Halloween Ends' Biggest Unanswered Questions
Contains spoilers for "Halloween Ends"
Blumhouse Productions and David Gordon Green finally end their modern "Halloween" trilogy with "Halloween Ends" closing out the legacy of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode and having her clash with Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle) for one final time in a bloody and brutal fight to be the last one standing. However, "Halloween Ends," for better or worse, offered more than just a simple Laurie and Michael face-off. From a Haddonfield, Illinois, that's full of hate and bitterness to a surprise Michael Myers protégé who delivers some horrific bloodshed of their own, "Halloween Ends" treads some new ground in giving Michael and Laurie a fitting conclusion.
Laurie and Michael truly go at each other's throats in a brutal bloodbath that sees Laurie do everything in her power to finally kill Michael Myers, even going as far as to bring the whole town of Haddonfield to watch Michael be ground to a bloody pulp. Laurie can now rest a little easier knowing that her boogeyman is no more, and her story has reached its end. Yet even for the conclusiveness of "Halloween Ends," there are still plenty of questions left unanswered. Even while Michael Myers may be no more, there are still some burning questions and concerns we have about "Halloween Ends," including whether the franchise can continue.
What actually happened at the end of Halloween Kills?
While Laurie gives a brief synopsis of what happened to her, Allyson (Andi Matichak), and the rest of Haddonfield after the events of "Halloween Kills," there are still some things left hanging. Sure, Laurie talks about her and Allyson now living together and having a bit of a dysfunctional relationship as well as Haddonfield becoming consumed by the grief and anger from Michael's killing spree and sudden disappearance. But the new film sort of just glosses over some pretty big lingering emotions and story threads from "Halloween Kills."
For instance, what were the consequences of the town causing one of the escaped mental patients to fall out of the hospital to his death? Also, throughout both previous films, both Laurie and Allyson were ready to have Michael's head on a silver platter and now they just suddenly decide to stop after he disappears? Even the absolute massacre that Michael enacts at the end of "Halloween Kills" barely gets any mention or follow-up, leaving the devastation of it with no fulfilling resolution. Truthfully, "Halloween Ends" doesn't transition well from "Halloween Kills" and makes a lot of what was built up during that film's wild finale have no lasting impact.
Why does Michael go into hiding?
Michael Myers is no stranger to disappearing acts, since he can literally vanish in a flash if you don't keep your eyes on him. However, it's a little odd that Michael is just suddenly gone from Haddonfield without a trace after "Halloween Kills," especially since he was winning. He was literally ripping people to shreds on the streets of Haddonfield and even got to kill Karen (Judy Greer) just to twist the knife in Laurie. So why would he leave?
It frankly doesn't make much sense since he knew Laurie was still out there and he clearly wants to put a knife in her. He literally looked like an unbeatable killing machine at the end of "Halloween Kills" so if there was any time for him to have a final bout with Laurie, it would've been then. Plus, it's not like he went somewhere to catch his breath for a moment. He's literally been gone for years at this point and still didn't look like he was going after Laurie any time soon. Sure, he looked like he was in a weakened state when Corey (Rohan Campbell) finds him, but come on, this is Michael Myers we're talking about here. He's not the type to leave things unfinished.
What's the deal with Michael?
While the original continuity saw Michael motivated to kill Laurie because of their familial connection, this trilogy doesn't have that. All this trilogy offers is speculation in "Kills" about how Michael keeps returning to his childhood home. Yet there's no motivation ever established for why he goes after his victims specifically, so it needs to be asked, why does Michael care so much about Laurie? Is it just because she's the one that got away? Does he see her as the ultimate kill because of how strong she's been against him? Honestly, what's Michael's deal?
There's actually a lot about Michael that's left unanswered. How is he able to withstand all stabbings, beatings, and damaging blows he's taken throughout the years? He literally gets stabbed in the heart by Laurie in the film's final battle and then suddenly rises to nearly choke her to death. What is it about Michael that's made him more than a normal man for so many years? (One of the sequels posits that he's under the influence of an ancient druidic curse.) The film never provides that answer and leaves Michael as ambiguous as ever. It's a choice that makes sense given that Michael is always meant to simply be this malevolent evil entity with unclear motives, but with this being Laurie and Michael's final bout, it feels like a missed opportunity to truly understand Michael.
What does Michael look like under the mask?
Throughout both previous "Halloween" films, Michael's actual face has been mostly kept a mystery, aside from a couple of side shots that tease what this horrifying killer actually looks like. With this being the last time we'll see Michael Myers, at least with the definitive Laurie Strode, it seems like it was pretty certain that Michael's face would finally be revealed. However, that doesn't happen, and while there are more teases and obscured shots that show some scars and even a beard, Michael's face is never shown.
Throughout the entire final fight with Laurie and even the procession through Haddonfield, you're left wondering if there's a moment where we'll get that frontal shot and see Michael's face in full view. Instead, though, we simply get more side glances that someone might to able to piece together to try to create something that shows what he likely looks like, but nothing definitive. With all the teases of Michael's actual face throughout the trilogy — and even the moment in John Carpenter's original 1978 "Halloween" where he's unmasked — you can't help but feel a little cheated and puzzled as to why the true face of evil remains shrouded in mystery.
Where are the police as Corey goes on a rampage?
Once Corey decides to give into his eviler and more violent side, there's almost nothing that seems capable of stopping him. He enacts some kills that are nearly as brutal as, if not more than, Michael's and even brings the big guy along for a tag-team murder match. Yet it's hard not to see why Corey is pretty much unstoppable since the police are often nowhere to be found.
Throughout the "Halloween" franchise, the Haddonfield police are generally not too incompetent and would at least notice that people are either disappearing or being brutally killed. Here though, there's barely a mention that these people have disappeared, and Corey rarely runs into any obstacles since the police are nowhere in sight. No one even questions if Michael is back given the string of disappearances or that it's all happening around Halloween, Michael Myers' favorite time of year. Maybe they're off dealing with a different violent occurrence in this darker depiction of Haddonfield, but seriously, how did no one really become aware that Corey's rampage was going on?
Why does Michael only leave when Corey comes around?
When Corey first comes across Michael Myers while he's hiding in the sewers, he's not exactly in the best of conditions. He's clearly weakened from the big fight at the end of "Halloween Kills," but he quickly regains his strength after getting his first kill with the help of Corey. So if Michael is ready to get back out there and start killing again, why is he basically tied to the hip with Corey and only seems to come out after he shows up?
Seriously, Michael only leaves the sewer if Corey ends up coming and picking him up on his motorcycle, which could've been a hilarious visual to see. Does he have stage fright now or something? Even on Halloween day, he just sits in his sewer hideout until Corey comes by to steal his mask, and it's just odd to see Michael not just go back to his killing routine once he's got his strength back. It's legitimately one of the strangest things about Michael in "Halloween Ends" and sadly keeps him off-screen for longer than any fan would expect or want.
Was Laurie really going to go through with it?
One of the biggest looming fears around Laurie the entire film is her mental health and if her fear of Michael will lead her to suicide. At one point, it legitimately seems like she going to go through with ending her life as she sets up the scene in a haunting fashion. After having a heartbreaking fight with Allyson, Laurie calls the police reporting her own suicide, intensely grips a gun, and fires a shot off-screen leaving you with a pit in your stomach.
However, it all ends up being a ruse since she's actually just playing it up for Corey, who's walking into the room to kill her, and she instead puts two rounds in his chest. Laurie even taunts Corey, for thinking that she would actually go through with it. Now, this does beg the question if Laurie was actually in this frame of mind at all throughout "Halloween Ends" or if it was just a ruse to make herself look weak so that if Michael ever came back she could catch him off-guard like she did Corey. There's no doubt that Laurie's going through some stuff, but it's not out of her realm of tactics.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Who's really in charge: Michael or Corey?
Once Corey and Michael meet, they start to work together and amass a decent body count. Corey seems to help Michael regain his strength while Michael gives Corey the power to tap into his eviler side. However, you can't help but wonder by the end who was actually in charge in this dynamic. For the most part, it would seem like Corey has control since he seems slightly stronger than Michael for most of the movie and is clearly leading the kills. However, perhaps Michael was conning us all along.
Throughout the film, Corey's plan was to see him go on a destruction spree through Haddonfield before going off into the sunset with Allyson. So it doesn't really seem like his dying on the floor of Laurie's house with a knife in his neck was a part of the plan. So maybe this was Michael's plan all along. He did follow Corey to Laurie's house after Corey took his mask, and it does lead to the big finale fight between him and Laurie. Michael Myers has never seemed like much of a planner in this franchise, but maybe he's gotten wise in his old age.
Do Laurie and Frank end up together?
Laurie and Frank's (Will Patton) awkward but adorable relationship in "Halloween Kills" was one of that film's biggest highlights and ends up being a very sweet part of "Halloween Ends." There's nothing more heartwarming than seeing Curtis and Patton's on-screen chemistry flourish, and you desperately want these two to be together — especially because after dealing with Michael Myers for so many years, Laurie deserves some love in her life. So do they end up together?
Well, they don't share an on-screen kiss or anything, and we don't see them boarding a plane to Japan as they talk about during the movie. However, it's a pretty safe bet that they do get together after the events of the film since their final moment together on Laurie's porch has these palpable feelings of love and sweet emotion. Plus, the follow-up shots of Laurie's house being empty suggest that she's left. There's no definitive answer to whether or not Laurie and Frank end up together, but the film does make you believe that it is possible.
Where does Allyson go?
With the traumatic history that Allyson has endured in Haddonfield with both her parents being slain by Michael Myers as well as her friends, it's not too shocking to hear that she's looking to leave. While Laurie is able to keep her there through guilt and concern, Allyson does find her opportunity to leave when she meets Corey and he suggests doing so. While her original plans to leave with Corey fall through, Allyson does end up leaving Haddonfield before the credits roll.
The only question is, where is Allyson going? Truthfully, we'll probably never know the answer, as the scene of her leaving Haddonfield is likely just to symbolize that she's leaving the town for good. Maybe, though, there can be a more intriguing answer. It's unclear whether or not "Halloween Ends" will really be the end of the "Halloween" franchise, and maybe this scene will lead to a follow-up film or trilogy keeping up with Allyson as she discovers new horrors as she tries to start a new life. As said before, there's probably no real significance to where Allyson is going, but it's always fun to wonder "what if."
Why does Laurie not destroy Michael's mask?
In the final shot of "Halloween Ends," the camera moves throughout Laurie's house, and we see Michael's mask. We can't help but wonder why she didn't destroy the mask when she kicked Michael's body into the grinder.
It's kind of odd that she didn't destroy it to be honest since Michael's mask is a key identifier of him and a major symbol of the fear he's spread across Haddonfield. Maybe she needed it as inspiration to finish the book she's been writing throughout the film or just simply wanted it because she wasn't completely over him even after killing him. Perhaps too, this could be a hint that someone else could pick up Michael's mask and start a new reign of terror in Haddonfield. It's not too surprising to see "Halloween Ends" definitively kill Michael Myers, it's just strange that his mask couldn't go with him.
Can there actually be more Halloween films?
With Michael Myers being dead by the end of "Halloween Ends" and Laurie seemingly moving on and out of Haddonfield, it would be pretty easy to see this as the last "Halloween" movie. But the film is a little shaky with its conclusiveness, creating some avenues for the franchise to return. Yes, Michael is dead and Laurie has left Haddonfield. However, Michael's mask just sitting on the table leaves the impression that someone else possibly picking it up to continue his legacy.
In terms of the chances this franchise will continue under David Gordon Green and Blumhouse Productions, Green said that this entry is the conclusion of his story. Jason Blum, the Blumhouse CEO, also said, "I didn't say it's gonna be the last 'Halloween' movie. It's our last 'Halloween' movie. We have no more rights to make any more 'Halloween,' so it goes back to Malek [Akkad]" (per CBR).
Could the franchise continue even after Michael's death? We've already seen that the franchise is willing to bring in other killers besides Michael with Corey mainly acting as the film's killer while Michael hides in the sewers. And though Laurie is likely gone from the franchise for good, longtime fans know that she hasn't always led the films, since Jamie Lloyd led a couple of films and "Halloween: Resurrection" saw a whole new cast take on Michael after Laurie is killed in the opening scene. "Kills" even put Laurie in the hospital for its runtime while other characters roam about Haddonfield hunting Michael. "Halloween Ends" might be the end of this trilogy and the franchise as we know it, but even while it heavily flashes the "End" in the title during the credits, it doesn't feel totally conclusive.