The following contains spoilers for Halloween Ends, currently in theaters and available to stream on premium tiers of Peacock.
Halloween Ends brings the story of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers to a bloody conclusion, but these two legendary rivals aren't the only ones involved in the bloodbath. The town of Haddonfield is cursed with the actions of another killer, and whereas Michael's slayings are out of pure hatred and evil, his younger counterpart's are out of revenge.
Corey Cunningham is a young man in Haddonfield who's ostracized by the small town, with his mistreatment by society, in general, turning him inward to his own darkness. The result is a killing spree that brings about an end to the original Shape, but not before he and his brief successor raise Hell in Haddonfield. Here's a look at who Corey is in Halloween Ends and why he takes this dark, bloody path.
Why Wasn't Corey Cunningham in the Preceding Halloween Movies?
Many have noted that Corey's story begins a bit late in the "H40 Trilogy," especially since the second movie took place directly after the first. Corey is introduced in the first scene of Halloween Ends, which takes place in 2019, one year after the events of Halloween and Halloween Kills. He's babysitting a young boy for a couple as they attend a Halloween party, with Corey's life theretofore seemingly being fairly good outside of living in a town besieged by Michael Myers from time to time.
Unfortunately, his luck takes a turn for the worst when he accidentally kills the young boy that he was babysitting. Likely due to taking place on Halloween night and the similarities to Michael Myers' first murders when he killed his family, Corey is made into a pariah in Haddonfield. Formerly set to attend college, Corey's life is thrown into an abyss of darkness that he's never able to escape from.
Corey Cunningham in Halloween Ends Had a Rough Home Life
By the events of Halloween Ends, Corey Cunningham's biological father is nowhere to be found. It's not said if he's dead or if he simply divorced Corey's mother, but the only dad he has around in the present day is his stepfather, Ronald. Ronald has to give Corey a motorcycle in order for the lad to get to work on time, despite them both working at the scrapyard that Ronald owns. This suggests that the two aren't that close, even if they live under the same roof.
Their relationship is still far better than the one between Corey and his overbearing mother, Joan, who tries to keep a tight leash on him. It's unknown if she was always this way with her son or simply started acting like this following the situation with the child's death, but it's no wonder that Corey's mental health was in the toilet living with such a mother. This leaves him in a hole of depression and prejudice, which Laurie Strode's granddaughter Allyson tries to pull him out of. Unfortunately, she's ultimately unable to, with weakened killer Michael Myers instead being the dark mentor that Corey Cunningham confides in.
To see Corey Cunningham's story unfold, Halloween Ends is in theaters and streaming on Peacock.