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Few horror franchises have had a more complicated history than Halloween.
What began with John Carpenter’s stripped-back 1978 classic has gone through sequels, reboots, retcons, alternate timelines, a remake duology, and now an entirely new interactive chapter.
That makes ranking the franchise particularly difficult.
Some Halloween movies are genuinely great horror films, others have become cult favorites despite their many flaws, while a few are remembered primarily for how badly they missed the mark. And then there are those that have become more interesting with age.
For this ranking, we’re going from worst to best, covering all 13 movies plus the new entry, Halloween: The Game (2026), which brings Michael Myers into a new format while revisiting the events of the original movie.
14. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) has some decent ideas, but it largely abandons what made Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) work.
Tina (Wendy Kaplan) is an unbelievably annoying final girl, Michael Myers (Don Shanks) has the worst in the franchise (he looks uncannily like Mark Zuckerberg), and the movie’s attempt to build another supernatural mythology around Michael’s niece Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) never quite lands.
But the film’s biggest sin is that it’s painfully boring.
13. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
As a Halloween movie, Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) was a bizarre misfire. As a standalone horror film, however, it has aged quite well.
The Silver Shamrock masks, unsettling commercial jingle, and genuinely strange premise have helped turn this film into a cult classic. Tom Atkins is also brilliant as Dr. Challis.
Still, with no Michael Myers, this entry hardly deserves to rank highly.
12. Halloween (2007)
Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007), a direct remake of Carpenter’s 1978 film, is brutal, grimy, and determined to explain Michael Myers in a way the original deliberately avoided.
Tyler Mane, a truly towering performer, brings a physical intimidation to Myers we’d never seen before. But the movie often feels more interested in unnecessarily fleshing out Michael’s childhood than the mysterious Shape audiences knew.
The trashy dialogue is also pretty hard to stomach, while Malcolm McDowell’s Loomis leaves a lot to be desired.
11. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
Production problems and multiple cuts didn’t help, but Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) still has some genuinely creepy moments, which is largely due to George P. Wilbur’s terrifying turn as The Shape (although A. Michael Lerner played him during reshoots).
It’s poignant to watch Donald Pleasence in his final performances as Dr. Loomis, but with its baffling ancient cult storyline, Curse remains one of the franchise’s weirdest and most bizarre entries.
Is the Producer’s Cut any better? Not really. But both versions still have Paul Rudd (Tommy Doyle).
10. Halloween II (2009)
Rob Zombie’s sequel Halloween II (2009), which is a remake of sorts of the 1981 sequel of the same name, is even more bleak and mean-spirited than his first film.
Sure, it has ambition, but its dream sequences and psychological approach make it feel increasingly detached from the stripped-back horror that originally defined Michael. It’s also quite pretentious.
Does it have one of the most terrifying versions of Michael Myers, though? Definitely. Scout Taylor-Compton also shines as a very disturbed and off-the-rails Laurie Strode, and it’s always great to see Danielle Harris back in the franchise (this time playing Annie Brackett).
9. Halloween: The Game
The newest entry is a fascinating reinterpretation rather than another movie — Halloween: The Game.
The single-player campaign puts players behind Michael’s mask during the events surrounding the 1978 story, allowing fans to experience Haddonfield from The Shape’s perspective.
But is it any good? That depends. If you’re into chaotic online multiplayer slashers, this might be the game for you. But it’s hardly the immersive Halloween experience many fans thought it would be. Still, it’s fun to take on the role of either as Michael himself or as Dr. Loomis, Laurie Strode (Chelsea Krause), or one of the many “Heroes of Haddonfield.”
8. Halloween II (1981)
Halloween II (1981), a direct sequel to the original 1978 film, picks up immediately after the original and retains much of its atmosphere.
The film also introduces the controversial revelation that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is Michael’s sister, which would define the entire mythology of the franchise going forward.
There are some decent kills here, but ultimately, it’s a slow and boring affair, and Michael Myers (Dick Warlock) feels more like a zombie than The Shape. Perhaps he’s concussed after taking that tumble over the balcony in the first film. At least that’s what we tell ourselves upon each viewing.
7. Halloween: Resurrection
No, Halloween: Resurrection (2002) isn’t a good sequel or a good film by any means, but it is undeniably entertaining in places (or “danger-taining,” if you will).
The reality-TV premise should work given how fresh The Blair Witch Project (1999) was in our memories at the time, but those parts of the film look like they were shot on a cheap webcam.
You might say that Busta Rhymes fighting Michael (Brad Loree) is even more ridiculous, but for this reason, the movie has at least developed a certain affection among fans.
6. Halloween (1978)
The original Halloween (1978) is still one of the greatest slashers ever made. Michael Myers (Nick Castle), Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence), Haddonfield, the score, the cinematography — practically everything works.
Is it a little overrated? Sure. But it’s also the film that started the entire franchise.
5. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
In Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), Jamie Lee Curtis returned as Laurie Strode for a legacy sequel that deliberately ignored most of the previous continuity.
It gave Laurie a satisfying confrontation with Michael and remains one of the franchise’s most accessible sequels.
The trouble is it often feels more like a Scream movie than Halloween, and if the baffling, ever-changing Michael Myers (Chris Durand) mask wasn’t laughable, it would be too painful to watch.
Fortunately, it’s mostly overshadowed by some solid performances from Curtis, Josh Hartnett (John Tate), Michelle Williams (Molly Cartwell), and LL Cool J (Ronny Jones).
4. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Danielle Harris is excellent as Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, and, despite having one of the worst masks in the entire franchise, Michael’s return (played by George P. Wilbur) feels appropriately menacing.
The movie also delivers one of the strongest endings in the series, with Jamie seemingly taking up the mantle of her evil uncle, even if Halloween 5 brushed it under the rug for reasons unknown. Rachel Carruthers (Ellie Cornell) is also one of the franchise’s best final girls.
3. Halloween Kills
Halloween Kills (2021) might suffer badly from some horribly written characters and super-pretentious dialogue, but it is gloriously violent as it lets Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) unleash hell on Haddonfield.
The 1978 flashback sequence is extremely effective, but it’s watching Michael dispatch his victims left and right that makes this film an absolute cut above the rest, despite its many shortcomings.
The film also has the biggest character ensembles in the franchise, with a cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie Strode), Anthony Michael Hall (Tommy Doyle), Andi Matichak (Allyson Nelson), Judy Greer (Karen Nelson), Charles Cypher (Leigh Brackett), Will Patton (Frank Hawkins), Nancy Stephens (Marion Chambers), and Kyle Richards (Lindsey Wallace).
2. Halloween Ends
It remains hugely divisive among fans, but Halloween Ends (2022) was an ambitious attempt to do something completely different. Its focus on Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) gives the final chapter an unexpectedly tragic quality and one final trick (or treat, depending on your viewpoint).
Its real crime is its timing — sure, its boldness is admirable, but perhaps not as the final chapter in a trilogy.
1. Halloween (2018)
The best modern Halloween movie strips the mythology back again, ignores the previous sequels, and puts Laurie (Curtis) and Michael (Courtney) back on a collision course.
Halloween (2018) feels like a genuine continuation of Carpenter’s film rather than another attempt to reinvent it.
Do you agree with our Halloween ranking, or would you put the movies in a completely different order? Let us know!
