Be warned: Minor spoilers for Halloween Ends ahead.After 44 years, the iconic, game-changing horror franchise Halloween comes to its conclusion this weekend with the aptly named Halloween Ends.Now, whether that’s actually true, or whether the franchise—like its masked antagonist—will rise again, remains to be seen (where there’s money and recognizable IP, there’s a way).
But it seems almost certain that Jamie Lee Curtis is taking her final bow as Laurie Strode, the victim-turned-survivor role that made her a star and a definitive scream queen for the ages.Related: Every ‘Halloween’ movie ranked from least to most gayIn any event, David Gordon Green’s Halloween Ends is now playing in theaters and simultaneously streaming on Paramount+, and the reception has been wildly mixed.
Is it a trick, or is it a treat? Depends who you ask! It currently sits at a “rotten” 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where many critics are grumbling over the fact the film sidelines Michael Myers for much of its runtime.In his place, a lot of time is devoted to a woman (Laurie) and a town (Haddonfield, IL) trying to gets past the trauma of the past Halloween massacres.
We also get to know a new character named Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), who has his own holiday-related trauma to deal with, and takes a liking to Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak).Now, full disclosure, it’s Corey’s arc that seems to haveaudiences divided.