SPOILER WARNING: The following article discusses the ending of Halloween Ends, so unless you already went out to your local theater to see it or you were able to stream Halloween Ends on Peacock, act like a babysitter on Halloween and proceed with caution.
Well, I think we can say without question that we have seen last of the Halloween movies… as directed by David Gordon Green, at least, with the aptly titled Halloween Ends, in which the franchise’s iconic, flagship antagonist, Michael Myers, finally meets a definitive and deadly fate. However, like some other people, I'm not convinced that we have seen the last of one of the most beloved horror movie franchises of all time, and I am fine with that. However, to be honest, I am actually hoping this does turn out to be the end of the road for Michael.
Do not get me wrong — I think that Michael Myers is one of the greatest horror movie villains and he is easily my favorite of the most iconic slashers. Yet, I, personally, have no desire to see him show up in any upcoming horror movies again. At risk of sounding like a traitor to my fandom, allow me to explain why I think it is time that we really let “evil die tonight.”
I Thought Halloween Ends Was Best When Michael Was Absent
The public has spoken about Halloween Ends and reviews from critics and audiences alike have been mixed. A main point of contention is how little involvement Michael Myers actually has in the story that mostly focuses on Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) and how the accidental death of a child he babysat on Halloween three years earlier has affected his life and begins to affect the life of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) after he starts dating her granddaughter, Alyson (Andi Matichak). I, for one, would not rank this installment very high on my personal Halloween movies ranking, but Michael’s lack of screen time was not my issue.
In fact, while I was not fully satisfied with its overall execution, I was very intrigued by the ambitious attempt to focus on a new character and how his struggles with his own morality cleverly reflect the lingering trauma permeating Haddonfield. Not to mention, my favorite kills in the movie were actually carried out by Corey donning Michael Myers’ famous mask, but anytime the real “Boogeyman” showed up, I found myself annoyed by how tacked on these moments felt. Perhaps I would not have felt the same if Michael was the real focus of Halloween Ends, but his underwhelming presence here actually made me even more relieved by his death scene than I anticipated.
Michael’s Death Should Be Real And Earned For Once
In answering one of the most frequently asked questions about Halloween Ends, Michael Myers does die when Alyson helps Laurie crucify him to her kitchen counter and — with help from police and while accompanied by much of Haddonfield’s population — carry him to a junk yard to incinerate him into bits. I found this ceremonious end to the character quite satisfying as it actually takes the time to show you that he is unquestionably gone. That being said, I would be very, very disappointed if there was ever an attempt to retcon this ending, like so many Halloween sequels have before.
The beginning of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers suggests the hospital explosion at the end of Halloween II only sent the killer into a coma, and Halloween: Resurrection reveals that, in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Laurie actually decapitated an imposter. The second installment of David Gordon Green’s trilogy, Halloween Kills, even shows that Michael survived yet another fiery blaze at the end of its 2018 predecessor, which was only one of the reasons I was not a fan of that flick outside of its inventive kill scenes, admittedly. Call me crazy, but I believe you can only fake or casually ignore a character’s death so many times before it gets old, so I propose this depiction of Michael Myers’ death finally be the one that remains honored.
I Think They Have Taken The Character As Far As They Can
Of course, there is a way that this Michael Myers can stay dead without preventing more movies from being made: just hit reboot. Considering the decent box office results for Halloween Ends in its opening weekend, and franchise creator John Carpenter’s comments that more movies could happen as long as there is money to be made from them, I have a feeling it is very likely they will take route. However, in a franchise that is more than 40 years old, has a current total of 13 installments, and has had its timeline reset twice (or thrice if you count Rob Zombie’s remakes) am I the only one who has had enough of that, too?
I will admit that some of the sequels have effectively explored new, interesting sides to Michael Myers — such as Zombie’s reinvention of the killer as the product of a broken home, or even when Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers offered a supernatural explanation for his murderous ways. Yet, as far as I am concerned, the character has never been more interesting than when Carpenter’s 1978 original depicted him as the embodiment of pure evil. I cannot see a way to resurrect the character as anything more fascinating than that and believe he has offered enough to the horror genre at this point.
I’d Like To See The Franchise Try The Anthology Route Again
Now, I will say this: while I do not have much interest in a new story involving Michael Myers, I am still open to the idea of the franchise continuing. The only catch is that it would not be a story involving Michael Myers, which is not exactly a radical concept.
Years ago, there was an attempt to end Michael’s saga with 1981’s Halloween II and turn the series into an anthology with Halloween III: Season of the Witch — starring Tom Atkins as a doctor who uncovers a horrifying conspiracy behind a popular mask-making company. The film was not very well received at the time, but the cult following it has achieved since has me convinced that people might be more accepting of another Halloween movie that captures the same tone of the franchise and the essence of the holiday in its spookiest form, but with all new characters and concepts.
Hell, I would not mind seeing Halloween III get a remake as a fun way to reintroduce the anthology structure into the series, particularly because I am actually one of those people who believes the story could have been better. But, I am not the kind of person who thinks Michael Myers would have been the saving grace. I am, however, the kind of person who believes in giving a character a proper send-off and I think he gets it in Halloween Ends. I hope Blumhouse agrees.
