Most slasher movies provide the killer with some "motivation" for the killings, even if it's totally irrational eg. female rejection.
However this murderer just murdered with no apparent motive. Or did I miss something?
Like most others, yes, I've seen better.
Movie slashers don't always need a motive, original Halloween there wasn't one, nor in black christmas
shareMovie slashers don't always need a motive, original Halloween there wasn't one, nor in black christmas
In 1978's Halloween --- his motivation was being locked up for 10+ years --- He was in an insane Asylum... he had lost his mind, this was his justification.
In 1974's Black Christmas--- the Killer was a tortured soul and you can hear that in some of his Legendary phone calls.
These are tiny motives---but they are motives.
Actually in 'Halloween' there was no motive. Before he was locked up, he murdered his sister and that's the reason he was locked up. Why did he killed her? We never find out.
Those aren't really motives.
The Shape had no motive. Sure, he was locked up. But that's not why he kills. It's the other way around. He was locked up BECAUSE he was a killer. He had no reason to target the people he did. He just saw Laurie when she came to the house, and took an interest. Because he was a psychopath (and much more, as we discover in the film's final moments). It wasn't until the sequels that they attempted to explain his motive and give him some kind of link to the people he stalks. I prefer the original approach.
And the "motive" you point out for Black Christmas is a bridge too far. It's the same lack of motive that you get in The Sleeper. The phone calls only hint at a possible motivation for the killings, giving cryptic clues to a mystery that is never uncovered. There is no real motive. The remake tried to unravel that mystery and spell out the motive and it failed pretty miserably.