Credit: Universal Pictures / Miramax / Blumhouse Productions
The Halloween franchise has survived more sequels, reboots, retcons, and timeline resets than any other saga in slasher history. From John Carpenter’s genre-defining 1978 classic to David Gordon Green’s divisive new trilogy, Michael Myers has stalked his way through 12 films (there are actually 13 in total, but one doesn’t even feature the Haddonfield bogeyman). But as is the case with almost any long-running film series, some installments are pretty bad. Others, however, are downright ugly.
All 13 Halloween Movies Revisited
Halloween (2018)
Credit: Miramax / Blumhouse Productions / Universal Pictures
David Gordon Green’s Halloween (2018) wiped the slate clean, ignoring every sequel after 1978. The result is a brutal, grounded return to form that sees Jamie Lee Curtis reprise Laurie Strode as a hardened survivor ready to face her monster. With John Carpenter back for the score and Nick Castle sharing mask duties with James Jude Courtney, it brought The Shape back in style — and reminded everyone why the bogeyman still rules October.
Rating? One of the best Halloween movies
Halloween Ends
Credit: Universal Pictures / Blumhouse Productions / Miramax
The finale to the modern trilogy took wild swings — and that’s why it works. While Corey Cunningham’s Michael Myers copycat storyline divided fans, the film’s quiet, melancholy tone gave Laurie (Curtis) and Michael (Courtney) the closure they deserved. There’s more introspective than murder-by-numbers kills, but it dares to say goodbye on its own terms.
Rating? One of the best Halloween movies
Halloween Kills
Credit: Universal Pictures / Miramax / Blumhouse Productions
“Evil dies tonight!” — maybe not, but this blood-soaked middle chapter doubled down on chaos. With Judy Greer (Karen Nelson), Anthony Michael Hall (Tommy Doyle), and a mob of Haddonfield locals joining the fray, Kills delivers some of the franchise’s nastiest kills and most explosive pacing. It’s messy, sure, but in a fun, old-school slasher way.
Rating? One of the best Halloween movies
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Credit: Trancas International/20th Century Studios
After the Season of the Witch detour, Michael Myers’ comeback didn’t disappoint. Danielle Harris’ debut as Jamie Lloyd and Donald Pleasence’s unhinged turn as Dr. Samuel Loomis anchor this fan-favorite sequel. It’s pure late-’80s horror comfort food — all fog machines, pitchforks, and screaming sheriffs. The only downside is Michael’s terrible mask.
Rating? One of the best Halloween movies
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Credit: Dimension Films / Nightfall Productions / Trancas International / Miramax Films
Jamie Lee Curtis versus Michael Myers, round two. Directed by Steve Miner (Friday the 13th Part 2), H20 brought the series into the Scream era with sleek style and a fierce Curtis performance. Josh Hartnett’s hair and LL Cool J’s security guard antics are just bonuses.
Rating? One of the best Halloween movies
Halloween: Resurrection
Credit: Dimension Films / Nightfall Productions / Trancas International Films / Miramax Films
Halloween: Resurrection is widely hated, but where else can you see Busta Rhymes roundhouse-kick Michael Myers while shouting “Trick or treat, m*********r”? Directed by Rick Rosenthal (1981’s Halloween II), it’s dumb, dated, and weirdly entertaining — reality TV meets slasher carnage.
Rating? Strangely entertaining
Halloween (1978)
Credit: Universal Pictures / Blumhouse Productions / Miramax
Slightly overrated? Sure. But John Carpenter’s original 1978 masterpiece practically invented modern horror. Donald Pleasence (Loomis), Jamie Lee Curtis (Strode), and Nick Castle’s silent killer created an atmosphere so chilling it’s still unmatched. Its placement here isn’t disrespect — it’s just that sometimes, nostalgia takes a backseat to adrenaline.
Rating? Not bad
Related: All the ‘Halloween’ Timelines Ranked From Worst to Best
Halloween II (1981)
Credit: Universal Pictures
Carpenter co-wrote and scored this bloodier, hospital-set sequel directed by Rosenthal. Picking up right where the original ended, it adds gore and backstory — including the now-disowned “Laurie is Michael’s sister” twist. Not bad, but it loses some of the simplicity that made Halloween work. Dick Warlock’s Myers is also frustratingly slow, like a zombie.
Rating? Not bad
Rob Zombie’s Halloween II (2009)
Credit: Dimension Films / Trancas International Films
Rob Zombie goes full grindhouse here — love it or hate it. Tyler Mane’s Michael Myers is an unstoppable force, while Scout Taylor-Compton’s Laurie Strode unravels in the trauma aftermath. Brutal, ugly, and oddly tragic, it’s a rare horror sequel with something to say.
Rating? Not bad
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
Credit: Universal Pictures / Miramax / Blumhouse Productions
The sixth Halloween film tried to explain everything — with druids, cults, and Paul Rudd (Tommy Doyle). But it didn’t go well. Donald Pleasence’s final turn as Loomis gives it some weight, but even the Producer’s Cut can’t save this movie from pure chaos.
Rating? Ugly
Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007)
Credit: Dimension Films / Trancas International Films
Zombie’s 2007 Halloween remake delves into an abusive childhood backstory that’s about as off-putting as it sounds. Then it simply rehashes Carpenter’s original. Malcolm McDowell makes a terrible Dr. Loomis, and subtlety isn’t in the vocabulary here. A truly tough watch.
Rating? Ugly
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Credit: Universal Pictures / Dino De Laurentiis Corporation / Debra Hill Productions
No Michael Myers, no problem — except audiences disagreed. Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, this mask-manufacturing nightmare has gained cult status for its weirdness, but at the time, it nearly killed the franchise.
Rating? Ugly
13. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Credit: Universal Pictures / Miramax / Blumhouse Productions
A rushed follow-up to Halloween 4, this one squanders Danielle Harris’ great setup and saddles Loomis with absurd dialogue. From psychic links to clownish cops, it’s the moment the franchise flatlined before the ‘90s reboot. Worst of all, it’s absolutely boring.
Rating? Ugly
Would you place Resurrection over Carpenter’s classic too or is that pure heresy? Tell us which Halloween movie still haunts your October in the comments below!
