fresh spin and lively comic mania to the found footage subgenre by telling their story from the perspective of Shawn (Joseph Winter), a self-absorbed and recently disgraced YouTuber whose latest stunt sees him spending the night in a purportedly haunted house in a bid to reclaim sponsorships and internet relevancy.

After “Deadstream,” hit play on Shudder’s “V/H/S/99,” the latest iteration of the long-running found footage anthology, whose highlights include the bizarro “Ozzy’s Dungeon” from musician-filmmaker Flying Lotus and the Winters’ Y2K-set “To Hell and Back,” featuring another zany turn by “Deadstream” co-star Melanie Stone.

‘Speak No Evil’

Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes Rating: Not rated Streaming: Shudder: Included . | AMC+: Included .

If you prefer your horror served at peak bleak, director Christian Tafdrup (“Parents”) has you covered with this taut psychological thriller about Danish couple Bjørn and Louise (Morten Burian and Sidsel Siem Koch), who befriend a Dutch couple (Fedja van Huêt and Karina Smulders) on vacation and plan to visit them in the countryside for an idyllic multi-family holiday.

Once they arrive, things go from politely awkward to worse as Tafdrup pulls the strings of his horror of manners tighter and tighter, inspired by his own childhood experience — an achievement that would be darkly funny if it weren’t so sinister. A true chiller of the season that will leave you unsettled.

‘Hellraiser’

Running time: 2 hours Rating: R. Streaming: Hulu: Included .

After nine sequels of diminishing returns, the 2022 reboot of Clive Barker’s iconic, erotic 1987 horror classic “ Hellraiser ” has such sights to show you. Released by Hulu earlier this month and directed by “ Night House ” helmer David Bruckner, it unfolds as the familiar puzzle box from hell falls into the hands of a new heroine (Odessa A’zion), who begins to unlock its mysteries as the body count piles up.

Not as extreme as the original, the new “Hellraiser” nonetheless comes with Barker’s seal of approval, a delicious new Pinhead played by Jamie Clayton and fleshy design updates for The Priest’s sadistic posse of interdimensional Cenobites. And after 2021’s “Candyman,” it welcomes more of Barker’s nightmarish canon back to the screen and whets the appetite for dark and dangerous horror tales to come.

Mia Goth stars as a starry-eyed farmgirl in "Pearl," the prequel to Ti West's 1970s-set slasher "X."

‘Pearl’ (aka ‘Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story’)

Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes Rating: R Streaming: Amazon Prime: Rent/Buy . | Apple TV+: Rent/Buy . | Google Play: Rent/Buy . | Vudu: Rent/Buy .

In 2022 filmmaker Ti West (“House of the Devil,” “In A Valley of Violence”) pulled off a rare feat, releasing two connected original horror movies back to back, both anchored by riveting performances from actor Mia Goth in multiple roles. First came the 1970s-set slasher “X,” in which a porn crew meets their fates at the hands of an old biddy (Goth, under prosthetics and makeup) on a remote Texas farm. A few months later “Pearl” landed in theaters, pulling audiences further into the backstory of Goth’s titular ax murderer as a starry-eyed young woman with showbiz dreams circa World War I — a prequel so unsettling it kept Martin Scorsese up at night .

With “Pearl” new to streaming, take a cue from Marty and double-feature West’s most audacious work to date and delight in Goth’s virtuosic lead performances — some of the best of the year in any genre.

Mia Goth of 'Pearl' photographed at the RBC House during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2022

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‘Wendell & Wild’

Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes Rating: PG-13 Streaming: Netflix: Included .

Premiering on Netflix Friday, this stop-motion horror comedy co-written by director Henry Selick (“The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Coraline”) and “Nope’s” Jordan Peele welcomes adults and older kids alike into an eccentric and visually inventive new world filled with supernatural thrills, teen angst, humor and heart.

Lyric Ross voices Kat Elliot, a green-haired goth-punk adolescent tricked into making a deal with a pair of bumbling demons (Peele and Keegan-Michael Key) to bring her beloved parents back from the dead. A sprawling story, inclusive cast and socially minded themes lend “ Wendell & Wild ” more depth than you might expect, while a killer soundtrack will give you the perfect opening to introduce your favorite young horror hound to English punk outfit X-Ray Spex.

‘Slash/Back’

Running time: 1 hour, 26 minutes Rating: Not rated Streaming: Amazon Prime: Rent/Buy . | Google Play: Rent/Buy . Shudder: Included . | YouTube: Rent/Buy .

Inuit girls take center stage — and take on bloodthirsty, shape-shifting aliens — in filmmaker Nyla Innuksuk’s appealing directorial debut, out now on VOD and streaming on Shudder. With a nod to “The Thing,” “Slash/Back” creates a world entirely of its own as eerie happenings unfold in the sleepy Nunavut hamlet of Pangnirtung, where the headstrong Maika (Tasiana Shirley) rebels against the cultural traditions of her parents while biking around in boredom with her best friends (Alexis Wolfe, Nalajoss Ellsworth and Chelsea Prusky).

Lively sci-fi high jinks and entertaining creature feature thrills ensue as “Slash/Back’”s young stars put their own stamp on the genre. Watch closely as Innuksuk pays brief homage to the late Indigenous genre maestro Jeff Barnaby , whose 2010 dystopian sci-fi short film “File Under Miscellaneous” makes a cameo onscreen, being watched by Wolfe’s horror movie fanatic, Jesse — a reminder that trailblazing stories have unknowable impacts on the generations that follow.

A bloodied woman stands in the middle of a rural highway

Running time: 1 hour, 39 minutes Rating: Not rated. Streaming: Apple TV+: Rent/Buy . | Google: Rent/Buy . | YouTube: Rent/Buy

Laura Galán gives a fearless performance as Sara, a young woman bullied for her weight in her rural village in the Spanish countryside, in filmmaker Carlota Pereda’s “Piggy,” expanded from her award-winning 2018 short of the same name. Walking home one day after a humiliating prank, Sara witnesses her tormenters’ brutal kidnapping and must decide: What should she do about it?

Where Pereda’s winding moral thriller goes from there is unexpected and surprisingly funny even as it doesn’t shy away from blood, gore and the emotional violence of everyday human cruelty. Among the best genre imports of the year, “Piggy” boasts one of the most elusive elements in horror: a visceral finale that leaves you satisfied as its implications resonate in your mind.

‘Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities’

Rating: Not rated Streaming: Netflix: Included .

Curated and hosted by Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Nightmare Alley”), Netflix’s “Cabinet of Curiosities” anthology brings eight handsome, hour-long terror tales to the streamer just in time for Halloween.

Boosted by a level of production value you won’t find in most genre anthologies, the range of stories from filmmakers like Vincenzo Natali (“Cube”), David Prior (“The Empty Man”) and Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight”) is at times an odd mix that skews heavily toward the Gothic and atmospheric.

Highlights include an ‘80s-flavored outlier, the beautification parable “The Outside,” directed by Ana Lily Amirpour and starring Kate Micucci, Martin Starr and Dan Stevens (doing an accent that truly demands to be heard), which grounds a tricky tone and goopy effects with relatable performances.

Likewise, “The Murmuring,” from “Babadook” helmer Jennifer Kent, is not to be missed. Anchored by quietly absorbing turns by Essie Davis and Andrew Lincoln, this 1950s-set ghost tale, about a pair of married ornithologists still grieving an unimaginable loss while on a research trip on the Atlantic coast, is one of the most gorgeously photographed and acted pieces of horror cinema of the year, period, testament to the power that can be achieved in the short form.

‘Masking Threshold’

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Rating: Not rated Streaming: Amazon: Rent/Buy . | Apple TV+: Rent/Buy . | Google: Rent/Buy . | Vudu: Rent/Buy .

Looking for a more obscure movie to unsettle your senses this Halloween? “Masking Threshold” is the movie for you. The immersive English language experimental horror from Austrian artist Johannes Grenzfurthner places the audience in the eyes and ears of a protagonist (Ethan Haslam) who has built his own makeshift home laboratory to uncover the source of his tinnitus, with increasingly shocking results.

Utilizing macro photography and ASMR-esque sound design, “Masking Threshold” pulls you down a rabbit hole where Reddit theorizing meets Lovecraftian fixation, paranoia bubbling over into a disturbing sensory experience. Available now on VOD, this is the new horror title to pull out for the genre lovers who swear they’ve already seen all that Halloween 2022 has to offer.

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The 2018 Halloween from director David Gordon Green and horror mega-producer Jason Blum was a surprise hit with everyone and made a nice chunk of change as well. This led Universal and Blumhouse to make the obvious decision to greenlight not just one sequel, but two. The first, Halloween Kills , hit theaters and Peacock on October 15, proving to be a money maker for the studio.

The third installment, Halloween Ends , hits theaters very soon and after that massive cliffhanger ending in Kills , we’re dying to know what happens next in the story of Laurie Strode, Michael Myers, and the town of Haddonfield, Illinois.

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on July 21, to include the trailer.

RELATED: 'Halloween' Movies Ranked From Worst to Best

Halloween Ends is scheduled to hit theaters on October 14, 2022. The film was originally given a release date of October 15, 2021, but after Halloween Kills was pushed back a year the threequel had no choice but to move as well.

On that date, the slasher sequel will be opening against Lionsgate's Wonder spin-off White Bird: A Wonder Story starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson and Call Jane a film centering around the Jane Collective starring Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver .

The official plot synopsis from Universal reads:

This is Laurie Strode’s last stand. After 45 years, the most acclaimed, revered horror franchise in film history reaches its epic, terrifying conclusion as Laurie Strode faces off for the last time against the embodiment of evil, Michael Myers, in a final confrontation unlike any captured on-screen before. Only one of them will survive. Icon Jamie Lee Curtis returns for the last time as Laurie Strode, horror’s first “final girl” and the role that launched Curtis’ career. Curtis has portrayed Laurie for more than four decades now, one of the longest actor-character pairings in cinema history. When the franchise relaunched in 2018, Halloween shattered box office records, becoming the franchise’s highest-grossing chapter and set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for a horror film starring a woman. Four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) 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 (Rohan Campbell; The Hardy Boys, Virgin River), 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.

Green let some plot details about the film slip. Unlike Halloween Kills which was set mere moments after the events of the previous film, there will be a four-year time jump. Halloween Ends will be set four years after the events of the previous film and will address real-world events that have happened since 2018 including the COVID-19 Pandemic and what Green called in an interview with Uproxx “peculiar politics.” What exactly Green means by that remains to be seen, but bringing social and real-world issues into the franchise is not entirely out of left field, even looking back at the last two films.

Green has let it be known that Laurie Strode may not be the main driving force of the next film, instead he teased to Fandom that it will be her granddaughter Allyson who will be the main driving force of the movie along with her “considerations and psychology.” It is a bit obvious looking at everything she lost during the last two movies from her father, then her boyfriend, and then her own mother.

Jamie Lee Curtis will once again return as Laurie Strode and Andi Matichak will be back as Allyson. Unfortunately for those two characters, most of the ensemble of the last two films have been killed by Michael Myers , including Judy Greer ’s Karen, Anthony Michael Hall ’s Tommy Doyle, Dylan Arnold ’s Cameron, and Robert Longstreet ’s Lonnie, among others.

Other characters returning that survived the events of the last film include Will Patton ’s Deputy Frank Hawkins, Omar Dorsey ’s Sheriff Barker, and Kyle Richards ’ Lindsey Wallace. Newcomers to the franchise include Rohan Campbell as Corey Cunningham, a young man who has been accused of murdering the kid he was babysitting and serves as the fuse that lights the carnage, and Michael O'Leary as Dr. Mathis.

Initially, that was the plan for the slasher sequels, but it didn’t work out that way. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Andi Matichak revealed that the shooting schedule for Halloween Kills was so intense and so ambitious that it would not have been possible had they shot the two films back-to-back.

James Jude Courtney, one of the actors who plays Michael Myers, revealed that filming is planned to start in January, which would give the final film a tighter turn-around than the previous two installments.

By early March, filming for Halloween Ends had wrapped.

David Gordon Green on the set of Halloween

Yes, Green will be indeed returning to direct and co-write the sequel alongside Danny McBride . There will also be two new talents joining the pair in scripting the film with Paul Brad Logan ( Manglehorn ) and Chris Bernier ( The House: A Hulu Halloween Anthology ). Series creator John Carpenter will also return to produce the film and will once again provide the score.

Nope, at least not one with this same team involved. Green sees his three films as three parts of a four part story, with Carpenter’s 1978 original being part one. Green has stated that he hopes Hollywood will let Michael Myers and Laurie rest before resurrecting them once again. Here's what he told Collider:

"My ego says create something that is a four-part series beginning with Carpenter's, 1978 film, and then our follow-up trilogy. I'm sure the mythology takes over and Michael and Laurie will emerge in some new capacity with some new filmmaker, storyteller behind them. But for me, I'll be done. I hope they'll take a little time off before they resuscitate it. But that's just my ego."

Green will be quite busy for the next few years, he’ll be spearheading a continuation of another beloved horror franchise for Blumhouse with a sequel trilogy to The Exorcist with Academy Award nominee Leslie Odom Jr starring and Ellen Burstyn reprising her iconic role as Chris MacNeil. Green also will be working on yet another horror reboot as he will be directing the pilot of the still in development Hellraiser HBO series. He also directed the pilot episode of the Mindy Kaling -produced HBO Max series The Sex Lives Of College Girls and most recently he directed several episodes with his Halloween co-writer McBride for the second season of the popular HBO series The Righteous Gemstones . Green signed on to direct a feature film about the creation of Disneyland for Disney+. So if you are already a fan of Green as a director, you will surely have enough content to satisfy your hunger long after Halloween Ends hits theaters and even beforehand!

The first official trailer for Halloween Ends hit the web on July 19, giving fans their much anticipated first look at the final chapter in David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy. The trailer begins with a first-person view of Michael Myers walking into a house, similar to the opening scene in the 1978 original, only to be greeted by Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie readily pointing a gun at her longtime adversary. What comes next is a montage of Strode wrestling with Myers, paired with clips of the previous two installments and the 1978 film, before ending with a tense sequence involving Laurie, Michael, and garbage disposal, which is very reminiscent of a particular scene from the now non-canon Halloween H20: 20 Years Later .

It’s too soon to say, but we wouldn’t be surprised either way if it’s a theater exclusive or if it premieres on Peacock the same day it goes to theaters. As of right now Blum would like the final film to be a theater exclusive, but due to the unpredictable nature of everything, nothing has been set in stone.

“I want to go back to traditional windows, but COVID is incredibly unpredictable, and I didn't want to risk it again. I felt like I did that with Freaky , and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. So I don't want to repeat that experience," Blum told Collider in an interview for Amazon Prime Video’s anthology series of TV films Welcome To The Blumhouse .

KEEP READING: 'Halloween Kills': All of Michael's Kills, Ranked

Movie Features
Halloween Ends

Peep these 15 new horror movies to prep for Halloween, from 'Smile' to Hulu's 'Hellraiser'

Halloween is coming soon like a maniac with an extremely large and sharply bladed object, and what screams "scary season" these days more than "Stranger Things" ?

Priah Ferguson, aka young spitfire Erica Sinclair on the hit series, teams up with Marlon Wayans and takes on monstrous beings – from the here and now rather than the Upside Down – in the new Netflix horror comedy "The Curse of Bridge Hollow." (streaming Oct. 14). The trailer for the family-friendly creep show debuts exclusively at usatoday.com .

But it's just one of many fresh fright-fests perfect for horror fiends and others who enjoy various bumps in the night. While you stress out about this year's costume and weigh going full- or fun-size with your candy bars, here are 15 new movies to prepare for Halloween:

Fall movie preview: 10 must-see films, from 'Hocus Pocus 2' to Dwayne Johnson's 'Black Adam'

'Goodnight Mommy'

In a remake of an excellent Austrian horror flick, Naomi Watts is the bandaged-up mother home and recovering from surgery who freaks out her twin kids enough that they wonder if she's some other woman.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Ti West's 1970s-set chiller "X" introduced one killer elderly villain in Pearl (Mia Goth), and this is the prequel origin story, set in 1918 and centering on the title character wishing for a movie-star life while living on the farm with a sick dad and ultra-devout mom.

Where to watch: In theaters

'The Munsters'

Rob Zombie digs up the beloved family from the 1960s sitcom for a horror comedy looking at the blossoming romance between Herman (Jeff Daniel Phillips) and Lily (Sheri Moon Zombie) – much to the chagrin of her dad, The Count (Daniel Roebuck).

Where to watch: Netflix , video on demand

'The Munsters': Check out the exclusive new trailer for Rob Zombie's groovy (and PG!) movie

'Hocus Pocus 2'

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are back as the witchy Sanderson sisters in the sequel to the '90s cult classic, which finds a group of youngsters in Salem trying to foil the trio's magical chicanery.

Where to watch: Disney+

'Hocus Pocus 2': Kathy Najimy talks pressure of sequel, writer teases 'third' movie

'My Best Friend’s Exorcism'

Based on the Grady Hendrix book, the '80s-set horror comedy centers on BFFs Abby (Elsie Fisher) and Gretchen (Amiah Miller). When they venture into the site of a ritual sacrifice, Gretchen becomes possessed and Abby goes to extremes to help her pal.

Sosie Bacon stars in the psychological thriller as a doctor investigating the reasons behind a bizarre tragedy involving her patient, and in the aftermath she's haunted herself by a string of equally freaky circumstances.

'Smile,' you're No. 1!: Horror movie wins box office, outpacing 'Don't Worry Darling,' 'Bros'

'Mr. Harrigan’s Phone'

Stephen King's novella from the "If It Bleeds" collection is the inspiration behind the coming-of-age story of a teen ( "It" star Jaeden Martell), the dying billionaire (Donald Sutherland) he befriends, and the iPhone that connects them from beyond the grave.

Where to watch: Netflix

Review: Stephen King weaves a profound 'Fairy Tale' filled with heart (and, yes, some horror)

'Hellraiser'

In a reimagining of the 1987 Clive Barker movie, a young addict (Odessa A’zion) comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box that summons a bunch of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension and their leader, Pinhead ( Jamie Clayton ).

Where to watch: Hulu

'I had no idea how sexy it was': Jamie Clayton dives into horror as Pinhead in Hulu's 'Hellraiser'

Equally gory and scrappy, the indie Spanish coming-of-age thriller stars Laura Galán as a bullied teenager who finds herself in a pickle: help her kidnapped tormentors or side with the serial killer for whom she feels a kinship and attraction.

Where to watch: In theaters (and on demand Oct. 14)

'The Curse of Bridge Hollow'

Teenage Sydney (Priah Ferguson) reluctantly partners with her Halloween-hating dad (Marlon Wayans) to save their town when she accidentally unleashes an evil spirit that causes all of the decorations to come dangerously to life.

'Halloween Ends'

It's the final countdown, the main event, the war to settle the score, the brawl to end it all. Years after the events of "Halloween Kills," Laurie Strode ( Jamie Lee Curtis ) puts aside a peaceful existence for a last encounter with her longtime foe, Michael Myers.

Where to watch: In theaters and on Peacock

'Let's go get it': Jamie Lee Curtis says goodbye to 'Halloween Ends' and hello to Oscar buzz

'V/H/S/99'

The fifth installment of the horror anthology series continues with four new "found-footage" stories set at the end of the last millennium, including a monster-filled voyage to hell, punk-rock craziness and juvenile delinquents with a bad fate in store.

Where to watch: Shudder

'Prey for the Devil'

When a global rise in possessions leads the Catholic Church to rethink nuns being forbidden to perform exorcisms, Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers) trains for spiritual battle and is put on the case of a girl inhabited by the same demon that tormented her mom.

Where to watch: In theaters Friday

'Run Sweetheart Run'

Produced by Jason Blum, the thriller stars Ella Balinska as a single mom out on a dinner meeting with a client that turns into an evening of pure hell when she's hunted by a villainous and relentless assailant (Pilou Asbæk).

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Friday

'Wendell & Wild'

In the stop-motion animated horror comedy, a troubled teen orphan (voiced by Lyric Ross) makes a deal with her demons, two scheming brothers (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) desperate to escape the underworld.

Where to watch: Netflix Friday

'Nope,' 'Hocus Pocus 2,' and 'Bodies Bodies Bodies' are new scary movies to watch for 2022 Halloween...

These New Spooky Movies Are Must-Watches This Halloween

Classics are fun, but something new will always be scarier.

Going out in costume with your friends is definitely a highlight of Halloween, but honestly, one of the best ways to celebrate spooky season is to have everyone over for the ultimate scary movie marathon. Once you put up all your haunting decorations and lay out your fave watch-party snacks, the most important part of any Halloween movie night is picking the perfect lineup of terrifying flicks. Some people will always want to go with the classics that everyone’s already seen a million times, but if you really want to get some screams, then these new 2022 Halloween movies should definitely be in consideration.

There’s no denying 2022 has been a ~killer~ year for horror movies. From Jordan Peele’s genre-pushing sci-fi thriller Nope to long-awaited sequels of campy classics like Hocus Pocus 2 , the new scary or scary-adjacent movies that came out this year truly run the gamut, so there’s something for everyone. If you can handle something truly horrific, then the nightmare-inducing Smile could be the perfect pick for you. Or, if you are a self-proclaimed scaredy cat, then there are tamer options like Bodies Bodies Bodies or Wendell & Wild . Whatever your poison, here are all the new spooky movies that came out in 2022 that would make for perfect Halloween watches.

Probably the buzziest horror movie of the year, Jordan Peele’s mysterious follow-up to Get Out and Us hit theaters over the summer, long before Halloween. But if you still haven’t seen Nope , then spooky season is the perfect time to check it out. The horror movie will keep you guessing at every turn, as a mysterious alien rains bloody carnage on a horse ranch. It’s full of suspense that’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, but not too scary that your squeamish friends wouldn’t be able to enjoy it as well.

2. Hellraiser

The 1987 supernatural horror film Hellraiser is a terrifying classic, and now it’s being rebooted for a whole new generation. The new Hellraiser , which stars Sense8 breakout Jamie Clayton as the iconic Cenobite leader Pinhead, promises to add a whole new flair to the horror classic about a race of sadomasochistic demons who emerge from a cursed puzzle. It begins streaming on Hulu on Oct. 7.

3. Halloween Ends

It’s just not Halloween without Michael Myers, is it? The slasher icon is back for yet another killing spree this year, and as the title of Halloween Ends suggests, the thirteenth movie in the Halloween saga will finally show Laurie Strode and Michael Myers’ final battle. The gory last chapter of the decades-spanning franchise will hit theaters and stream on Peacock beginning Oct. 14.

If you’re looking for something extremely creepy that will almost definitely give you nightmares, Smile already looks like 2022’s most unsettling movie. The psychological horror follows a doctor who begins to witness terrifying events after people around her brandish a sinister-looking smile. After it hits theaters on Sept. 30, it’s expected to stream on Paramount+ in time for Halloween.

5. Hocus Pocus 2

The original 1993 Hocus Pocus has been a Halloween classic for nearly three decades, and now the Sanderson Sisters are finally back to run amok once again and make Halloween 2022 truly spellbinding. The new sequel will see Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprising their iconic roles as the witchy Sanderson sisters, along with a new cast of Salem residents to terrorize . This is the perfect scary movie if you can’t handle too much horror, and it will stream on Disney+ beginning Sept. 30, so you can watch it all October long.

At the beginning of 2022, the slasher X wowed horror fans, but the biggest surprise of all was the revelation that a prequel movie would be arriving just in time for Halloween. Pearl provides the origin story for X’ s brutal killer, flashing back to 1918 when a young Pearl dreamed of becoming a movie star... by any means necessary. The murder-fest began when Pearl hit theaters on Sept. 16, and it’s not going to stop, because a sequel called MaXXXine has already been picked up.

7. The Invitation

If glamorous vampire dramas are your thing, you’ll definitely want to sink your teeth into The Invitation . In the movie, an unsuspecting waitress discovers she has a wealthy extended family in England, but is quickly unsettled when she arrives at their mysterious wedding celebration. Because it turns out... she’s the bride! Things only get bloodier and more twisted from there. The Invitation hit theaters on Aug. 26.

8. Wendell & Wild

If you can’t get enough of stop-motion Halloween classics like The Nightmare Before Christmas , Coraline , and Corpse Bride , then you’re going to want to add the spooky new addition to that genre to your watchlist this year. Not only does Netflix’s Wendell & Wild come from stop-motion icon Henry Selick, but it also marks the long-awaited reunion of comedy duo Key & Peele, with Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele playing a pair of demon brothers trying to sneak into the land of the living. The movie will hit Netflix on Oct. 28, just in time for your Halloween movie night.

9. Prey for the Devil

Nothing is scarier than when horror movies go full satanic, and this year, Prey for the Devil is the religious possession-fest that will haunt your nightmares. The movie centers on a nun training to be an exorcist, only to be confronted with the demon she believes once tortured her own mother. If you love classics like The Exorcist , then check out Prey for the Devil when it hits theaters on Oct. 28.

10. Orphan: First Kill

Back in 2009, Orphan shocked everyone with one of the wildest twists in horror history, and now Esther’s origin story has finally arrived. This year’s Orphan: First Kill finally peels back the twisted layers behind the original movie’s unsettling lead, flashing back to the events that made Esther into who she became. Get ready for a psychological rollercoaster when you press play on Orphan: First Kill , which is streaming now on Paramount+.

11. They/Them

Nothing is more horrific than a conversion camp... except make a conversion camp that’s being preyed upon by a serial killer. They/Them is truly a slasher made for the modern age, as LGBTQ+ youth have to survive both archaic conversion therapy and a mysterious murderer. The movie is streaming on Peacock.

12. The Black Phone

Be sure to turn your phone on silent before you press play on The Black Phone , because each call you get afterwards is sure to send shivers down your spine. The nightmare-inducing thriller centers on a masked child abductor known as “The Grabber,” as his latest victim tries to piece together clues from his past victims to try to escape his lair. It’s streaming on Peacock, if you think you can handle the creepiness.

13. Bodies Bodies Bodies

Do you prefer to scream with laughter rather than from terror? Don’t worry — you can still get in the spooky season mood without watching anything too scary by checking out Bodies Bodies Bodies . The slasher is more of a satirical comedy about entitled young people than a horror flick, although it still has a fair share of jumpscares to keep you on your toes. The star-studded movie hit theaters back in August.

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Horror movie enthusiasts are in for a treat, as this Halloween looks set to deliver some truly terrifying new stories. But it will also see the return of some iconic faces from the genre, like Michael Myers, who will make fans return to the cinemas.

As well as theatrical releases, there are plenty of original movies coming to various streaming services that will be worth watching. With big names in front of and behind the camera, as well as each movie dealing with multiple themes and stories, there will be plenty on offer for fans to choose from.

Barbarian - September 9, 2022

Another horror movie that received a cinematic release last month to favorable reviews and gaining nearly $35 million at the box office, Barbarian follows two people who mistakenly book the same Airbnb and find a series of mysterious tunnels underneath the basement.

Starring names associated with horror, like Bill Skarsgard and Justin Long, it's Georgina Campbell who stole the spotlight and made her journey in the dark labyrinth engaging throughout. Hopefully the stars will reunite with director Zach Cregger, who should absolutely do another horror movie after having written and directed this smash hit.

Pearl - September 16, 2022

Mia Goth standing holding an ax in Pearl

A prequel to X , which came out earlier this year, Pearl follows the origins of the elderly woman who was once a young woman who dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star. But as audiences will see throughout the movie, she is not as innocent as she appears to be.

Starring Mia Goth in the leading role and in one of her best movies, this unexpectedly colorful and psychological horror movie stood out from so many other titles in the genre this year. Furthermore, with the next entry in the series currently in production, some expect this new series to become iconic within the next few years.

Jeepers Creepers Reborn - September 19, 2022

In an attempt to celebrate Halloween early, one of the most exciting releases this fall was shown at select cinemas last month. Haunted by visions, Laine soon finds herself among one of the victims of the Creeper during the town's horror-themed festival.

Those who missed the original series can jump into this one without having to worry about the events from the previous releases. While many will be excited to see Michael Myers return, this monster still deserves some love for the spooky season.

Smile - September 30, 2022

The latest horror movie to get a theatrical release, Smile sees a psychiatrist start to question herself after a horrifying incident involving one of her patients. Now haunted by visions and people eerily smiling, she attempts to try and figure out what it could be and how to top it before it consumes her.

RELATED: 10 Movies & TV Shows Where You've Seen The Cast From Smile Before

For a feature-length debut, Parker Finn has hit a home run, as Smile currently has a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes and received over $37 million at the worldwide box office. Audiences looking for a new movie at the cinemas don't need to look any further, as this flick will offer enough scares and a fresh experience.

Mr. Harrigan's Phone - October 5, 2022

Released this week exclusively on Netflix, Mr. Harrigan's Phone is the latest Stephen King adaptation of one of his many written works. Starring Donald Sutherland and Jaeden Martell, the movie tells the story of a young man who starts to receive phone calls from his departed elderly friend.

RELATED: 15 Best Horror Movies On Netflix According To Rotten Tomatoes

Netflix has seen its fair share of Stephen King adaptations over the years, including 1922 and In The Tall Grass , but with the talented cast and John Lee Hancock in the director's chair, it stands a good chance of being a successful release. It's great to see Sutherland return to horror, which many of his fans enjoy, and it will hopefully be able to deliver some shocking scares.

Hellraiser - October 7, 2022

Serving as a remake to the iconic movie of the same name, some similar to the Clive Barker books they're based on, the movie series will be aware of the story it retreads. The Cenobites have traveled from another dimension after a woman comes into possession of a mysterious puzzle box, unaware of their sinister and supernatural purposes.

RELATED: The 14 Creepiest Cenobites In Hellraiser

While the original theatrical series will undoubtedly have devoted fans, this remake is in safe hands, as David Bruckner, the director of The Night House and The Ritual , is helming this one. One of the several horror titles coming to Hulu during this week, it could be one worth to watch after so many re-sequels from other horror franchises over recent years.

Old People - October 7, 2022

The title may seem simple and generic, but this German-produced movie sees the elderly become a force to be reckoned with after a woman attends her sister's wedding. Having to face her past and the bloodthirsty pensioners, she must stop at nothing to protect her family.

Another Netflix horror movie , it looks like it'll certainly live up to X as one of the scariest horror movies to feature the elderly. But viewers won't have to wait too long, as it will be out this week alongside Mr. Harrigan's Phone .

Grimcutty - October 10, 2022

Since images of the Slender Man and Momo took over the internet, memes surrounding these terrifying stills have scared many teenagers and children. Taking this concept and turning it into a movie, a teenager must try to free herself from the curse of Grimcutty, a monster from a meme who may be more real than anyone could have predicted.

Joining Hellraiser as one of the horror movies released for Hulu this month, Grimcutty might just reignite that online viral fear once again with its sinister smile. It looks like it will try to deliver something new and fresh from this year's releases, and it might be the next big costume for Halloween after audiences watch it from next week.

Halloween Ends - October 14, 2022

Michael Myers on the Halloween Ends Dolby poster

Coming out next week, one of the most iconic figures of slasher-horror returns alongside Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode in this final outing. Who will come out on top will be hard to say, but fans of the original movie and this latest trilogy will hopefully be treated to an explosive and bloody finale.

It might not come as a massive surprise if this takes over the other horror movie releases this Halloween with so much promise and anticipation surrounding it. Despite Halloween Kills disappointing many people last year, fans are hopeful about this release.

Prey For The Devil - October 28, 2022

While it won't be in cinemas until the end of the month, audiences will be able to see this one just in-time for Halloween. Attending a school of exorcism for young priests, a nun named Sister Ann soon becomes haunted by one of the possessed people in their care who might be the same demon who possessed her Mom.

Whether Prey For The Devil will live up to some of the best exorcism movies of all time is hard to say, but audiences will at least get a new movie that will dive into themes surrounding the supernatural and demonic intrigue. After the director's work on shows like Fear The Walking Dead and Them , his next movie might be as effective.

NEXT: The 10 Best Horror Movies On Hulu According To IMDb

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The Curse of Bridge Hollow movie review (2022)
Halloween Ends
Halloween Movies Coming Out 2022
15 Must-See 2022 Horror Movies for Halloween and Where to Watch Them
Halloween Ends Reviews 2022
Halloween Movie 2022

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COMMENTS

Halloween Ends movie review & film summary (2022)
Rather than pick up after the chaos of the last film that left Judy Greer's Karen Nelson dead—a stupid choice that still annoys me—"Halloween Ends" opens in 2019 with a new character named Corey Cunningham (the downright bad Rohan Campbell, poorly directed to a dull performance).He's babysitting for a kid in Haddonfield who's a little scared by all the murder around town.
Halloween Ends
TOP CRITIC. Halloween Ends is notable mainly for its cockamamie plot and its reverence for the original. Nov 3, 2022. It is the horror equivalent of a 70s sitcom relying on misunderstandings to ...
Halloween Ends (2022)
Halloween Ends: Directed by David Gordon Green. With Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney, Rohan Campbell. The plot follows the outcast Corey Cunningham who falls in love with Laurie Strode's granddaughter while a series of events, including crossing paths with Michael Myers, drives him to become a serial killer.
'Halloween Ends' Review: Jamie Lee Curtis in Silly Final Faceoff
Release date: Friday, Oct. 14. Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell, Will Patton, Kyle Richards, James Jude Courtney. Director: David Gordon Green. Screenwriters: Paul Brad Logan ...
Halloween Ends Review
What We Said About Halloween Kills. Rafael Motamayor gave Halloween Kills a 7/10 for IGN, saying it "suffers from being the second chapter in a trilogy, but it still delivers gory fun, fantastic ...
'Halloween Ends' review: a gutsy, satisfying final chapter
New York Post. Open main ... 2022. Updated Oct. 13, 2022, 3:16 p.m. ET. ... movie review HALLOWEEN ENDS Running time: 111 minutes. Rated R (bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout and ...
'Halloween Ends' Review: It Probably Doesn't
We might have to, if David Gordon Green's "Halloween Ends," the wrap-up film of the reboot trilogy he began in 2018, plants a full stop on a 44-year-old franchise. Savvy viewers, though ...
'Halloween Ends' review: Jamie Lee Curtis gives the knife one last turn
Forty-four years, 13 movies and innumerable corpses later, it sounds naïve to think "Halloween Ends" will really mark the end of anything, but like the holiday for which it's named, it's ...
'Halloween Ends' Review, With Jamie Lee Curtis
Movie Review: In Halloween Ends, director David Gordon Green and star Jamie Lee Curtis bring the classic slasher series to a surprisingly entertaining end. Michael Myers shows up surprisingly late ...
Halloween Ends is the best of the new Halloween trilogy
After successfully rebooting the franchise with 2018's Halloween and then completely botching the sequel with 2021's Halloween Kills, David Gordon Green returns with what is perhaps the best ...
Halloween Ends (2022) Review
In 2018, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions released the horror slasher film Halloween, the eleventh installment in the Halloween series and the direct sequel to the original 1978 feature.Directed by David Gordon Green, the film, which starred Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, and Andi Matichak, is sets 40 years after the events of the first film and follows Laurie Strode, who post ...
Halloween Ends review: They did Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie dirty
David Gordon Green's trilogy-capper does feel like a definitive ending to the Halloween series led by Jamie Lee Curtis, but fans might be begging for someone to take another stab at it rather ...
Halloween Ends Review: Michael Myers Saga Concludes With a Whimper
Either he was always evil, or he was driven to it by an oppressive community; both plot points get floated, and neither is supported very well by Campbell's scattershot performance. It's not ...
Halloween Ends Review: A Decent Conclusion to the H40 Trilogy
Halloween Ends is a satisfying enough conclusion to the H40 trilogy and, overall, the three films provide the strongest Halloween sequel continuity of the franchise's twelve post- Halloween 1978 follow-ups. For that reason, even if Green rolled the dice (and lost) on an underwhelming central premise for Ends, a satisfying conclusion to Laurie's ...
Halloween Ends
Halloween Ends is a 2022 American slasher film directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Green, Danny McBride, Paul Brad Logan and Chris Bernier.It is the sequel to Halloween Kills (2021), the thirteenth installment in the Halloween franchise, and the final film in the trilogy of sequels that started with the 2018 film, which directly follows the 1978 film.
Halloween Ends
Watch the official trailer of Halloween Ends, the final chapter of Laurie Strode's saga against Michael Myers.
The Best Halloween Movies to Watch in 2022
Follow this up with 2021's Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends, due in October 2022. $4 at Amazon. Directed by Nia DaCosta, with a screenplay co-written by Jordan Peele, 2021's Candyman breathes ...
A horror buff picks the 10 best new scary movies to stream this Halloween
In 2022 filmmaker Ti West ("House of the Devil," "In A Valley of Violence") pulled off a rare feat, releasing two connected original horror movies back to back, both anchored by riveting ...
Halloween Ends Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything We Know
Image via Universal. Halloween Ends is scheduled to hit theaters on October 14, 2022. The film was originally given a release date of October 15, 2021, but after Halloween Kills was pushed back a ...
Halloween horror: 15 new movies to watch, from 'Hellraiser' to 'Smile'
Produced by Jason Blum, the thriller stars Ella Balinska as a single mom out on a dinner meeting with a client that turns into an evening of pure hell when she's hunted by a villainous and ...
Every Horror Movie of 2022 Ranked Best to Worst
(Photo by A24/courtesy Everett Collection. Thumbnail: A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection) Every Horror Movie of 2022 Ranked Best to Worst. We're ranking all the new horror movies of 2022 by Tomatometer, like Scream, X, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and more. (To recap 2021, see our best horror movies of 2021 list, or the Golden Tomato Awards, where A Quiet Place Part II took home the Best Horror ...
13 New 2022 Halloween Movies
9. Prey for the Devil. Nothing is scarier than when horror movies go full satanic, and this year, Prey for the Devil is the religious possession-fest that will haunt your nightmares. The movie ...
10 Best Upcoming Or Recently Released Movies For Halloween 2022
Jeepers Creepers Reborn - September 19, 2022. In an attempt to celebrate Halloween early, one of the most exciting releases this fall was shown at select cinemas last month. Haunted by visions, Laine soon finds herself among one of the victims of the Creeper during the town's horror-themed festival. Those who missed the original series can jump ...
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Find fun things to do in the Tampa Bay area, from concerts and theater shows to community events and festivals.

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Halloween Ends is the best of the new Halloween trilogy

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Halloween Ends (2022) Review

ENDING ON A “BOOGEYMAN” WHIMPER

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2.4 Out of 5 (Skip It)

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