Rohan Campbell on His Divisive ‘Halloween Ends’ Villain and “Creating Empathy for Evil”

For Ends, when I was cast, it sort of felt like this massive movie. But when you show up, it feels more like Prince Avalanche. It’s David and [cinematographer] Michael Simmons. For example, one of the writers on this movie was one of the drivers on Prince Avalanche and the PA on Prince Avalanche is still working with David. It’s the same core group of guys and sometimes on these films, it does feel like you’re on a single-camera in the woods with your buddies making a student film. That’s the vibe David has always run on set.

In this one, there are so many scenes where it’s just you and Andi Matichak riding the motorcycle, on the roof, at the party. They’re these very private, two-hander scenes.

And then you get that little David Gordon Green flair where he can interject his own creativity and bizarreness and originality, even in a romance movie. David is always so interested in [finding], “What’s the most interesting way to do something?” And I feel like that’s [the question] with Ends: What’s a new way to attack this and catapult the audience to where they want to go with Laurie and Michael in that finale?

There have been a lot of unrelentingly bleak horror movies in the last year, but Green’s Halloween franchise brings a lot of irreverence, which feels like a well-timed change of pace.

If I have to talk about this movie I tend to watch it, so I went to see the movie again last night. I just find the busiest theater and I go there, because I’m addicted to figuring out when the audience realizes that you can laugh. I love when people start getting audible in the theater. The “Oh don’t do that!” and “Oh, come on!” That’s what these movies should be. It should be an experience, it should be audible, you should be reacting.

Which of Corey’s scenes gets the biggest audience reaction?

Well, one of my favorite moments is the cold open when you watch [Corey’s babysitting charge] fall over the railing and hit the floor. Every time, everyone in the theater, it’s such a gasp. You’re expecting violence, but you’re not expecting that sort of accidental violence. I think it just grabs the audience really quickly in the movie. Another really fun moment for me [that] I get addicted to watching is when Mom kisses me. There’s like three or four seconds, which are usually followed up with a “What the fuck was that?” And then it’s usually just me laughing and then a group of laughter behind me. It’s just the weirdest moment in such a beautiful way. That reaction always gets me.

It’s really clever to make your character the babysitter. Because what usually happens to the babysitter in a Halloween movie? They die in the first few scenes.

It’s this character-driven route to get the audience to understand a perspective, not even necessarily of Michael, but of what happens to somebody when they’re given certain choices or influence. What I like about this movie comes in the last moment when Corey drives the knife into his own throat—either hearing the audience get upset about it or cheer. It changes from audience to audience. I think what David did really well was create an empathy for evil.