Before its release, Halloween Ends was one of the most anticipated horror films. The film even got a hybrid release in theaters and streaming on Peacock.
With a title like Halloween Ends, it’s clear the film is serving as a wrap-up to the series. As most of us know, the 1978 film, Halloween was the start of the franchise and everything snowballed from that point.
As with any good horror franchise, there have been a few duds along the way. However, the one mainstay aside from Michael Myers has been Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. In a lot of ways, it feels like it was a role Curtis was born to play as a lot of us can’t imagine anyone else as Laurie.
With Halloween Ends poised to be the end of the Halloween franchise, Laurie Strode cemented herself as the ultimate final girl.
Halloween Ends etched Laurie Strode in the horror film hall-of-fame.
The final girl trope has been prevalent in movies, TV shows, and books for decades. Even so, no one seems to hold a candle to Laurie Strode. The latest installment in the Halloween franchise, Halloween Ends only further cemented her status as the ultimate final girl. As the movie hasn’t been long, there won’t be any spoilers from Halloween Ends.
Regardless within her over 40-year run as Laurie Strode, Jamie Lee Curtis has grown with her audience, and with this chapter closing, it’s tough for everyone. In particular, Curtis talked to Yahoo and shared that she doesn’t know where she’d be without Laurie, ” Everything good in my life has come from Laurie Strode.” Those are pretty strong words and definitely something worth noting.
As we’ve watched the franchise change and evolve, we’ve watched the same of Laurie. She went from being a scared babysitter to a badass adult. As with most horror movie characters, Laurie dealt with a lot of tragedy in her life because of Michael Myers. However, she never let those tragedies define her. If anything, it made her a stronger person and character.
She never felt like a victim, if anything she was a survivor and that’s a testament to the growth and evolution of Jamie Lee Curtis as a performer. Frankly, it’s rare to see someone who plays a character for so long and grows with them as a character as she has. While horror movies seem to move on from the final girl in a movie or two, Laurie stayed until the bitter end.
If those traits weren’t enough to put Laurie Strode in the horror hall-of-fame, then her ability to evade her assailant for almost 4 decades should be more than enough. There is no doubt a lot of other final girls would have given up by now. Rightfully so but Laurie stuck around and made sure to plan, fight and scheme for decades.
It’s unclear if there will be another horror character or final girl as iconic as Laurie Strode. For a lot of us Halloween fans though, the answer is obvious. Personally, I don’t see how another final girl could ever stand next to Laurie Strode but hey, maybe we’re on the cusp of something unbelievable. Either way, there is no denying the cultural impact that both Laurie Strode and Jamie Lee Curtis have had on horror as a whole.
Halloween Ends is currently in theaters and streaming on Peacock.
Do you think Laurie Strode belongs in the horror hall of fame? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
