8 Years Ago, A Slasher Villain Returned After A Decade Away & His Intro Is One of The Series’ Best

Bringing back a horror movie villain has proven to be a tall task throughout history. That’s especially true with the iconic slasher villains who rose to prominence during the heyday of the subgenre in the ’80s. Attempts to reboot or revive major franchises in the modern day have mostly been a swing and a miss. 2010’s A Nightmare on Elm Street was blasted by critics, 2009’s Friday the 13th didn’t gain much traction, and the many attempts at The Texas Chainsaw Massacre have been a mixed bag. However, Michael Myers managed to buck that trend with 2018’s Halloween, which worked as a sequel to the original.

Ignoring every sequel in franchise history, this film picked up 40 years later, while also feeling like it went back to the roots of the original. The focus was on Michael’s killing spree and what that fateful night did to impact Laurie Strode’s life all these decades later. The film was a hit with both critics and audiences, with the positive reception starting right from the opening credits. The first scene of 2018’s Halloween is spectacularly done and sets the tone for a special slasher movie that revitalized the franchise and might be Michael Myers’ finest hour.

2018’s Halloween Was A Perfect Return For Michael Myers

Before diving deeper into the intro of the film, it’s important to gather just why Halloween worked so well. The movie sees Michael escape from Smith’s Grove Psychiatric Hospital, leading to another line of dead bodies on Halloween night. He comes across Laurie Strode, who has spent the past few decades in this part of the complex Halloween timeline honing her skills and preparing for his escape. It sets up an exciting showdown between the two most iconic characters in franchise history. On its own, that simple setup works, but Halloween takes it a bit further.

This movie is boosted by how it pays homage to the original, the strong performances of the cast (Jamie Lee Curtis is at her best here), and the impressive work by director David Gordon Green. There’s one specific scene that’s filmed as a one-shot following Michael and it’s easily some of the best stuff ever done in the series. The end result was a 79% Rotten Tomatoes score, which is only second to the 1978 original and at least 20 points higher than any other sequel.

The Opening Scene Of Halloween Is Expertly Done

The opening scene of 2018’s Halloween is pretty incredible. It centers on two true crime podcasters, named Dana and Aaron, who visit Smith’s Grove Psychiatric Hospital to have a word with Michael. According to the doctor, Michael hasn’t spoken since that killing spree in 1978 and is set to be transferred to a different facility. The doctor makes sure to note that the only diagnosis that Dr. Loomis, who studied Michael for years, had was that Michael was pure evil. That sets up a lot for the next few films, where they question if Michael is beyond human and is just evil incarnate.

Aaron approaches Michael to ask if he thinks about the murders and if he feels guilt. When he gets no answer, he pulls out Michael’s mask from that night in 1978 and holds it up to him. As soon as the mask comes out, the other inmates and the dog around them begin to freak out. The dog barks, while the inmates are trying to break free and making weird noises. Michael doesn’t react and Aaron shouts at him as the title card drops and the Halloween theme hits. It’s a perfect way to start things due to the intense nature of the scene and its implications.

It feels like those around the mask could sense the evil that comes with it. That plays into the idea that maybe Michael is indeed something beyond a typical human. There’s an evil inside of him that was seemingly triggered by seeing the mask again and everyone near it got a sense of that. In the sequel, Halloween Kills, it even seems like Michael is supernatural, as he should theoretically die during an attack, only to power up and take everyone out. Concepts like that all stem from this remarkable opening sequence.

The Sequels To Halloween Didn’t Stick The Landing

Halloween felt like the shot in the arm that the franchise desperately needed. Its success allowed it to do something that few other slasher revivals have pulled off. Michael surviving at the end left the door open for the story to continue, which it did with Halloween Kills. While this sequel continued the thread from the previous iteration, it was also met with a much more tepid reception from critics and fans, ultimately feeling like a letdown. However, the final scene where Michael kills Laurie’s daughter and sets up one final showdown with Laurie was perfect.

There was still a chance for Halloween Ends to stick the landing. Alas, reviews were just as bad, if not worse, for this next entry. Fans weren’t happy with the introduction of a new character coming across Michael and becoming a serial killer of his own. There was too much focus on him and not enough on Michael, so even when Michael did finally go up against Laurie, it didn’t hit the way it should’ve. The masterful revival from 2018 with the incredible opening scene feels like the peak of modern Halloween films.

What are your thoughts on the opening scene of this 2018 movie? Let us know in the comments.