10 Horror Movies You Probably Hated The First Time Round (But Loved The Second)

10. Halloween Ends

This is probably the best example of hate turning into love in recent memory, as countless franchise fans have encouragingly shifted their opinions since this finale to David Gordon Green’s reboot trilogy premiered last October.

To be fair – and like predecessors Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021) – it’s easy to find a lot of flaws throughout Halloween Ends.

Primarily, viewers were upset about three main elements: the prioritization of a brand-new character (Corey Cunningham); the lack of consistent and compelling final showdowns between villain Michael Myers and savior Laurie Strode; and the corresponding lessening of Myers’ screentime and scariness.

That said, many former naysayers have come to deeply enjoy and respect how different it is.

By emphasizing intentionally intimate psychological drama (directly influenced by Stephen King’s Christine) over routine slasher tropes, Halloween Ends felt much fresher and bolder. Plus, each of the four main characters – Laurie, Michael, Corey, and Laurie’s niece, Allyson Nelson – were developed in daringly interesting, if not entirely satisfying, ways.

Even the opening credits seemed to predict audiences’ inevitable change of heart, as it overtly mirrored the style of the comparatively atypical Halloween III: Season of the Witch (which has been similarly reassessed since its 1982 debut).