Halloween Ends has just been released and the expected has happened, the fandom is mixed on the film. Some are stating that the film is one of the best while others are stating that it’s one of the worst. I was able to see the film and I left liking the film a lot, but not for the reasons that everyone else are debating. Everyone who has been following this franchise are debating whether or not this is a satisfying finale based on how much carnage that Michael commits or how long we spend with some characters. Those ways of looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the film are entirely based upon personal bias of how the specific audience member was hoping the film would end. I can confirm that Halloween Ends doesn’t do what the audience was expecting and I see that as a general strength. Many people wanted to see a film where Michael kills a bunch of people in gory fashion and then die at the hands of Laurie. To put a simple label on the idea, most people just wanted to see another simple slasher sequel. Ends changes up the formula and delivers a film that finds itself more suited with the title of Psychological Drama. Yes, people are killed and some of those said kills are done in brutal fashion, but the film’s main focus is not the carnage. The focus that David Gordon Green and Co has presented in this film is one on the psychological damage that is caused when one chooses not to move on and heal from trauma, but instead live in the pain of that stated drama. Halloween Ends is a much smarter film than it’s being given credit for and it recontextualizes the trilogy which strengthens each of the three films equally.
The biggest mistake that the audience is making in terms of viewing this film is the perceived villain. Many went into this trilogy and left it feeling that Michael Myers is the villain that needs to be stopped. That mindset is completely wrong as the true villains in the trilogy are the townspeople and the town of Haddonfield itself. Even if we look at the original 1978 film, Michael’s main motive to killing was not stated openly but it’s insinuated that he is an opportunist. As a young boy, he had this idea of killing and decided to try it out. Once he killed his sister, he opened this pandoras box that he could never close. In every one of the four films, Michael kills people because the opportunity presents itself to him. In Halloween (2018), Michael Myers is let out to kill because of the greedy intentions of both the podcasters and the new doctor studying Michael. Their poor choices lead to him escaping and wreaking havoc on the town. Both parties state that they don’t really care about Michael but they merely want to psychoanalyze him and try to understand him.
This concept is relevant in our day and age as a shocking amount of individuals are drawn to true crime and serial killer media. As people consume this content, it almost puts these people and their actions on a pedestal. The families of those affected want to let this concept go, but those who create and consume this entertainment feel the opposite way. These people either don’t consider the feelings of those affected or they see the pain as mere entertainment in a fictionalized serialized format. Michael is given the opportunity to kill again because people wouldn’t let go of the obsession they have for him. In Kills, Tommy and the crew immortalized the concept as they go to a bar and celebrate their survival every Halloween. They see it as a possible way to learn to live with the trauma, but they are instead forcing themselves to relive the trauma every year. The townspeople do the same in Ends after the events of Kills. The town won’t let go of the fact that so many innocent people were killed to the point that some people (specifically the radio DJ) fetishizes the trauma and profits off it. The character of Corey is also deeply affected by the grip of trauma as he won’t let himself heal from the fact that a kid died because of him and that his reputation was smeared.
After the events of Kills, Michael Myers goes into hiding and the time between Kills and Ends is 4 years. He doesn’t really kill anyone during those few years but he returns to the killing when he is given the opportunity by Corey. Filled with hate and rage, Corey stumbles into Michael in the storm drain. Michael sees the opportunity to go on another rampage with Corey and lets him go. The rest of the film sees Corey and Michael tag teaming in their bloody efforts.
Ends finally answers the question of what Michael truly is. Many speculated that he was a supernatural entity and that they were gonna play off that concept in Ends. It is shown in Ends that Michael Myers is merely a human with a lust for murder. When you see him kill the cop in the drain with Corey, he gets an almost sexual gratification from the act. He is not a super human that is killing people for some otherworldly reason, he’s just a man that needs to fill this obsessive desire for murder from time to time. That concept makes him scarier as he could literally be anyone we run into in public. The townspeople want to make him into a legend but he really is just a person. This is where the fandom comes in.
Ends, along with the last two is clearly making a statement about the Halloween fandom and the horror community as a whole. The reasons Michael does what he does in the trilogy is because of the actions of the townspeople. The town as a whole don’t wanna let go of the legend of Michael Myers and move onto better prospects. This is a clear representation of the fanbase as after 45 years, the fans are craving a “worthy sequel” to a film that was never supposed to become a franchise. Halloween (1978) unlike most of the sequels (except for one underrated gem! *Cough Cough*) can stand on its own as the reason for its existence was out of pure creativity from a now legendary filmmaker. The reasons we have gotten the sequels both good and bad (based upon subjective perspectives) is because so many people gravitated towards the original film. Much like the townspeople, the fanbase won’t let go of the idea of this world. The town won’t let go of the trauma of the terrible events and they remain stagnant.
This is similar to the fact that the fanbase is remaining stagnant in hopes of another good sequel when we should really move on to other original projects that could be as inspirational or maybe even more inspirational than Halloween was for everyone previously. The town decides to let go of the trauma and we see a vast calmness in the last scene. The film ends with Laurie on her way to live her life as she wants to without the terror of the previous events. She is taking chances on things that she was too afraid to take before because she has let go of the pain and let herself heal. The last shot of Halloween Ends is a still and calm shot of Laurie on her porch as “Don’t Fear The Reaper” begins to play. This is a nice callback to the first film, but it’s also a representation of everyones’ feelings moving forward. There is no need to be fearful because the terror is finally gone.
This finale feels like David Gordon Green and Co stating that maybe it’s time that we move on from the Halloween franchise onto other things. The stillness of the final scene shows that everything will be fine if we just let go. Halloween (1978) is one of my favourite films of all time and i’ve been following the franchise since I first saw it when I was 13, but I agree with the message. David Gordon Green and the Halloween crew are telling us that it’s time to let go and move onto other things. The way that they presented that message is very artistic and poetic and that’s why I have immense respect for the trilogy. The message is clear, It’s time for the Halloween Fanbase to let go of Michael, Laurie and the world of Haddonfield and move onto other things and I agree with that wholeheartedly.
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