What is the legacy of David Gordon Green’s “Halloween” reboot trilogy? When the first film, “Halloween,” arrived in 2018, fans and even critics were impressed — a dormant franchise was alive again! But then Green would go on to make two more movies, both of which were met with a much more lukewarm reception. The sequel “Halloween Kills” had plenty of gore, but it was also a bit of a mess and not nearly as praised as the 2018 movie. Then came “Halloween Ends.” Marketed as the definitive conclusion to the story of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, “Halloween Ends” was drubbed by both critics and loyal fans. As a result, the general consensus surrounding Green’s trilogy these days seems to be negative. But what if I told you that “Halloween Ends” is … good, actually? In fact, it might even be great. And you don’t have to take my word for it! Stephen King, a guy who knows a thing or two about horror, defended the film, writing on Twitter: “I enjoyed HALLOWEEN ENDS. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s–gasp!–surprisingly character driven.” He’s right, damn it! But we’ll get to that in a moment or two. First, a brief history lesson.
John Carpenter’s original “Halloween” is not just one of the best horror movies ever made, it’s also one of the most financially successful. When that sort of thing happens, producers and studios have only one thing in mind: a sequel. Carpenter wasn’t sold on the idea of a sequel, but realizing that the movie would get made with or without him, the filmmaker decided to give it a go. Once again working with writing and producing partner Debra Hill, Carpenter churned out a script for “Halloween II,” handing directorial duties over to Rick Rosenthal. “Halloween II” isn’t nearly as good as Carpenter’s original, but it was another hit. When it came time to make a third film, Carpenter and Hill wanted to change things up. Rather than bring back babysitter murderer Michael Myers yet again, “Halloween III,” subtitled “Season of the Witch,” was meant to take the franchise into a new direction. The plan was to use the “Halloween” brand to release a new story set against the backdrop of Halloween season.
It was a great idea, and it’s fun to imagine a world where it worked out and we got a new Halloween-set anthology film every year for decades to come. Sadly, the plan backfired: audiences wanted more Michael Myers, damn it! And so, by the time the next “Halloween” movie, “Halloween IV,” arrived, it was subtitled “The Return of Michael Myers.” Michael was back, Carpenter and Hill were gone, and the franchise would continue on, churning out one sequel after another. The series reached its nadir in 2002 with the abysmal “Halloween: Resurrection,” a film so bad it pretty much killed the franchise as fans new in. The next “Halloween” movie would be a full-fledged remake and reboot, in the form of Rob Zombie’s 2007 movie “Halloween.” Reactions were mixed, but Zombie’s remake was a big enough hit to warrant a sequel. While this sequel is considered superior to the 2007 remake, it wasn’t successful enough to continue on to a third film, though not for lack of trying (there were multiple failed attempts that just never panned out). Instead, the series would lay sleeping for a few years … only to inevitably come slashing back to life.