WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Halloween Kills, now playing in theaters and available to stream on Peacock.
Halloween Kills continues Michael Myers’ rampage following his initial killing spree in 1978’s Halloween. However, the character’s latest outing has done away with a lot of the supernatural charm that made the character incredibly strong and seemingly invulnerable. That being said, that hasn’t stopped him from performing similar feats. But while he lacks traditional supernatural abilities, the film has given Michael a totally new and potentially more deadly power.
In the film, Michael’s presence and the chaos he represents are enough to turn the entire town of Haddonfield on its head in the hopes of finding and killing the murderer. Sadly, from the moment he emerges from Laurie Strode’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) flaming home, it’s clear that Michael has already won the night. Visually, Halloween Kills would make audiences believe that his true power comes from his seemingly superhuman strength. In reality, his feats are merely a by-product of the fear his presence evokes.
Ever since he returned home in 1978, Michael’s essence has hung over the town like a dark cloud. So long as he exists, the fear of him grows and festers. As a result, when many come face to face with him, they can’t think straight and even make simple mistakes that get them killed. For example, when facing the firefighters, one of them believes a firehose will stop him even after Michael continues to fight against the pressure. But the true display of his influence is shown when he massacres an angry mob led by an older Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall).
As Michael is finally trapped and beaten, Laurie explains in the hospital to Officer Hawkins (Will Patton) that the fear Michael evokes is an infection that has spread to her and everyone in the town. But with every life Michael takes, he transcends further. At that moment, Michael overcomes his injuries and kills the entire mob that beat him nearly to death. While it appears that Michael has a supernatural force on his side, the real terror of his presence is the legend he creates through fear.
Part of the reason why Michael is so good at taking lives has to do with how well he has paralyzed Haddonfield with fear. A great example of this can be seen with a victim who tries to shoot Michael point-blank. The man misses and also leaves himself exposed for Michael to slash his wrist and ultimately kill him. To the victims, he’s something purely evil like in the previous films. But in reality, he’s a man exploiting the fears of a town to survive and continue killing. Laurie proved this in 2018’s Halloween by facing down her tormentor with a cool head and seeing him as nothing more than a man. As a result, she’s the only one to successfully trick the killer and nearly end his life.
Michael is no longer an invulnerable, supernatural entity. But in exchange for real power, he has been granted the power to infect a small town with fear just by existing. His legend has grown thanks to a mixture of luck and quick-thinking on his part and a town’s inability to think clearly when facing him. By Halloween Kills‘ conclusion, he has essentially taken Haddonfield over in one night by killing a large amount of its population. With Halloween Ends having a four-year time jump, it’ll be interesting to see how Michael’s power has transcended his legend even further.
To see Michael Myers wreak havoc once again, Halloween Kills is in theaters now and currently available to stream on Peacock.
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