Over almost 45 years, there have been a total of 13Halloweenfilms. The franchise has been growing with new entries since 1978, and potentially concludes for good withHalloweenEnds. To celebrate the franchise and its long and convoluted history of retcons, remakes, and sequels, it’s best to look at the 13 films that have come out, including its ultimate conclusion.
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Ever since the originalHalloween, there have been 12 more films in the franchise. Some are appreciated, some are laughed at, and others are just average on the scope of the franchise.Halloweenmovies are loved for their slasher tropes and the iconic horror character of Michael Myers.
13Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
A lot of fans of theHalloweenfranchise have a mutual disinterest inHalloween:Resurrectionfor many reasons. The main glaring issue is the opening scene, which undoes all of the work that H20 does. The film follows a group of teenagers that spend a night in Michael Myers’ sacred childhood home for the internet.
What they believe to be some fun and publicity ends in frights and deaths. It’s a premise that seems to work forHalloween, but due to a disregard for continuity, corny acting, and ridiculous scenes, it’s at the bottom of the list. Many could have gone without seeingMichael Myers have a kung-fu fightwith Busta Rhymes.
12Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers (1989)
Michael Myers’ year-long coma ends, and murder awakens. He returns to Haddonfield, wanting to murder his niece, Jamie. It opens up further mystery about the franchise, as Dr. Loomis believes a psychic link exists between Michael and Jamie. Loomis teams with Sheriff Meeker to once again attempt to stop Michael Myers’ rampage.
It’s yet another follow-up and sequel to theHalloweenfranchise that seems completely needless and tasteless. It changes the somewhat intense slasher franchise into unintentional hilarity and brainless slasher brutality.
11Halloween 6: The Curse Of Michael Myers (1995)
One of the few things thatHalloween 6does right is the fact that it introduced Paul Rudd to Hollywood. The actor has seen much fame and acclaim past his role inHalloween6, a film that seems to not know what exactly it wants to do with its characters and setting.
Once again, Dr. Loomis attempts to stop Michael Myers. It’s a played-out trope at this point and seems rather comical, with an old doctor sprinting around with a gun to stop a guy in a Captain Kirk mask with a kitchen knife. It’s a tiresome film that remains rather unattractive.
10Halloween 2 (2009)
The sequel to theHalloweenreboot brings together Michael Myers and Laurie Strode once more. The film reintroduces the concept that they are related as siblings and even pays homage to the original film’s first sequel by having part of the film take place in a hospital. However, despite the blood and family reunion, the film lacks the thrills of the first sequel.
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The reboot forHalloweenwas always divisive, butHalloween 2furthered that divide. The film strangely doesn’t feel like aHalloweenmovie and feels more like a grunge murder fest. The thing people can remember most is Michael Myers stabbing Octavia Spencer a hundred times.
9Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers (1988)
After skipping out on the third film,Halloween4reintroduces Michael Myers to the fray and sees him once again attempting to take out his remaining family members. All the while, Dr. Loomis remains hot on his trail of blood.
Despite the excitement of seeing Michael Myers return to the franchise, the image that was found at the beginning of the franchise was gone, and the joyous tension is absent from the film. It’s not atrocious, but it certainly lacks a high level of interest.
8Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch (1982)
TheHalloweenfranchise takes its most extreme deviation from the Captain Kirk mask-wearing killer. Michael Myers is left on the back burner as the film leans more into supernatural elements. The film follows a mask maker that seeks mass murder through an ancient Celtic ritual, something designed to kill millions of children.
The concept is rather bizarre, especially for aHalloweenmovie. It seems to betray the core of the franchise, but itisn’t a bad horror. It’s a good horror that is plagued by having an undeserved association with theHalloweenfranchise.
7Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998)
It has been twenty years since the originalHalloween, and although it may not be something to celebrate, it surely spurs Michael Myers to hunt the one that got away. October 31st is vastly approaching, and Michael Myers travels to California to get Laurie.
It’s a refreshing sequel, as it focuses on its characters more than the frights and murders. The sequel still cannot live up to the original and remains another attempt to bring a living spark to the franchise.
6Halloween (2007)
After aconvoluted timeline, theHalloweenfranchise was due for the reboot treatment. 2007 sawHalloweenin a new light, where the film makes the mistake of trying to answer who was Michael Myers and why does he the things that he does.
The film is one of the more watchableHalloweenentries, but the bold Rob Zombie picture makes the mistake of trying to make a far too long and sympathetic origin story for Michael Myers. What made the character work so well was that he was just plain evil, not that he was abused.
5Halloween Kills (2021)
After the end of 2018’sHalloween, it seemed as if Laurie Strode had gotten rid of the curse of Michael Myers for good, leaving him to burn in the basement of her trap-filled house. Sadly, a supernatural fate is on the side of Michael Myers, and firetrucks rushed to the burning house.Halloween Killsopens directly whereHalloween(2018) left off.
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The film gives Laurie a break, who rests in a hospital with protection from the police. Meanwhile, Michael Myers enjoys theHalloweenof his dreams and goes house to house murdering people. It’s a sequel that embraces the fun supernatural elements.
4Halloween 2 (1981)
At the end of the originalHalloween, Michael Myers is missing after surviving an attack from both Laurie Strode’s and Dr. Loomis’ guns.Halloween2has Michael Myers venturing to the hospital where Laurie is being held, where he resumes his attempt on her life directly after the first film.
The film lacks John Carpenter’s characters and his talent for suspense, and it mainly gives audiences what they would expect. The film has Michael Myers slashing and stabbing his way through a hospital without much substance.
