7. Prove "the Killer" Isn't Dead, Despite the Fact "the Killer" Should be Deader Than Dead
Perpetrator: Pretty much any horror movie. Let's go to one of the most iconic horror films of all time for our prime example, this one coming from the Halloween synopsis from
IMdB:
"Michael falls backwards into another room as Laurie falls against the wall behind her, covering her ears. Dr. Loomis chases the murderer into the other room and sees him standing in front of the balcony doors. Dr. Loomis shoots him five more times, causing him to fall out the doors and off the balcony. Michael slams onto the ground below, appearing to be dead. The doctor looks back at Laurie, who asks, "Was it the boogeyman?" Dr. Loomis solemnly replies, "As a matter of fact, it was." Looking back down below, he sees in horror that Michael has vanished, but Dr. Loomis knew all along that this would happen. Laurie realizes that Michael still is not dead and begins sobbing. The film ends with a shot of the Myers' house and the sound of Michael breathing heavily behind his mask. Michael Myers, the legendary man who came home on Halloween night to kill, is still alive somewhere out there.."
Now, Halloween can be pretty forgivable, because the characters actually react to the fact that Myers is still out there. That, in and of itself, could be considered part of the thematics and theatrics of the film. However, what do we say about a movie like Freddy vs. Jason, where at the end of the movie, only the audience and the singular character of Freddy are aware that he's not yet lost the battle before the credits roll? As an audience, we're expecting a movie to end. And when a character doesn't get closure, it leaves us lingering, often times to exasperating effect. As much as I love many of my horror characters, I really only love them in their first outings. Meaning if they got the boot before their sequels and managed to go without winking at the audience with their return, we all might be a bit happier.