Does anything ever really end?

In 1978 the movie Halloween premiered, and eleven sequels later, the very last movie– Halloween Ends–just hit theaters on Oct. 14. It’s been a long time coming for John Carpenter. Now 74 years old, Carpenter was only 30 when he produced the first movie. But, he decided it was time for an end to the series, as the title suggests. Receiving many thumbs-up and thumbs-downs by reviewers, the audience rating summary is currently at 1.9 stars. Fans have expressed that they are quite disappointed in the quality of the movie, considering it’s the last one. 

For those who haven’t seen any of the Halloween movies, there is still likely some familiarity with the main character Michael Myers–the serial killer who menacingly wears a white facial mask and coveralls. In the first movie, Halloween, Michael Myers, at only six years old, kills his sister and is placed in a psychiatric hospital. Fifteen years later, while being transferred from one hospital to another, he escapes and steals a car. He then returns to his hometown to find his next victims. According to the entertainment website Screen Rant, through the series, Myers goes on to kill a total of 92 people. 

New viewers may have difficulty determining some of the character connections, as this film particularly relies on knowledge from prior movies. However, one constant has been Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. She appears in the original Halloween, as well as Halloween 2, Halloween Resurrection, Halloween H2O, and finally, Halloween Ends. It is no surprise that Curtis is in the finale, considering she has been in nearly half. Omar Dorsey (Sheriff Barker) and Andi Matichak (Allyson Nelson) both were featured in Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills, and Halloween Ends. While these might be familiar reprisals to Halloween fans, those who are not may find themselves confused and disappointed. 

Rotten Tomatoes states that it “in no way compares to any of the other films” and that the ending was “unfulfilling.” Other viewers, like EHS sophomore Kaullin Price, agreed with the statement. “I wish that they would have killed Michael in a more creative way.” Having never watched the other movies, he adds, “Halloween Ends makes me not want to watch any others.” Senior Lauryn Brooks isn’t as eager to write them all off. “I loved the other movies!” she declares. “I would have to say that they are my favorite scary movies, but I was disappointed seeing that the very last Halloween movie was so terrible–it kind of felt rushed.”

Despite the low rating for Halloween Ends, the original movie is still holding up after 44 years. In fact, ETonline.com still ranks the original Halloween movie as the best Halloween movie ever. Now, that’s a scary thought!