A Missed Opportunity To Perfect The Franchise's Finale

One of the most controversial films in the Halloween franchise was actually one move away from being perfect. When Halloween Ends released in 2022, reception from fans was overwhelmingly negative. It’s a radically different film in story and tone, pushing Michael Myers to the side in favor of a new character, Corey.

However, despite this shift in the newest Halloween trilogy’s narrative, it was actually a film that was close to being great. The trilogy, for the most part, was setting up a story about the cycle of evil and the shape it takes, which is in line with what John Carpenter’s original film was about.

With this in mind, Halloween Ends could have been a perfect finale if it had committed to Corey being the villain in the final act.

Corey Represents An Important Shift For “The Shape”

Since the original Halloween hit theaters in 1978, the main theme has revolved around Evil never dying and taking various forms. In this franchise’s case, Michael Myers has been that Shape. However, Corey’s introduction in Halloween Ends is an important change in the series because he’s the new form that Evil takes.

Corey is presented as a man who’s constantly hated and bullied after accidentally killing a family’s son in the opening scene. This makes him an excellent target to become the next vessel for Evil.

In fact, the film does a great job showing just how his transition works as he follows Myers and learns from his methods. He even disappears completely when he puts on the mask in the final half of the film, fully cementing himself as the Shape.

However, the film’s ending completely undoes all of this by having Michael come back in the ending, kill Corey and face off against Laurie himself. All the setup across the film feels wasted by this point, completely omitting the themes in favor of having another Michael vs. Laurie fight, rather than having Laurie come to terms with the Shape switching forms.

Michael Myers Being Dead Would Have Been A Brilliant Twist

Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode fighting Michael Myers in Halloween Ends

One of the biggest hooks surrounding Halloween Ends is that it takes place five years after Halloween Kills. Michael Myers is nowhere to be found, and Haddonfield is moving on.

It’s later revealed that Myers has been hiding in a sewer the whole time when Corey stumbles upon him. However, this film could have changed for the better with one small shift in plot: have Michael Myers be dead from the start. Director David Gordon Green has said that Michael Myers is human in his trilogy, not supernatural.

Many fans were confused when he said this, given how he’s been able to survive so much. However, a reveal like this would show that Myers himself was mortal after all. What kept him alive was the Evil that made him the Shape, which is a completely separate entity.

For the most part, the film could have played out the same way. However, when Corey pulls the mask off Myers, a shot showing a skull underneath would have been a fantastic twist. The “Myers” he had been following this whole time was the Shape, corrupting him as it takes its new form in Corey.

Corey’s Finale Would Have Solidified The New Trilogy As “The Shape Trilogy”

Michael Myers Fighting Laurie Strode In the Finale of Halloween Ends

Had Halloween Ends focused more on making Corey the final antagonist, things would have come full circle for the trilogy. Laurie is painted in the first two films as someone obsessed with finding Michael. When he disappeared, she began to move on and embrace her life again after decades of obsession.

When she finally faces off with “Michael,” there could have been a scene where she pulls off the mask and discovers Corey instead. This would be a major moment because she comes to realize that Myers is dead and the Evil that enveloped him has changed form.

Nothing she does will stop it, and she has to learn to let go of her obsession. Given how the previous two films built this up by telling the audience there is no answer to why Michael kills, it would have been a perfect ending to the trilogy.

For the most part, the newest films have been the closest to recapturing the spirit of John Carpenter’s classic by leaning more into the Shape, rather than trying to explore Michael’s human side. The finale to this Halloween trilogy was so close to sticking the landing, but as it stands now, it’s a decent sequel with great ideas but a huge missed opportunity.