A Halloween Theory Explains Why Michael Myers Never Runs - CBR

The slasher genre has had its fair share of iconic killers in cinema. But what has made them all equally scary has been how they'll stop at nothing to kill their victims. From Freddy Krueger to Ghostface, these antagonists will run as fast as necessary to ensure their target won't get away. But of all of these iconic names, there's only been one who has never once exerted himself for his kill -- Michael Myers. That said, the reason for that may only contribute to making Michael even more terrifying.

In the Halloween franchise, Michael has always been described as a shape that stalks his prey. He's never shown going out of his way to get anyone he kills, and even as they run across the street, he will leisurely stroll toward them without concern about if they'll get away or not. It's an opportunistic killing style, yet it's worked well for Michael over the years. However, the reason that he's never run much, even though he's so fit, may lie in one of two reasons.

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For starters, one cause as to why Michael never runs may be due to his mind still being present on the night that he killed his sister. If so, that would mean Michael never mentally matured, and he won't chase his victims because the child version of Michael still believes he wouldn't catch them if he ran. While certain timelines have explained that he had supernatural abilities that likely helped him catch his prey, the 40th-anniversary timeline could easily adapt this theory. This would also explain why he has such incredible strength because if he acted with a child's mind, he wouldn't know his own strength and why he's so creative when he does kill.

Another cause for Michael's lack of urgency, and perhaps the most terrifying, would be that he prefers the chance over the kill. Michael has never been shown to be annoyed should a victim -- or final girl -- get away. In fact, if one did, he would simply move on to the next. But the reason behind this may be because he prefers the sport of it all. For example, when Michael encountered Lonnie Elam, he didn't kill him, but why? The reason is that there was no sport in it, and he couldn't feel the satisfaction of killing someone he wasn't even focused on.

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Instead, Michael may let his victims run because he prefers getting the drop on them and letting the fear and tension mount. This feels even more plausible because that's what he did when he killed his sister. Therefore, he may simply want to reenact that same kill over and over, hoping to capture the feeling of power in trapping his victim. Since he cares more about the buildup, missing a kill isn't a big deal as he could easily chase that feeling with another victim.

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Michael Myers has helped make the Halloween franchise one of the scariest in the genre. While his strangest tendencies have yet to be officially explained, like why he doesn't run, theories can help make sense of the boogeyman. The best part is that it doesn't matter if the theories are correct because they all contribute to the stigma and image of Michael Myers and serve to make him scary even when there isn't a movie coming to do just that.

To see Michael Myers continue his reign of terror, Halloween Ends hits theaters Oct. 14.