When will evil die? That’s been the overarching question of the Halloween sequel trilogy that began with 2018’s Halloween, continued through 2021’s Halloween Kills, and completes this month with this Halloween Ends. The third movie’s title certainly sounds final, as if the lifelong murderer Michael Myers will be seeing his end. But its predecessor Halloween Kills featured a mob of Myers survivors chanting “evil dies tonight,” and still Myers lived. When will we get to learn if Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) can finally put an end to Myers’s killing spree? Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until October 31 to find out.
What Happened in the First Two Movies?
Halloween Ends is the third and final entry in a sequel trilogy from director David Gordon Green, who made his name with indie dramas such as George Washington and All the Real Girls, and writer Danny McBride, the comedic actor best known for Eastbown & Down and The Righteous Gemstones. The sequel trilogy carries over the events from the original film from 2018, and finds Michael escaping after 40 years of incarceration. Michael makes his way to Haddonfield, Illinois, where he’s hunted by Laurie, now a traumatized survivalist whose paranoia has isolated her from her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allison (Andi Matichak). In its 2021 follow-up Halloween Kills, other survivors from the original film get involved, including Tommy Doyle and Lonnie, with Anthony Michael hall and Robert Longstreet stepping into the roles, while Charles Cyphers, Nancy Stephens, and Kyle Richards all reprise their roles as Sherrif Brackett, Nurse Marion, and Lindsey from the original film. Despite Tommy’s attempts to lead a mob to wipe out Michael once and for all, the movie ends with not only his death but also that of Karen, only increasing Laurie’s desire for revenge. In short, to prepare for Halloween Ends, you only need to watch the original Halloween from 1978, the 2018 sequel, and Halloween Kills. However, Green and McBride work a ton of winks and nods to previous films into their movies. The first three Halloween movies receive the most attention, even Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the only movie in the franchise that ignores Michael and Laurie to tell a totally unrelated story. While the Cult of Thorn plot from Halloweens 4-6 is completely discarded, the later trilogy does make a winking reference to an evil power driving Michael. Neither the Zombie movies nor Halloween: H20 and its sequel Halloween: Resurrection, play into the plot of the latest Halloween movies. However, they both trod similar thematic ground. Zombie’s Halloween II deals with the traumatic aftermath of the first movie’s events, probing depths both surreal and surprisingly complex. Set 20 years after the original film, and itself ignoring all other sequels except for the original Halloween II, H20 finds Laurie trying to live a normal life when Michael comes after her and her son. All of these movies offer different looks at Laurie’s life after Michael, the main idea in Green’s trilogy.
How Can I Watch Halloween Ends?
Halloween Ends officially opens on Friday, October 14. However, like most major releases, it will be playing in previews on October 13. As a major release from Universal Studios and Blumhouse, Halloween Ends will be playing in every big theater chain in the US, including Regal and AMC cinemas. If you’re not ready to head back to theaters, you can still watch the movie before Halloween, as it will be streaming on PeacockTV on October 14. Access to the movie requires a subscription to either Peacock Premium or Premium Plus, the latter of which removes ads from the service.
