Halloween Ends stirred up a storm of debate, arguably becoming even more controversial than Halloween III: Season of the Witch, an entry that was once the oddball of the franchise but has since gained cult status. The 2022 film, the final chapter in David Gordon Green’s trilogy, aimed to conclusively wrap up the legendary battle between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode while also introducing a new, unsettling character: Corey Cunningham, played by Rohan Campbell.
Corey’s role in Halloween Ends was divisive, dividing fans who mostly craved one thing—a satisfying and definitive finale to the Laurie versus Michael saga that began with John Carpenter’s iconic 1978 slasher. Earlier films, including the 2018 Halloween reboot, had promised a climactic showdown, but many felt the conclusion was still elusive. Halloween Ends, however, boldly claims to deliver that long-awaited final confrontation.
The movie closes with Laurie finally killing Michael Myers once and for all—something she has done before—and then disposing of his body by feeding it into an industrial shredder, as the town of Haddonfield silently watches. This ending offers a glimmer of hope for Laurie, suggesting she might reclaim some normalcy after decades of terror. Though, of course, she'd still deal with the haunting trauma of that brutal act.
But here’s where it gets controversial and fascinating: the original endings planned for Halloween Ends were strikingly different. Jamie Lee Curtis reveals in the book Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse that one early ending would have taken viewers inside a mask factory, while another involved a literal and chilling transfer of evil, where Michael Myers’ darkness would inhabit Laurie herself. Yes, she almost became Michael.
Curtis explains, “The original ending, initially titled Halloween Dies, showed a conveyor belt producing Michael Myers masks. The message was clear: the monster isn't just Michael; it’s anyone who dons the mask. It suggested that beneath the surface, we all have potential for darkness.” However, this idea was deemed too cerebral for a finale that needed a more satisfying emotional payoff. “It was a big creative risk,” she adds, “and I respect that.”
Even more striking was the ending where Laurie inherits Michael’s evil after killing him. This storyline explored how, in her act of final justice, Laurie becomes the very embodiment of the monster she fought for so long. It portrayed a bleak future where she must isolate herself, burdened by the darkness she now carries. But this concept was ultimately shelved because it was too grim and profound to close out a 40-year-long saga that fans hoped to see end on a more hopeful note.
Instead, the filmmakers opted for the scene where Haddonfield silently witnesses Michael’s demise, and Laurie returns alone to her home, offering a quieter but more hopeful conclusion. Jamie Lee Curtis herself championed the uplifting final moment shared between Laurie and her granddaughter, Allyson, on the porch, symbolizing hope and new beginnings. She even imagined they might someday find peace far away, perhaps in Japan.
Yet, the film doesn’t let the audience forget the lingering presence of evil. The final frame shows a Michael Myers mask resting on Laurie’s coffee table—a subtle, eerie reminder that the nightmare may never truly end. Curtis describes this ambiguity as intentional, carrying the same unsettling vibe that the original mask factory ending would have had.
Could that mask factory have echoed the infamous Silver Shamrock mask factory from Halloween III: Season of the Witch? It’s a provocative thought, given that Halloween Ends almost feels like the spiritual equivalent of that film within David Gordon Green’s trilogy—a nod to the power of masks to spread fear and evil on Halloween night.
This provocative twist is bound to spark strong opinions: do we really want Laurie to carry Michael’s darkness? Is the hopeful ending a disservice to the franchise’s legacy? What do you think about the idea that we’re all monsters behind the masks we wear? Feel free to share your thoughts—this is a debate worth having.
