The following contains spoilers for Halloween Ends, currently in theaters and streaming on the premium tiers of Peacock.
Halloween Ends was a huge departure from the status quo of the franchise. Not only did the movie hardly showcase Michael Myers, but it was also a character study of his impact on a whole town long before his final return. That said, that didn't mean the film was without a consistent killer, as the final installment served as a pseudo-origin for another killer named Corey Cunningham.
Corey was a teenager who had a hard life after he accidentally killed a young boy he was babysitting one Halloween night. While he didn't intend to take a life, the stigma of his actions, similar to Michael's stigma, had tainted his entire being. He couldn't go anywhere without being judged by those around him, which eventually began to affect him when he encountered Michael, awakening the killer within. But even though he wore the mask and brutally took a collection of lives, Corey wasn't the movie's next Michael. In fact, he was more so the film's own Norman Bates.
Corey Mirrors Norman Bates in Halloween Ends
In the world of Psycho, Norman Bates was a conflicted individual. Inherently, he wasn't a bad person or a stone-cold killer. There may have been some latent instability, but if nothing bad happened to him, he likely could've had a normal life. That said, his uncomfortably close relationship with his mother and her subsequent death forced him to develop her as a darker personality, where he would dress as her and kill for her. In Halloween Ends, rather than mirror his mother, Corey mirrors Michael and takes over before Michael can start one more massacre.
While Corey's mother wasn't as powerful a motivator as Norman's, she still played a major role in his dark transitions. For starters, Corey's mother carried a strange and demanding desire to control every aspect of his life. She was also overbearing and dressed similarly to Norma Bates in Bates Motel. This led her to be overly protective yet punishing even if he looked at his phone at the dinner table. She even kissed Corey on the lips after slapping him in anger. This strange Oedipal relationship ate away at Corey, similar to how it ate away at Norman. Corey also shared a duality like Norman's, where he would act kind and timid toward Allyson but far darker and more manipulative toward Laurie, as he couldn't hide his true self from her, solidifying his Bates-esque duality.
Psycho Inspired John Carpenter's Halloween - and Likely David Gordon Green's
Psycho and the Halloween franchises have always been close bedfellows in terms of inspiration. For starters, Jamie Lee Curtis' mother, Janet Leigh, played the iconic victim Marion Crane, who was stabbed to death in the iconic shower scene. However, the thematic feelings of Halloween were initially felt in Psycho as well. For starters, Psycho was a film meant to disarm the audience as it established an unsuspecting location, such as a motel, as well as an unlikely killer that seemed innocent at first. The entire movie was meant to subvert expectations and reinforce the idea of danger coming from every corner. Carpenter did the same in Halloween when he introduced a killer in a location where people would've likely left their doors unlocked. As a result, Michael's stalking and the realization that even teenagers weren't safe once again proved how danger could be everywhere.
While not confirmed, David Gordon Green's Halloween Ends could've taken inspiration from Psycho. However, rather than focus on its themes, the parallels came from Corey Cunningham. His character was meant to show the fallout of fear and how negativity can only breed more negativity. Corey was never the next Michael, but he was inspired by him. That said, Corey's relationship with his mother, inherent kindness, and conflict with his darkness all helped show that there's only one Michael, but the next Norman Bates could come from anywhere.
To see how the film mirrors Psycho, Halloween Ends is in theaters now and streaming on Peacock.