How can Halloween be Halloween without a nonsensical slasher flick? But fret not, we’re getting exactly that this year with the release of Halloween Ends, the supposed final chapter of Michael Myer’s 45-year saga. The film, which is a follow-up to 2018’ Halloween and 2021’s Halloween Kills, sees Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) going against Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) once and for all this October 14.  

Ahead of its theatrical release though, critic reviews have now surfaced online, hinting at what we’re in for. Although the Halloween franchise has never been a cerebral movie experience, it does have cultivated a mass following in its four-decade-long run. The question remains, has the “final” movie stuck the landing? Going by the 43 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, we have our doubts. Let’s take a look at what critics are saying.  

Sara Michelle Fetters of MovieFreaks.com writes: “The climax of Halloween Ends is pure, unabashed, blood-soaked nonsense, culminating in that full-throttle showdown that’s been 44 years in the making and promised in the sequel’s title.” 

Edwin Arnaudin of Asheville Movies wrote: “The kind of creative take on the Halloween saga that I envisioned when David Gordon Green and Danny McBride were first announced as the new series runners.” 

Jake Wilson of The Age (Australia) writes: “Halloween Ends is no more coherent than its predecessors, but at least adds some new elements to the formula.” 

Courtney Howard of Fresh Fiction wrote: “Filled with baffling creative choices, unearned thematic closure, and no terrifying tension, this dreadful dud sputters to its conclusion.” 

Meanwhile, Charlotte O’Sullivan of London Evening Standard wrote: “Better than the last one, but still feels like the work of two totally different directors. And one of those directors is a moron.” 

Image credits: Universal Pictures