In true Michael Myers fashion, we’re going to cut right to the chase — there’s a brand-new Halloween movie out now, and it might just be one of the best entries in the entire franchise.
The David Gordon Green Trilogy
It’s been three years since the last film in the series was released in theaters. Halloween Ends (2022) concluded the David Gordon Green trilogy, which started with Halloween (2018) and continued with Halloween Kills (2021).
Ignoring the events of every single installment from Halloween II (1981) through Rob Zombie’s Halloween II (2009), the latest series of films acknowledges only the original 1978 film by John Carpenter: Halloween.
Original “Scream Queen” Jamie Lee Curtis returned to the franchise for the fourth (and presumably final) time, opposite James Jude Courtney’s Michael Myers. Halloween (2018) picks up 40 years after the events of Myers’ 1978 killing spree, with Kills taking place on the same night.
Ends, however, jumps forward by four years to find the Bogeyman injured and rotting down a sewer — a result of injuries sustained by an angry mob in the previous film.
Credit: Universal Pictures / Miramax / Blumhouse Productions
The 2018 film grossed $259.9M worldwide and was met with positive reviews from audiences and critics. But Kills, which was also a commercial success with $133.4M, left fans torn — it delivered in the slasher department but many viewers were frustrated with the script and the decision to omit Laurie Strode (Curtis) from the majority of the movie. Ends, on the other hand, while another box-office win after collecting $105.4M, divided fans.
Where Kills benched Laurie, Ends gives Michael himself a similar treatment, instead focusing on troubled teen Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) in a bid to highlight the effects of “community trauma”.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks the film is “fine” — fans either love it or hate it. But for those who felt they were cheated out of Michael Myers with the trilogy-topper, there’s a new entry that gives even Kills a run for its money.
Related: New ‘Halloween’ Reboot Looks Like the Best Entry Since ‘Resurrection’
Halloween Aftermath: Spoiler-Free Review
Credit: Miramax / Blumhouse Productions / Universal Pictures
A feature-length fan film titled Halloween Aftermath recently premiered on YouTube. Released on October 17, the film has already garnered more than 650K views. It has also set the fanbase alight, with many saying that it’s better than Ends, while some are even calling it one of the best entries since John Carpenter’s 1978 classic, period. But what do we think?
It goes without saying that most fan-made films aren’t usually that great. Not to discredit the incredible amount of hard work that goes into these projects, but simply put, it’s obvious they aren’t studio-made productions.
These are independent films, but unlike your average indie flick, the cast and crew involved aren’t getting paid as the projects are not affiliated with their respective franchises. Halloween Aftermath is no exception — it’s yet another labor of love made by the fans, for the fans. But elsewhere, it breaks a whole bunch of rules.
Credit: Inside the Magic
For starters, where most fan films are quite short, Aftermath clocks in at a whopping 2 hours and 15 minutes. This is a feast for any Halloween fan looking to sink their teeth into something meaty this October.
Sure, it feels a little too padded out in parts, and there are some scenes that could have been cut down to allow for a more fast-paced film, but that’s really the only negative thing we have to say about it. Otherwise, it’s actually pretty awesome.
Set between Kills and Ends, it takes place in October 2020 and follows a new character named Cole Dalton (Ryan Jaske) — a survivor of the 2018 Haddonfield massacre — as he struggles to recover from his trauma.
“The Shape has vanished,” the blurb reads, but adds that “evil is always near.”
Fans are raving about the new film, and rightly so. It’s easily better than more than half of the canon films — those being Halloween II (1981), Season of the Witch (1982), The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), Resurrection (2002), Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007), and Rob Zombie’s Halloween II.
Credit: Dimension Films / Nightfall Productions / Trancas International Films / Miramax Films
While Aftermath borrows its score from the David Gordon Green trilogy, it crafts its own soundtrack when it comes to the two main protagonists, Cole and Abby (Summer Martin) — both of whom are brilliant, by the way — and it’s absolutely beautiful.
As for Myers, Kameron Gaxiola might be a stand-in for James Jude Courtney, but he brings his own menace to the role, and he often feels like the most vicious version of the character we’ve seen — which is saying a lot next to Courtney and Tyler Mane of the Rob Zombie films.
The kills here are also incredible and end up being some of the most brutal in the entire franchise. The action scenes are very well-shot, too.
Credit: Dimension Films / Trancas International Films
Don’t get us wrong — this is a fan film, and every now and again, it’s fairly obvious. But for the most part, it feels like a legitimate entry in the Halloween series, whether that’s the David Gordon Green trilogy, or the wider franchise.
If we’d have seen this in the movie theater, we wouldn’t have left disappointed. You can also expect a lot of clever callbacks to the franchise and a gut-wrenching finale (literally).
Aftermath isn’t just a fan film – it’s a franchise event.
Credit: Universal Pictures / Miramax / Blumhouse Productions
Halloween Aftermath is directed by James Grim and written by Cole Tatham, produced under A63 Pictures and Grimnox Productions.
The filmmakers describe their project as “an unofficial, yet extremely ambitious and high-quality fan film set within the timeline established back in [Halloween] 2018.”
“After more than three years of hard, dedicated work, blood, sweat, and tears, we’re proud and thrilled to release Halloween Aftermath,” the filmmakers said. However, they stress that it’s “a non-commercial fan film” made “purely out of love for the franchise.”
The Future of the Halloween Franchise
The official Halloween franchise is set to continue in the coming years. Not only is there an official television reboot currently in development under Miramax, but recently, game studio IllFonic unveiled its upcoming asymmetrical multiplayer title “Halloween”, which is set for release in September 2026. You can watch the official trailer for the game below:
Will you be watching Halloween: Aftermath this October 31? Let us know in the comments!
