(This article contains spoilers)
Halloween Ends finally released earlier this month, marking the end of the most recent Myers trilogy and leaving fans on Twitter torn pertaining to the progression of the franchise. Many feel the movie robbed them of the true Michael Myers experience with the introduction of Cory, the film's secondary antagonist and accomplice of the iconic masked murderer. Others aren't certain where the franchise is headed after this or felt dissatisfied with how the film ended. Rest assured, as long as the Halloween franchise continues to profit there will be more retconning of endings or new timelines to add on to the Michael Myers story.
Though, there is a part of this film that genuinely satisfied me, and it is one that isn't discussed nearly enough:
How Michael Myers' body was disposed of.
Over the 13 films that make up the Halloween franchise, the dreaded killer has "died" several times, only to come back by a sheer miracle and continue to terrorize the citizens of Haddonfield. This man has been shot, beheaded, blown up, set on fire, hit by vehicles, and stabbed, just to name a few ways he has met his end. Just when our protagonists think there is no way he could have survived any of these circumstances, he is back again for more. In multiple instances, Myers was resurrected by cultists, but that does not hold true for every adaptation.
So, what is so different about Halloween Ends?
Well, they turn him into ground beef.
At the very last point of the movie, a parade of police vehicles surrounded by the people of Haddonfield bring a bound Michael to the local junkyard. He is then disposed of in the best way I could have possibly imagined: by being dumped into a metal shredder. Everyone in the town watches his body get torn up and ground into bits and pieces, thus marking the end of the infamous murderer.
This scene in particular sits well with me due to the simple fact that it distinguishes an important rule of thumb when placed against a threat—making sure the killer is dead. How often have we seen horror protagonists who land a single hit on their enemy and send them down, only to flake on striking a vital spot and choosing to run instead? While it can be forgiven in some instances, the double tap law has become a staple of horror culture. From a running gag to an exhibit of frustration, horror fans of all types agree that ensuring the killer is dead the first time is the best way to prevent your own demise.
In the case of Michael Myers specifically, we have to look at the facts. Myers has been a virtually unbeatable agent of evil across the entire series. Laurie knows that he can't be shot to death, nor stabbed to death. She is aware that he managed to survive a fire that "no man could have". However, she does know that he can be injured. While he is rather durable, Michael isn't without his own scars and marks. This means his body can be damaged. Based on this, we can infer that he can be physically stopped if enough damage is done to his body. If he survived a fire, who is to say cremating him would really work? Amid the tower of flames, who is to say he couldn't escape? Ensuring he stays in one spot is important, as well as checking from all angles.
Laurie knew that, as long as he had a body, he could cause harm. That is why the ultimate death of Michael Myers in Halloween Ends is so satisfying to me. To me, he didn't die in the kitchen. We should know better than that, and everyone in that town thankfully knew that too. I couldn't have pictured a more unique way to put an end to one of the most iconic characters in horror. Watching his body get torn apart in a metal shredder felt relieving, as if a massive weight had been lifted. I recall watching the final moments of the movie, leaning back in my chair, and saying to myself, "yeah, there is no way he could have survived that".
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