Halloween Movies Ranked
The Halloween Franchise (1978 - Present Day) is know as one of the scariest franchises in horror movie history. Michael Myers in an icon in the genre, but that doesn't mean that all of his movies have been great. Today we look at every release in the Halloween Franchise and rank them from worst to best. THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!
11. Halloween Resurrection (2002)
Halloween Resurrection is a mess of a film. The movies plot is centered around a "Big Brother" styled television show that follows a bunch of people in a creepy house. Michael Myers shows up and does his normal thing. Nothing really to remember from this film except for Busta Rhymes. Yes, I am serious. He has a major part in the film. I also hated what they did to Jamie Lee Curtis in the film. It killed all momentum right at the beginning and left me not wanting to care for the rest of the run time.
My Rating- 3/10
10. Halloween 2 (2009)
Halloween 2 was the second film directed by Rob Zombie. It continues the story of the first film in 2007 and man is this movie weird. It is filmed with a bunch of ghosts on horses and a Michael Myers who literally kills and eats a dog. I have a feeling that this movie didn't know what it wanted to do with the character so it added a bunch of random nonsense to make up for the fact. Also, Laurie Strode and Dr. Loomis are terrible renditions of their 1978 counterparts leading to me not caring at all what happens to them. I did like the cinematography with how gritty the film looked, but it was ruined with fast shots and shaky camera work. Definitely a disappointment.
My Rating- 3.5/10
9. Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers
Halloween 6 was a movie that felt like it really didn't know how to keep Michael Myers going. There was a spell plot and a cult that is working with the shape himself. The cast is very filler with a very young performance from Paul Rudd. Donald Pleasence has his last role as Doctor Loomis here and he is the best part of the film. Even though this movie is a campy mess, I still find a very small amount of enjoyment from it. Not a good film by a mile, but points in it were somewhat enjoyable.
My Rating- 4/10
8. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Halloween 5 was a film that could have been great, but the fumbled the Jamie storyline consistently. Michael is pretty terrifying but the whole idea of his survival becomes completely unrealistic here. He goes through hell to only be revived and brought back for yet another film. It really had me believing that people come back to these films not for scares, but to see how Michael makes it out of things again. This film felt like a rushed cash grab, but again, Michaels presence in the movie keeps it from scoring lower.
My Rating- 4.25/10
7. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch
This is the first Halloween movie not to star Michael Myers and it really suffers from it. I can understand that the studio wanted to make anthology films surrounding the holiday, but they really needed to stick with what got the franchise on its feet. They story of masks that are sold out to people and can kill them is interesting, but it doesn't give me the same scares as Michael does. Acting and writing is okay, but the film just feels like it shouldn't have happened to me.
My Rating- 5/10
6. Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later
This is where the Halloween saga starts to pick up pace for me. This movie is great all around. From the cast to the scares this film clearly knows what it's doing. On the otherhand, this may be the worst form of Michael we have seen yet. For some reason, he didn't feel menacing to me. The actors were the ones who really sold the idea to me that he was terrifying. The fact that Michael drives almost 28 hours in a car to reach Laurie Strode after 20 years is a little dumb in my opinion, but that doesn't keep the film from lacking the essentials of a Halloween movie.
My Rating- 6.5/10
5. Halloween (2007)
The first of the two Rob Zombie Halloween films and let me tell you, this one is very dark. We see the origin story and young life of Michael evolve. He is an evil person and seeing how he got there is terrifying. Not to mention, the actor who plays older Michael in the films is the scariest form of the character yet. He is tall and built like a wrestler. He is ruthless in his pursuit of murder and this translate to the silver screen very well. Even though the first half of the film feels refreshing, the second half is literally the same story that we all love from the first film in 1978.
My Rating- 7/10
4. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
The studio here listened to all of the feedback after the third film and decided to bring Michael back for good. The story follows Michael going after Laurie Strode once again and her daughter Jamie. The film is filled with great scares and tense moments throughout. Not only is Michael terrifying, but the way he gets in this little girls head scared me as a child. He seems like a supernatural killer and presence and thats where he is in his best form. He feels unbeatable and thats what makes him perfect. If the pacing of the film in the beginning wasn't chopy and drawn out, it would have gotten a higher spot from me.
My Rating- 7.75/10
3. Halloween 2 (1981)
Halloween 2 follows the story immediately after the first one ends. Laurie is in the hospital after her first encounter with The Shape as he mercilessly pursues her there. This film is jam packed with tons of great scares. I adored how they had a police chase for Michael with many wrong turns. It made the film feel realistic. I also loved Jamie Lee Curtis in the film. She gave us a taste of how it feels to be pursued by a character that seems unbeatable. Truly a great film that is considered to be a sequel to a film done right.
My Rating- 8/10
2. Halloween (2018)
Halloween 2018 was a soft reboot of the franchise that basically cancels out every addition to the saga except for the first film. I have a lot of respect for the writers for literally cutting out more than 25 years of canon to make this film. I was very skeptical at first but later fell in love with this film. The cast, writing, directing and cinematography were great. Jamie Lee Curtis is back and better than ever. Michael Myers is menacing and is more brutal than before. I loved this film and honestly cannot wait for its sequel next week. A comeback done correctly.
My Rating- 8.75/10
1. Halloween (1978)
This is the near perfect film for this time of year. The original story for the horror icon Michael Myers. His story has become synonymous with this holiday and has sparked many films surrounding his character. This film should be studied as how to make the perfect horror film. Its terrifying, shocking, well acted and perfectly paced. It is a film that I will show to my kids once they are old enough to watch it many years from now. A classic that deserves all the praise it gets.
My Rating- 9.5/10
I hope you enjoyed my ranking! Be sure to check out my Movie Reviews tab next week on 10/14/21 to see my review of Halloween Kills!