What is the legacy of David Gordon Green's Halloween reboot trilogy? When the first film, Halloween, was released in 2018, fans and even critics were impressed – a dormant franchise was alive again! But then Green made two more films, both of which received a much more muted response. The sequel, Halloween Kills, had plenty of gore, but was also a bit messy and not nearly as praised as the 2018 film. Then came Halloween Ends. Marketed as the definitive conclusion to Michael Myers and Laurie Strode's story, “Halloween Ends” received negative reviews from both critics and loyal fans. Therefore, the general consensus about Green's trilogy these days seems to be negative. But what if I told you that “Halloween Ends” is… actually good? In fact, it might even be great. And you don't have to take my word for it! Stephen King, a guy who knows horror, defended the filmwrote on Twitter: “I enjoyed HALLOWEEN ENDS. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it is – gasp! – surprisingly character-driven.” He’s right, damn it! But we'll get to that in a moment. First, a quick history lesson.

John Carpenter's original Halloween is not only one of the best horror films of all time, but also one of the most financially successful. When something like this happens, producers and studios only have one thing in mind: a sequel. Carpenter wasn't sold on the idea of ​​a sequel, but when he realized the film would be made with or without him, he decided to give it a try. Once again working with writing and producing partner Debra Hill, Carpenter churned out a script for Halloween II, handing over directing duties 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. Instead of bringing back babysitter-murderer Michael Myers, Halloween III, subtitled Season of the Witch, was supposed to take the franchise in a new direction. The plan was to use the “Halloween” brand to release a new story set against the backdrop of the Halloween season.

It was a great idea, and it's fun to imagine a world where it worked and we got a new anthology film with a Halloween setting every year for decades. Unfortunately, the plan backfired: the audience wanted more of Michael Myers, damn it! And so the next “Halloween” film, “Halloween IV,” was subtitled “The Return of Michael Myers.” Michael was back, Carpenter and Hill were gone, and the franchise would move on, spawning sequel after sequel. The series reached its lowest point in 2002 with the abysmal “Halloween: Resurrection,” a film so bad that it almost killed the franchise as a new entry. The next Halloween film would be a complete remake and reboot of Rob Zombie's 2007 film Halloween. Reactions were mixed, but Zombie's remake was a huge success, warranting a sequel. While this sequel is considered superior to the 2007 remake, it wasn't successful enough to continue with a third film, although that wasn't for lack of trying (there were several failed attempts that simply never came to fruition). Instead, the series would lie dormant for a few years… only to inevitably come back to life.