All the Halloween Films, Ranked

Michael Myers has been one of the most iconic slasher villains for over 40 years now. Now we have Halloween Ends, and it looks as if it will be Michael’s final hurrah. Okay, let us be real….it probably won’t be. Still, Halloween Ends is being billed as a final farewell and I thought it was a perfect time to revisit the series. Which movies held up? Which were hard to get through? Let’s take a look. This is my ranking of all the Halloween Films.

13. Halloween 2 (2009)

Michael is back to reunite with his family while chasing his sister and having visions of his dead mother.

This is a bad one. Rob Zombie’s sequel to his 2007 remake is full of extreme violence and loads of symbolism. This would be okay if the violence was able to be seen and if the symbolism made sense. Here we get what seems like a Michael Myers art house film with constant visions and hallucinations that truly never go anywhere with their meanings.

The movie is also overlong at just about 2 hours and the pacing is off as some scenes seem to drag without purpose. Doctor Loomis is made out to be an unlikeable hungry-for-fame jerk. We get a supernatural vision of Michael’s mom which doesn’t really make sense. The mystery of Michael is thrown to the side as we see his face a lot and he even speaks at one point. We also get random distracting cameos from people like Weird Al.

It is just a big question mark of a movie that is not entertaining in the slightest.

12. Halloween Kills

Michael Myers escapes Laurie’s inferno trap as Tommy Doyle gathers the town together to put a stop to Michael once and for all.

Evil dies tonight! Evil dies tonight! I really didn’t like this movie. After the positive reaction to Halloween(2018), to say Halloween Kills was highly anticipated is an understatement. It was met with mixed reviews though upon release. The biggest complaint that I’ve seen against people who don’t like this film is that “it’s just a fun slasher film so you shouldn’t expect too much”. Personally, though, I don’t find it very fun.

The movie’s tone is all over the place as it doesn’t seem like it knows what it wants to be. Sometimes it’s a slasher film, sometimes it’s a commentary, and sometimes it’s something else altogether. There is a message about mob mentality throughout the film but it comes off as so manipulative. The mob targets a man they think is Michael and we are supposed to care and feel something as the sad music plays in the background but it is just so lazily done. We don’t spend enough time with the man to care about what is happening ao it just seems out of place.

There are many scenes that feel out of place and they come off as more awkward than fun. The worst part for me of this movie though is what they do with Laurie. They make her almost unlikable and useless in one scene. She lays in a hospital bed for most of the movie as it is but in one scene it is explained to her that Michael doesn’t remember her and was never really out to get her. Her response is that she still has to be the one to finish him. Why? He isn’t even hunting you? Take your family and get out of there.

This was definitely not the worst in the series but it was definitely a step backward.

11. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

Michael is back targeting Tommy Doyle(now played by Paul Rudd) as we discover more about the cult that gives Michael his power.

Another rough one in the series. This movie has too many ideas but not many ways to execute them. We have Michael going after the Strode family. Tommy saving a baby. The cult protecting Michael. Doctor Loomis looking for Michael. Tommy looking for Michael. Too many things going on at once. Also, the whole cult subplot is just not interesting. Loomis is not in the movie much due to many reshoots and Donald Pleasence dying before the film could be completed. Not much to offer here. Just another dud in the series.

10. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

After being in a coma for a year, Michael returns to kill his niece Jamie while Loomis believes he can stop Michael once and for all.

There is a great car chase in this movie, Besides that, there is not much to like here. In Halloween 4, we have a great protagonist named Jamie. Here she is given little to do and is now mute. The movie is mostly dull with lackluster kills and characters we struggle to root for. Overall this one is pretty forgettable and also has the worst-looking mask in all the series.

9. Halloween Ends

Four years after the events of Halloween Kills, Laurie is trying to move on with her life. After a tragedy shocks the town once again she is forced to face evil once again.

Halloween Ends is very different than other Halloween movies we have seen in the past. I am always open to new ideas and when a creative mind takes swings. That is what is most frustrating about this movie sadly though. There are a lot of interesting ideas here that just don’t feel fully developed to me.

There is a new male character that is introduced and is the focal point of the movie and Michael takes a backseat for a bit. This is fine, but the choices made with this new character and the people that interact with him seem rushed. If the character was maybe introduced in the last installment, it would have given us more time to care about what is going on.

Laurie also feels very different in this movie. She comes off as more hopeful, which is nice but a big tone shift from what we have seen before. I know four years have passed but after 40 years of being angry, it just seemed kind of off.

I assume that for a finale a lot of people are going to want to see a Laurie vs Michael battle. We definitely do get that but it is a bit rushed and doesn’t seem earned even after 40 years. There are a lot of random things that feel off, especially after Halloween Kills. Perhaps, there were changes made due to the not-so-great reception of the previous film. It could be a good thing to want to please your audience but it makes me wonder if there was a full fledge plan while making this recent trilogy, to begin with.

Overall, Halloween Ends takes a lot of leaps but just can’t land them. If it was just another random sequel I think it would have played better. For a final installment though it leaves a lot to be desired.

 8. Halloween: Resurrection

Michael returns to his original home, which is now a webcam reality show set. Michael doesn’t take this lightly as he sets off to kill everyone involved.

Now I know this one is regarded as one of the worst and I know it isn’t good. The reason why this one is higher ranked than some others is that it is definitely so bad that it turns good. This movie is ridiculously filled with annoying characters, terrible dialogue and so many odd scenes you can’t help but laugh.

We also get Busta Rhymes beating Michael using Kung Fu.  It is so bizarre but I give it a pass because it’s never dull. I rather watch a dumb entertaining movie that knows what it is than a boring one that takes itself too seriously.

7. Halloween (2007)

Rob Zombie’s remake of the original shows Michael as a young child and all the things that led him to be known as evil incarnate.

This remake is not bad. It is just a lot of things that we really didn’t need to see. The kills are good and Malcolm McDowell plays a pretty good Loomis. It is an interesting take on the story but Michael works so much better as a mystery. This movie tries to make Michael more relatable by showing his rough upbringing. The stuff we see though comes off more as annoying and in my opinion makes Michael less scary. Sometimes less is more.

6. Halloween H20

Laurie is the headmaster at a university now and doing well for herself until Michael returns to harm her, her children, and her community.

This was the first time the franchise was rebooted ignoring many of the sequels and overall it works. The beginning is a little slow but the likable characters make it easy to watch. The highlight of the film is the second half though as the chase scenes and showdown with Laurie make for a fun rollercoaster ride. The biggest problems this movie has is a dumb title and Josh Hartnett’s terrible haircut.

5. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch

Dan discovers that a company is plotting to massacre tons of children through the use of Silver Shamrock masks.

This is the only movie not to feature Michael at all as the Halloween series was supposed to have a different story every time surrounding the holiday. This didn’t go right with fans originally as they wanted more Michael, Halloween 3 is a pretty good stand-alone movie.

Tom Atkins stars in this race to save the day movie and gives a fine performance as the lead. He is charismatic throughout. It is original, creative, and overall fun. Some great mask designs are featured as well as a catchy commercial. This movie in my opinion could have been more beloved if it didn’t have the Halloween name attached to it.

4. Halloween 2 (1981)

Continuing after the first movie, Michael heads to the hospital to finish the job of killing Laurie Strode. The hospital is full of people for Michael to gut.

There are way too many part 2’s in this franchise. While not anywhere as good as its predecessor, Halloween 2 has a lot going for it. Great brutal kills, a great setting, and Laurie and Doctor Loomis giving it 100 percent throughout. The hospital is truly a great setting because it gives Michael many different ways to kill. Not the best sequel but a worthy follow-up for sure.

3. Halloween (2018)

40 years ago, Michael Myers terrorized the town of Haddonfield and Laurie Strode. Now he has returned to finish what he started but this time, Laurie is ready.

There was a lot of buzz when it was announced that not only was there going to be a new Halloween movie but that Jamie Lee Curtis would return as well. Similar to H20, this movie erases all the sequels and is a continuation of the original.

What this installment does so well is it takes a more simplistic approach. Michael stalking people in Haddonfield. Sometimes that’s all you need. The movie is well shot with Carpenter returning to do the score. Jamie Lee Curtis is great and director Green is able to show the trauma that Laurie has faced for the past 40 years perfectly.

Halloween 2018 made Michael Myers scary and fun again and that’s all we could ask for.

2. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

Michael Myers sets out to find his last living relative and cut off the bloodline once and for all. Doctor Loomis remains on the psycho’s path.

This might not be so high on everyone’s list but I really like this one a lot. Danielle Harris as Jamie is so so good. For being so young she is so believable with what she is given to do. The movie is suspenseful due to her performance because we see what she goes through and it feels like we are going through it with her.

Doctor Loomis is in top form delivering a strong yet sometimes humorous performance. The kills are great. Once again the soundtrack is great. It also has one of if not my favorite endings in the series. An ending that I feel would have ended the franchise perfectly but of course money talks.

1. Halloween (1978)

In 1963, Michael Myers murders his sister and is locked away. 17 years later he escapes and returns to his hometown for more victims.

This is no surprise. The one that started it all. Everything about this movie works. The score is fantastic. The atmosphere is terrifying. Jamie Lee Curtis is a great lead. It is a simple yet terrifying story that impacted the slasher genre and changed the way movies were made.

In this movie, Michael is “the shape”. He is just a madman who is back to kill whoever is in his way. That is it. No connection. No motive. That is what makes this movie more relatable and scary than its sequels. There are people out there who kill just to kill. This first movie is easily what made Michael the icon he is today.

What is your favorite Halloween film? Do you think Halloween Ends will really be the end? Let us know in the comments.

Halloween Ends is out now in theatres and on Peacock.


About Martin Maruri

Martin Maruri is an avid fan of pop culture and movie trivia. In his spare time, Martin loves to watch horror movies, watch baseball and spend time with his lovely girlfriend. P.S...He also loves spending time with his French Bulldog named Tobin.

View all posts by Martin Maruri

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