There is something special about going back to the old classics. The warm feeling of nostalgia and the bits of history that reach us, all in all, is a cozy vibe. One of the early franchises that got mass success has to be Halloween with the first movie released way back in 1978. The Halloween series popularized the slasher genre and became a cult classic for horror enthusiasts. With Halloween around the corner and everyone excited to get their spooky mode on, this sounds just the perfect time to reminisce about the old classic and hence we are looking at all the Halloween movies in order.
How Many Halloween Movies Are There?
A total of 13 Halloween movies have been released since 1978. Going back in time might not be as easy as it sounds as the franchise came up with a long list of movies, reboots, and some remakes throughout the year. To simplify your binge-watch session we are listing all the Halloween movies in order of release so you can simply follow the list and sit back and relax during your holidays. You can also find the order of Halloween movies as per the timeline at the end of this article.
Halloween Movies in Order of Release
Halloween (1978)
The very first movie on this list of Halloween movies in order is the 1978 release that introduced us to the horror of Michael Myers. The fact that the movie was made in the 1970s, builds the horror factor with a strong but slow-burning storyline full of suspense. The story starts when a six-year-old Michael stabs his elder sister with a kitchen knife and is sent to an institution for counseling.
But what happens when the boy escapes from the asylum after 15 years? Only his psychiatrist can foresee the danger that awaits and tries to warn the police. But by the time they take his warning seriously, Michael has already spotted his next target. His hometown, Haddonfield, is under his terror now which successfully reaches the audience as well.
| IMDb Rating: 7.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96% |
Halloween 2 (1981)
After the immense amount of love received from the audience, the movie decided to make a comeback with a sequel. Halloween 2 picks up right after the events of Halloween where we see Michael targeting a babysitter, Laurie. Events take an even darker turn when it is revealed that Michael is not after Laurie just because she is a babysitter, instead, he has some other motives and reasons for targeting her.
The whole town is under the terror arrest of Michael Myers but his psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, and an injured Laurie are determined to end this terror for the sake of everyone. Coming second on the list of Halloween movies in order, this one outdid its predecessor in terms of the horror factor as Michael’s character becomes more gruesome and his body count goes insanely high while he looks for Laurie.
| IMDb Rating: 6.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 33% |
Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982)
The third in the order of Halloween movies was released in 1982, titled Season of the Witch. The movie does not fit anywhere in the storyline as it was made as a standalone. The Halloween franchise originally decided to make all the future movies standalone but soon went back on the idea after the release of Halloween 3.
Though fans were not impressed with the absence of Michael Myers, the movie maintained the creepy factor by introducing a doomed mask that kills all the children wearing it. Even though the movie was not welcomed at the time of release, it later became a cult classic and a favorite among horror enthusiasts. The story revolves around a mysterious company that makes Halloween masks and all the children wearing the masks die under suspicious circumstances.
| IMDb Rating: 5.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50% |
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
After facing disappointment from the fans for not featuring Michael Myers in the third installment of the Halloween movies in order, the makers offered exactly what the audience wanted. As the title suggests Myers makes a comeback with the 1988 release.
Halloween 4 is a continuation of Halloween 2 but the story skips 10 years ahead and now the focus is on Laurie’s daughter, Jamie. It is revealed that Laurie died in a car accident and Jamie has been adopted by another family. When Myers knows about his niece, he sets out to kill her. After all how difficult is it to murder a child? Or maybe not. Jamie ends up becoming a murderer herself. What? Yup, no more spoilers.
| IMDb Rating: 5.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50% |
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
The movie follows the story of Halloween 4 after a year. Once again the focus is on Jamie who is now traumatized from the past events and as a result has turned mute. Halloween 5: Revenge of Michael Myers is the darkest and most gruesome of the Halloween series released before it.
The movie also takes a dark turn on Dr. Loomi’s character when he gets obsessed with trapping and killing Myers to the extent that he is even willing to sacrifice Jamie for his mission. The movie is filled with twists and is a fast-paced story as it had to compete with the other slasher movies that were being released at the time.
| IMDb Rating: 4.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 11% |
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
The sixth installment of the Halloween franchise makes the story a bit more complex yet silly at the same time. The storyline feels a bit forced but the element of suspense and thriller are kept intact. We have a new character that has to be protected from the terror of Michael Myers, Jamie’s son.
The movie begins with Jamie giving birth and trying to escape with her newborn baby. But Michael finds her and kills her but she hides her baby just in time and the rest of the movie is about Dr. Loomis and Tommy Doyle protecting the baby. Tommy is the guy Laurie babysat in the first released Halloween movies in order.
| IMDb Rating: 4.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 8% |
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
The movie takes a leap of 20 years and Michael is back to complete his mission and terrorize the people of Haddonfield. This Halloween movie reveals that Laurie was never dead and that she has been living under a fake identity with her son to escape from Michael. But obviously, Michael learns about her existence and decides to finish his unfinished task. But this time Laurie has decided not to run away and end this once and for all.
The Halloween 6 cast includes Jamies Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, Adam Arkin, Michelle Williams, and Adam Hann-Byrd.
| IMDb Rating: 5.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 54% |
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Just when everyone thought the franchise might come to an end with Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, the makers decided to add another to the list of Halloween movies. Not complaining though. The movie had a lot more goofy elements than the jump scares and we also got to witness rapper Busta Rhymes in his funny avatar doing the dumbest shit.
But the movie put an end to the cat-and-mouse chase between Michael and Laurie. So who kills who? Well, that’s for you to watch and find out. As time progressed and the era of the internet sparked the interest of the younger generation, the movie tried to keep up with the trend and somehow succeeded in doing so.
| IMDb Rating: 3.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 10% |
Halloween (2007)
The 2007 release can be called a remake or a reboot version of the original 1978 Halloween. The movie focused more on the villain origin story of Michael Myers and his relationship with his siblings. The Rob Zombie remake does not fit anywhere in the order of Halloween movies as it is not a continuation of any previously released parts.
Michael’s journey and thoughts that led him to his first-ever murder and his years of therapy are all well depicted in Rob’s version. The movie ends back when Michael has escaped the institution and only his psychiatrist is aware of how deadly he can be for the world if left freely.
| IMDb Rating: 6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 28% |
Halloween 2 (2009)
Like the previous Rob Zombie version, this one can be called a reboot version of the 1981 Halloween 2. But gotta admit, Rob did an excellent job at elaborating the storyline of the original movies. The 2009 release emphasized Laurie’s traumatic experience of encountering Michael in the precious part and the connection between her and Michael. The love for Halloween Michael Myers movies is evident from the fact that even after years the reboot versions were loved by the audience.
| IMDb Rating: 4.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 23% |
Halloween (2018)
Okay, it gets a bit complex to follow the order of Halloween movies here. The 2018 release also known as Halloween Returns, is a sequel to the original Halloween movie, that is the 1978 release. How rare is it that a franchise survives for four long decades? The movie picks up the exact time gap and is set after 40 years when an old Laurie is still traumatized by her encounter with Michael 40 years ago.
She has an estranged relationship with her daughter but is close to her granddaughter. Still scared of Michael’s existence, she lives alone in a heavily guarded house. When she learns that Michael has escaped the asylum, she tries to warn her daughter and granddaughter. But when the trio has an encounter with him they successfully escape believing that Michael is finally dead. But is he really?
| IMDb Rating: 6.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 79% |
Halloween Kills (2021)
The movie picks up right from where the 2018 Halloween left. Just when everyone thought Michael had died in the fire, he came back to life (obviously) and killed the firefighters who saved him. Halloween Kills witnesses yet another killing spree of Michael and the residents of Haddonfield decide to end the terror once and for all. But guess we will have to wait more for that day.
The best part about the movie is the cameo of some favorite characters. The movie definitely serves as a build-up plot for the much-awaited conclusion.
| IMDb Rating: 5.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 39% |
Halloween Ends (2022)
With Halloween Ends, we are finally at the end of our list of Halloween movies in order. The movie works as a sequel to Halloween Kills and we see a new character, Corey, Allyson’s boyfriend. The whole town has not heard of Michael and is at ease but it seems it is too soon for them to relax.
Michael makes a strong comeback and this time he has an assistant with him. He has a final face-off with Laurie before she kills him for real this time (at least that’s what we know right now). With so many reboots, remakes, and sequels it is hard to believe that the franchise finally decided to bid goodbye to Michael but looks like this was the perfect timing.
| IMDb Rating: 5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 40% |
Halloween Movies in Order of Timeline
If you are interested in following the order of Halloween movies in the chronology of events, here is the list you can follow:
Halloween: The Originals
| Movies | Release Date |
| Halloween | 1978 |
| Halloween 2 | 1981 |
| Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers | 1988 |
| Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers | 1989 |
| Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | 1995 |
Halloween: The H20 Saga
| Movies | Release Date |
| Halloween | 1978 |
| Halloween 2 | 1981 |
| Halloween H20: 20 Years Later | 1998 |
| Halloween: Resurrection | 2002 |
Halloween: Rob Zombie’s Remake
| Movies | Release Date |
| Halloween | 2007 |
| Halloween 2 | 2009 |
Halloween: Blumhouse’s Reboot
| Movies | Release Date |
| Halloween | 1978 |
| Halloween | 2018 |
| Halloween Kills | 2021 |
| Halloween Ends | 2022 |
Conclusion
The Halloween franchise has stood the test of time like nothing else. From 1978 to 2022, the movies have consistently entertained the audience and even after years have not lost their charm. Watching all the Halloween movies in order is itself like being a part of a legacy that has been safely kept and carried on for years.
Also Read:
Soumya Nair is an entertainment industry enthusiast who loves to write and bring in all the gossip and news to everyone interested. She always make sure to keep a keen eye on everything that goes behind the glam and glitter of the industry.
