'Halloween' Fans Are Rallying Around David Gordon Green's 'Unapologetic' Trilogy

Green's trilogy of 'Halloween,'Halloween Kills,' and 'Halloween Ends' launched in 2018 and quickly became divisive entries in the franchise.

By Allison Schonter

Halloween may be one of the most successful horror franchises, but it's no secret that the 13-film library has had some hits and misses, and it seems the most controversial of those films are the three most recent entries. David Gordon Green's trilogy – Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills (2021), and Halloween Ends (2022) – concluded the 40-plus-year saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, and while the trilogy's first entry proved to be a massive hit, the trio of movies earned plenty of flack by the time Ends arrived, but some franchise fans have started to rally their support around what they have dubbed Green's "unapologetic" trilogy.
 
Acting as a direct sequel to the original 1978 movie, David Gordon Green's trilogy picked up some 40 years after the events of Halloween night 1978. Strode, one of the sole survivors from "The Babysitter Murders," is now a recluse, having spent the past decades preparing for Michael's return. The trilogy largely centers around Strode, her daughter, and her granddaughter.

Although Green's trilogy had a strong start with Halloween, a film that earned a 79% critics score and 72% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and has been dubbed one of the best sequels in the franchise, things began to falter with Kills. Although the 2021 movie has been praised for digging deep into the slasher genre, featuring some of the most brutal kills to-date, many felt the movie did little to advance plot. The saga took a turn for the worse in many peoples' eyes with the arrival of Ends, a movie that shifted focus away from Michael and Strode, despite promotional material heavily focused around them, and to a character entirely new to the franchise, Corey Cunningham. That film was dubbed by critics as a "befuddling installment that's stabbed, slashed, and beaten by a series of frustrating missed opportunities"
 
Over the years, Green's trilogy has amassed a loyal fanbase, though, with recent discussions in the franchise rallying support around the movies. Keep scrolling to see what fans are saying.

Green's trilogy has 'the most love and care put into it'

On Reddit, one person said that while "the trilogy may be flawed, but it will always hold a special place in my heart as THE Halloween story. It's definitely the trilogy with the most love and care put into it." Somebody else agreed with that sentiment, writing that three movies are "some of the best Halloween sequels in the franchise."

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The films are 'some of the better entries to the series'

"I think Halloween 2018 is the ultimate attempt at making an old school yet modern Halloween movie, I think Halloween Kills is the most fun I've ever had watching bloodlust angry Michael, and I think Halloween Ends is one of the most amazingly ballsy and creative movies in the series. So yeah I'm a fan of the whole trilogy," another person wrote, with somebody else sharing, "2018 is the best movie aside from the original. Kills, for me, is just way too over the top even though I like the idea of trying to make Tommy Doyle a central character. Ends has its flaws but it is a pretty good movie with an ambitious idea for theme. Overall, the new trilogy is definitely worth watching and added some of the better entries to the series."

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The trilogy 'brought the franchise from the brink of obscurity into the mainstream again'

"The new trilogy is fantastic in its own way. It's flawed in many ways but I appreciate that they tried and succeeded on many fronts even if the story didn't always work," wrote another fan. "I think they nailed Michael Myers' character, put put the series best soundtracks, and have brought the franchise from the brink of obscurity into the mainstream again."

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Many list Green's trilogy as their 'favorite timeline' in the franchise

"78, 18, Kills, and Ends are my absolute favorite timeline in the series," shared another. "I've always felt people who fixate on the flaws tend to ignore that all the other sequels had far bigger flaws comparatively. The Blumhouse sequels do the best job of capturing the serious and moody feel of the original, aside from some of the sillier aspects of Kills. The only downsides I can think of are the erasure of Halloween 2 and the significant diminishing of Loomis's presence in the story, neither of which could really be helped considering."

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'Fantastic'

"Really hate halloween kills, but 2018 and ends are fantastic," added somebody else. "ends is the best halloween sequel imo and the most refreshing and bold franchise film i've seen in years. DGG's ideas may be unfocused and sloppily executed at times, but i admire the passion and the desire to actually SAY something."

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Many beleive Green provided 'the best Halloween sequel'

"I think 2018 is the best Halloween sequel made and truly the one only movie to capture the essence of 1978 similarly and create its own vibe at the same time," shared one fan. "Paid alot of respect to the og and Laurie (Jamie Lee) was phenomenal and the movie could have stood on its own."

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How does Green's trilogy compare to the rest of the franchise?

While Green's trilogy may be controversial, it is far from the worst in terms of critics ratings. Kills earned a 39% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with Ends earning a 40%. For comparison, Halloween II earned a 33% score and Halloween 4 grabbed a 39%. The lowest-rated films are Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Halloween: Resurrection, and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers with respective 12%, 10%, and 8% critics scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

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