Since 1978, the Halloween series has frightened audiences and set the stage for the horror genre. Based around masked murderer Michael Myers, a silent, unstoppable evil who began killing at six and picked up where he left off twenty years later, the series has become a staple of horror each October. Horror enthusiasts visit these horror masterpieces annually to experience the bloodcurdling landscape of Haddonfield, Illinois.
Regardless of being an old-school horror fan or one who is just starting out within the series, below is a rundown of the franchise followed by an in-depth examination of 10 must-watch Halloween movies that solidified the Halloween legacy.
10 Best Halloween Movies
Let’s discuss 10 of the most popular and iconic Halloween movies to understand why this franchise has lasted as long as it has.
1. Halloween (1978)
The original movie. John Carpenter’s original Halloween is an exercise in restraint and tension. Michael Myers (one of horror’s greatest, most fascinating, and frightening characters) escapes from an asylum where he was committed after murdering his sister 15 years earlier and gets about stalking teenager babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis’s debut).
Produced on a shoestring budget, the film was a huge success and spawned the slasher films, which subsequently inspired such films as Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
2. Halloween II (1981)
Directed by Rick Rosenthal, the sequel is already a continuation of where the initial film picks up. Laurie is hospitalized, and Michael just continues with the gore and blood. The film is praised for introducing the then-controversial twist of the infamous ‘My little brother’ deceit where it makes Laurie Michael’s sister, which would also pave the way for future sequels.
It cranks up the gore quotient and goes slasher style without cutting out the horror music and setting of the original. The movie has an interesting plot and makes it a worth watch.
3. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
A departure from the series, Halloween III features not a single Michael Myers. It’s about a firm producing Halloween masks that kill children with dark magic and science. Though a box office failure in its initial release because Myers did not appear in it, the movie is today a cult classic and is enjoyed for its unique idea of sci-fi horror. The movie is a bit old but that doesn’t make it less worth watching so make sure to give it a try.
4. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Fan disgust at part III brings back Michael Myers for Halloween 4. In this, his new target is Laurie Strode’s daughter Jamie Lloyd. This film revived interest in the series and contains some of the most iconic scenes, including Michael standing over a Halloween trappings backdrop. It also started off with Dr. Loomis’s weathered comeback, starring Donald Pleasance.
5. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Jamie Lloyd is traumatized and shut up by part 4’s events, but Jamie is now psychic with her uncle Michael. The movie continues into the supernatural and starts planting a cult subplot. The critics divided, but the fans enjoyed the continuation of Jamie’s plot and the creep value of the movie.
6. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Here we get more of the “Curse of Thorn“—a druidic curse that forces Michael to kill his family. The film has teenage Paul Rudd playing Tommy Doyle, the lad Laurie babysat in the original. Production was chaotic, and of the two separate films that were produced, the one released in theaters and the Producer’s Cut, which has a neater (though still stupid) plot.
7. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Skipped 4–6, H20 is a direct continuation of Halloween II. Laurie Strode faked her death and leads a normal life as a headmistress of a high school. But Michael returns to finish what he was doing before he was cut off.
This redux-aware, which premiered on the 20th anniversary of the original, boasted Jamie Lee Curtis’s return and did decent business at the box office. It ended with Laurie beheading Michael’s head—or so she believed.
8. Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
With the startling news of Laurie having murdered the wrong individual in H20, Resurrection begins with Michael murdering her. The gore resumes once more in a reality show hosted by the Myers household, where contestants are stalked and murdered.
Starring Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks, the movie attempted to reboot the franchise into the internet age. Although it didn’t work with critics, it’s most remembered for its camp value and meme material.
9. Halloween (2007)
Director Rob Zombie resurrected the franchise with a darker, more psychological take on Michael Myers. The movie is all about Michael’s traumatic childhood and how he became a killer. The film is gorier, darker, and more disturbing than ever before. Just as it will not be popular, everybody loved the gritty emotional depth Zombie applied to the character.
10. Halloween (2018)
David Gordon Green’s one does not recognize any of the other movies apart from the original 1978 movie. Laurie Strode is not only a diminished survivor but a hard one, anticipating Michael’s return.
This film retcons Laurie as a tough, trauma-scared heroine. It was an enormous success and had two sequels: Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022). The 2018 rebooted the franchise for the next generation using a combination of nostalgia and new storytelling.
Final Thoughts
So, to the question: How many Halloween movies? There are currently 13, spread over differing timelines and reboots. Each offers a different take on the frightening story of Michael Myers, either as a matter of psychological depth, supernatural suspense, or good ol’ fashioned slasher gore. While everyone has an opinion about which film is superior, the Halloween franchise is a horror classic. From the haunting theme music to the white ghost mask, Michael Myers haunts the horror fans’ nightmares all over the globe—and shows no indications of letting up anytime in the near future.
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