In-Depth Look at Michael Myers
Michael Myers is a legend in the horror community. With 11 movies and a 121 body count, Michael Myers only falls behind Jason Voorhees (at 157) in the top kills. Michael Myers maintains a mystery around his methods and reasons, something that other slashers use to invoke more fear. We are going to dive deep into some of those mysteries to see what we can uncover.
Why Does Michael Myers Kill?
There are many different theories about why Michael Myers kills his victims. The movies are not necessarily in order and the Michael Myers timeline restarts more than once throughout the 11 films. For example, the 2018 film followed the very first film from 1978, dismissing everything that has been released between the two. Depending on the timeline that you are looking talking about, Michael Myer’s motives are different. Among some of the theories are family, revenge, a cult curse, and invoking fear.
Family is the obvious motive following the films where Michael Myers is after his sisters and niece. He seems to do directly for them, only killing others when they are in his way. Don’t get too ahead with this idea, though. There is also a curse get thrown into the mix in some other films, complicating a look into one of the most deadly slasher’s motives. A more stable theory is that Michael Myers just wants to insert fear into the lives of anyone who will pay attention to his deadly track record, returning to Haddonfield to make sure that the residents never forget him.
Why does Michael Myers Wear a Mask?
The well-known mask that Michael Myers wears was picked due to its expressionless face and was meant to be a William Shatner Star Trek mask. Once the eyes were cut larger and the mask was painted to make it even more ominous, it turned into the face of one of our favorite slashers. Not much is said as to why he wears a mask but we know it isn’t to cover any deformities. It has been rumored that he cried during his killing sprees and want to keep this hidden, but there is nothing to back that up.
Why is Michael Myers Called The Shape?
The name the shape actually comes from the first script for Halloween and refers to Michael Myers when he is wearing the infamous mask. It definitely fits the slasher as he hides in the dark, with a featureless mask, stalking his prey. In my opinion, this also fits his ability to move with seemingly no effort while able to catch up to anyone, no matter how quick they are moving.
Can Michael Myers Talk?
Michael Myers could talk, if he wanted to. It has been decided that Michael Myer’s doesn’t talk because he just doesn’t want to, not because there is a problem causing him to be mute. This really plays into how Michael Myers is deemed as “evil” and lacking a conscience. He has nothing to say about what he does or why he does it. This just leans more towards the “evil” label, since there is no remorse.
Why Can’t Michael Myers Die?
Remember when we discussed the different timelines and how Michael Myers’ motives were dependent on the timeline you were looking at? It’s kind of the same situation here. The best explanation for Michael Myers’ immortality comes from the 4th-6th movies where the Thorn cult is involved. The cult places a curse on Michael Myers that grants him immortality.
A recent discovery into why Michael Myers doesn’t die comes from the 2021 movie, Halloween Kills. Laurie states that the more Michael kills the more he transcends into something else impossible to defeat. Laurie says, “I always thought Michael Myers was flesh and blood, just like you and me, but a mortal man could not have survived what he's lived through. Fear. People are afraid. That is the true curse of Michael. It is the essence of evil. The anchor that divides us. It is the terror that grows stronger when we try to hide. If they don't stop him tonight, maybe we'll find him tomorrow. Or next Halloween, when the sun sets and someone is alone. You can't close your eyes and pretend he isn't there. Because he is.”