Everything You Need to Know Before Halloween Ends

Halloween Ends is out now! The most revered horror film franchise in history reaches its epic conclusion after 45 years. Jaime Lee Curtis returns one more time as Laurie Strode for a final battle against the embodiment of evil, Michael Myers. 1978’s Halloween spawned a number of sequels and a reboot duology. Those movies are fantastic classics of horror, but 2018’s Halloween marked a relaunch of the franchise. That means, for Halloween Ends, three movies are most relevant: Halloween (1978), Halloween (2018), and Halloween Kills.  

What about the other movies? 

Halloween II (1981) and the movies directly following it take place in their own continuity. In Halloween II, it is revealed that Laurie and Michael Myers are siblings. The movies that follow carry that story forward through H2O: Halloween 20 Years Later and Halloween Resurrection, both of which also brought Jamie Lee Curtis back to the role of Laurie. In the original movie though, Michael and Laurie were not related. Halloween (2018) takes place in that continuity, where Michael is an unstoppable, unknowable force of evil descending upon Haddonfield, Illinois. If you want to see where the story has gone in the past, Halloween II (1981) is a great place to start. 

Watch Halloween II (1981) on Peacock

You said something about a reboot? 

Rob Zombie made two movies reimagining the original Halloween. Halloween (2007) follows Michael Myers as he grows up, showing us the moment he becomes a killer. This movie and its sequel, Halloween II (2009), also follow the 1981 continuity where Michael and Laurie are siblings. Halloween II (2009) is absolutely worth a watch if you’re interested in this series, or horror movies in general. It takes the story in an entirely new direction and as a result, has some of the most terrifying and unexpected moments of the franchise. 

Watch Halloween II (2009) on Peacock

What do I absolutely need to know before Halloween Ends? 

For starters, you should know what happens in the original Halloween. The movie starts with a six-year-old Michael Myers murdering his older sister. He spends the next 15 years in a mental institution before escaping. Laurie Strode’s father is trying to sell the abandoned Myers house. Michael sees Laurie drop off a key at the house and begins to stalk her. While Laurie and her friends are babysitting the neighborhood kids on Halloween night, Michael stalks and murders all of them except for Laurie, who fights him off with a coat-hanger to the eye. That, of course, doesn’t kill him. Michael disappears, leaving Laurie traumatized and afraid. 

What happens in Halloween (2018)? 

This movie picks up 40 years later. Laurie Strode never truly got over her traumatic experience as a teenager. She’s had a couple failed marriages, struggles with alcohol addiction, and is estranged from her daughter and granddaughter. Never having had to deal with Michael Myers, they don’t understand why she’s spent her life living in fear. Laurie, meanwhile, has been training with a shotgun just in case he ever comes back. Which he does. Michael escapes during a prison transfer, gets his mask back from two podcasters covering the 1978 murders, and returns to Haddonfield — on Halloween night, of course. At first Laurie’s family doesn’t believe her, but once the murders start, they don’t have much choice. Michael begins terrorizing Laurie’s granddaughter, Allyson, killing her friends. Allyson is left alone, outside, while Michael relentlessly pursues the family. It all culminates with the first confrontation between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers in 40 years. With the help of her family, they defeat Michael and trap him in a burning house.  

What happens in Halloween Kills? 

So you know how Laurie and her family left Michael in a burning house? The thing about burning houses: they attract the fire department. As Laurie, her daughter, Karen, and Allyson rush to the hospital, firefighters free Michael Myers, who promptly murders all of them. We got ourselves another movie! Much of Halloween Kills follows a group of people in the Haddonfield community whose families were terrorized by Michael in 1978. They try to hunt Michael down, which does not work out well. A mob chases the wrong guy, resulting in his suicide, while anyone who does run into the real Michael ends up dead. That almost includes Allyson, who confronts Michael in his childhood home. Karen shows up and baits him into chasing her instead. She leads him to a smaller mob of the people who lost family in 1978. They all attack him, with Karen grabbing a knife to deliver what should be the final blow. It isn’t, of course. Just when everything looks OK, Michael gets back up and kills everyone who attacked him. As EMTs treat Allyson’s wounds, Michael finds Karen alone and stabs her to death. For the rest of the story, we’ll have to watch Halloween Ends. 

What happens in Halloween Ends? 

We can’t tell you that, the movie just came out. But it is the end of Laurie Strode’s story, and it goes to some truly surprising places. If you’re a fan of the Halloween series, or a fan of horror movies in general, you don’t want to miss it. 

Watch Halloween Ends on Peacock

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