Halloween (1978) and a Theology of Sin

John Carpenter’s Halloween is one of the most influential horror films ever made. On the surface, it is the story of a masked killer stalking teenagers in a small town. Yet beneath the thrills and suspense lies a portrait of evil that is chilling because it rings partly true. The film insists that evil is not just circumstantial or psychological. Dr. Loomis calls Michael Myers “purely and simply…evil.” Carpenter does not explain why, and he offers no resolution. That is where the Christian worldview provides both clarity and hope.

The Bible teaches that evil is not mysterious in origin. It entered the world through the Fall of man (Genesis 2:17; 3:1–24). The image of God in humanity has been twisted and corrupted. Michael Myers is terrifying precisely because he appears human but acts inhuman. His blank mask and silent stare show us a boy without a soul. This matches Scripture’s picture: “You were dead in the trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Sin leaves us spiritually dead and estranged from God (Genesis 3:8–10).

The Fall also meant the loss of humanity’s rightful rule over creation. Jesus called Satan “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31), and John said, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Haddonfield, the ordinary suburban setting of Halloween, becomes a symbol of this. A place meant for safety is overtaken by terror. The streets and homes are no longer secure. The order of creation collapses under the weight of evil.

Relationships, too, are fractured by sin. The film highlights careless teenagers, absorbed in lust, selfishness, and distraction. They ignore warnings, neglect one another, and leave the responsible Laurie isolated. Genesis 3 shows how sin immediately corrupted human relationships: shame, blame, and conflict (Genesis 3:7, 12, 16). What should have been mutual care becomes selfishness, and the result is vulnerability.

The heart of the film, however, is the reality that humanity is not inherently good. Myers is not portrayed as a victim of circumstance. He is presented as evil itself. Romans 3:10 says, “None is righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:23 declares, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Carpenter isolates evil in one figure, but Scripture insists it is universal. The horror is not only that Michael Myers exists. The horror is that sin dwells in every heart.

Finally, the ending reveals the enslavement of sin. Laurie fights bravely but cannot defeat the monster. Dr. Loomis intervenes and shoots Myers repeatedly, yet he vanishes. Evil remains. Ephesians 2:1–3 calls humanity “children of wrath.” Romans 6:17–18 says we are “slaves of sin.” Human effort, whether by the innocent Laurie or the authoritative Loomis, cannot break its power. Evil lingers because the problem is deeper than fear or vigilance. It is spiritual bondage.

This is where Christianity offers the hope that Halloween cannot. Evil is real, but it is not final. Jesus Christ entered the world to deal with sin at its root. On the cross He bore our guilt. In His resurrection He broke sin’s power. Where Laurie is left traumatized and evil walks free, the gospel proclaims a Savior who has crushed the serpent’s head and who will one day remove evil forever. The film ends with the sound of Myers’ breathing, a reminder that the monster still prowls. Scripture ends with Christ on the throne, declaring, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Halloween gives us the picture of sin without the solution. It rightly terrifies because it shows us a world stalked by evil we cannot control. The Christian faith explains why that is true, and more importantly, why it will not always be so.