Halloween has come once again. The iconic horror series made its return in 2018 with the release of Halloween which was meant to be a new continuation to the 1978 film with Jaimie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode. The new film proved to be successful, grossing over $250 million in the box office and pleasing critics and horror fans alike. The story would not end there as the next chapter, Halloween Kills would continue where the first film left off and it proved to be just as successful gaining $131 million in the box office; and if you ask me was one of the best installments in the entire franchise. Now, one year later, the story of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers has reached its climax and comes to a head in the latest installment: Halloween Ends.

Directed by David Gordon Green (director of the previous films), Halloween Ends takes place four years after Michael’s attack. Laurie is content to put the past behind her, but when Haddonfield is plagued with more killings Laurie must face her boogeyman one last time. Initially the movie was announced alongside Halloween Kills and was developed back to back. However, due to delays, changes were made to this installment such as story elements reflecting current events and the movie being a coming of age tale reflective of John Carpenter’s work in Christine. The prospect of this movie, as well as the entire trilogy, was interesting as it gave the story of Michael Myers a beginning, middle and end; and after Halloween Kills my enthusiasm for these films was raised significantly. So one year after seeing Kills, I returned to the theater to see how this chapter in the horror franchise would conclude, and I have to say Halloween Ends turned out to be one perplexing finale.

To say Halloween Ends did not go as I expected may be an understatement. In my experience subverting expectations is not a bad thing, but in this case it did little favors for the movie. Rather than focusing on the final confrontation with Michael, the story takes a different path and centers on a new killer. This idea in of itself was not bad as it not only stems from aspects established in the previous movie but in a way takes the series back to its roots. However it was in the execution of this idea where this conclusion falters. Between questionable direction and an unbalanced tone, this plot was unsettling and the elements it tries to establish felt too late to be a factor. All of this culminated in a conclusion that felt more like an afterthought than anything else; leaving this chapter in the Halloween franchise to feel bittersweet.

With Halloween Ends being a finale, this will likely be the last time moviegoers will see Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. Seeing Curtis return to this role has been great and what these new movies have been able to do with the original Scream Queen has been refreshing. In the case of this movie, Laurie’s direction was appreciated, but her development was off putting as it was stalled in certain places. Returning characters like Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and Deputy Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) were fair from a performance standpoint, but the characters themselves left a minimal impression. Allyson notably had an understandable direction but needed more time to develop. The movie also featured a new character named Corey (Rohan Campbell). While the performance from Campbell was up to the task, Corey’s character was very inconsistent as it was difficult to fully convey the purpose of this troubled young man. Then there was the shade himself: Michael Myers. Despite his legacy, this was not a great outing for the iconic killer. Along with odd direction, Michael practically takes a backseat in this film which not only took from his threatening presence but did not feel like a suitable conclusion for the villain’s arc.

Halloween Kills raised the horror with its tense atmosphere and sheer brutality. Yet with Halloween Ends I did not get the same vibe from the third installment. While the kill scenes were certainly brutal enough, the atmosphere was lacking and did not have the tension seen in its predecessor. The cinematography provided the right look for the series and even featured some impressive shots, but it was not enough to create a gripping tone for the movie. Coming back to do the music was none other than John Carpenter with his son, Cody, and Daniel Davies. The music kept true to the series’ standards but lacked the impression that previous compositions had crafted, and this unfortunately gave this finale only a decent soundtrack to be considered as a swan song.

It has been an interesting ride for Halloween these past few years. The 2018 film was a stellar, albeit flawed, return for the series while Halloween Kills was a defining continuation. So it was safe to say that the conclusion would make or break for the trilogy, and unfortunately Halloween Ends was a break. While the movie had its merits, like good performances and concepts, it was ultimately hindered by questionable direction and inconsistent presentation leaving this Adventurer off put from the whole experience. While there is no doubt in my mind Halloween will return one day, perhaps it would be best to leave the series dead and buried after such an overwhelming conclusion for the franchise.