Halloween Movies Ranked

Over the past few months, I have been watching through the Halloween films and thought it would be fun to share my thoughts on them. The original Halloween film is what got the slasher genre its start. It was also one of the first horror films to branch out into a franchise. The franchise itself varies in quality for each film. The franchise goes from having films that are iconic horror films and staples of the slasher genre to films that are straight-up awful and stupid. While I do enjoy this franchise, I will admit that there are probably more bad Halloween movies than there are good Halloween movies. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 13 Halloween films.

13. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Halloween 5 is definitively the worst in the franchise and where the series hits its low point. While it does have a few solid kills in the film, this movie as a whole is just not good. Starting off, the overall plot is just terrible. There is no connective story as the movie keeps shifting its main characters. The movie essentially has three different stories with not much interconnection to them. We start with Michael killing off Jamie's sister, he then decides to stalk Tina, who is completely unaware of the previous killing and is not a compelling character at all. After they kill her off, the movie follows the mute girl who broke out of the mental institution. The movie is also quite boring, there aren't many kills in the film and Michael is absent for a good chunk of the movie. Overall, this is an easily skippable film in the franchise and has nothing worth watching.

Score: 3.5/10 Grade: D-

12. Halloween Ends

As with the last film, Halloween Ends is a low point in the series and an utter disappointment to end the franchise. The best part about the movie is the last 15 minutes where we get to see the final showdown between Laurie and Michael that the movie was marketed as. However, everything else about the film was a bit letdown. The movie just makes bad decisions after bad decisions for the film. Firstly, it decided to have a completely new character be the center of the story that is supposed to be the closeout of a trilogy. His story itself is interesting enough but it is completely unrelated to the events of the last two films and has no reason to be in this film. Because of this, it is obvious that the writers didn't have enough ideas for 3 movies and so they just shoehorned this extra story to pad it out. The movie also oddly decides to omit Michael for the majority of the story and have him just hide out in a cave until the very end of the story. Additionally, everything with Michael in this film makes no sense. He survives stabbings and bullet wounds in the last film but then can be knocked down by a 20-year-old in this movie. Overall, this was a movie that made a lot of good choices and ruined what could have been a solid end to this franchise.

Score: 4/10 Grade: D

11. Rob Zombie’s Halloween II

Halloween II is the sequel to the Rob Zombie reboot and is one of the worst and darkest in the franchise. I can appreciate that Rob Zombie tried to do something different in this film. Instead of following the same slasher formula, it takes Michael and Lauri in new directions. I also liked the way the story was laid out in that it does a countdown to Halloween. Other than those things, I wasn't a fan of this film. I didn't like the direction they took Laurie's character. She takes such a dark turn and is not something I wanted to see. I also didn't like how they portrayed Michael in this film in that he is somehow controlled by the ghost of his mother. Loomis is also handled very poorly as he becomes such an unbelievably terrible character in this movie. I also thought the overall story was not good. The movie doesn't have much of a plot direction until the final 30 minutes. Finally, I felt the movie was just really mean-spirited and gross. There is literally a scene where two guys talk about how they want to have sex with the corpses they are hauling. Overall, this movie has several scenes that are in very poor taste and just takes everything in a direction that is just really unpleasant.

Score: 4.3/10 Grade: D

10. Halloween: Resurrection

Halloween: Resurrection is almost one of those movies that loop around from being so bad that it is good. The movie itself is straightforward to follow. What makes it so bad it is almost good is the basic premise of the story. The movie goes with the dumb idea of having the main characters be in a reality show that takes place at Michael Myers' house but goes all in on it so it comes across as somewhat funny. The movie comes across as more goofy than scary. However, it doesn't quite reach the level of being ironically good. One of the reasons is that the movie decides to essentially undo the events of the previous film and kill off Laurie in the first 15 minutes of the movie. Instead of coming up with better characters, the movie then decides to replace her with a bunch of half-baked unmemorable characters. The overall production of the movie just looks cheap as well. It feels like not much effort was put into the actual look of the film. Overall, this movie is close to being so good that it is bad but doesn't quite reach that mark.

Score: 4.5/10 Grade: C-

9. Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers

Halloween 6 is the point where the movies become somewhat rewatchable. The story itself is easy to follow and I liked how they tied in a new generation of the Strode family. I also enjoyed that Paul Rudd was in the film. This was one of his first movie roles and he is still able to deliver some of his usual charm. However, there are quite a few issues that keep this from being a good film. The biggest issue is that I was not a fan of the whole cult aspect of the film. Having Michael be a pawn of this cult was just a weird and poor direction to go and hurt Michael as a character. I also felt the film was just a bit trashy. It has way too many creepy and sleazy characters and just gives off a trashy and sleazy vibe. Finally, I didn't like that they decided to kill off Jamie in this film. She was the lead of the last 2 films and having her be killed off in this film just seems like an unsatisfying end to her story. In the end, this film has some better aspects to it than the previous films but is overall still a bad film.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

8. Halloween Kills

Halloween Kills is one of the more middle-ground films in the franchise. This film has some of the best kills in the series and is the most violent. The other thing that stands out in this film is the mob aspect of the story. The characters finally decide to put a mob together to fight off Michael which is a really interesting direction to take the film. The story shows both the effectiveness of the mob along with the dangers when they accidentally kill the wrong person. It is also nice to see these people finally get some sense and try to take on Michael as a group. However, while the film does have some good moments, there are quite a few issues here. The main issue is that this film feels like an in-between film. It doesn't have much in terms of a plot and pretty much just has a lot of fluff because the writers wanted to make a trilogy. Along the same line, because the story needs Michael to make it to the third film, he becomes way too invulnerable to the point where he is surviving stabbings and gunshot wounds. Additionally, the people in the mob make way too many stupid decisions. For instance, they decide to get in groups to fight Michael but then immediately split off and go off alone 10 minutes later. Overall, this movie is quite entertaining with a lot of action but just has way too many plot conveniences and cheating to ensure that Michael gets to the third film.

Score: 5.5/10 Grade: C

7. Halloween II

Halloween II is the original sequel of the franchise and is the closest to the tone and pacing of the original film. This movie takes place directly after the events of the first film and becomes a natural follow-up. This film delivers the kills and suspense of the first film while also attempting to add some new aspects to the story. It tries to keep you guys and supplies some interesting twists and turns. Unfortunately, while the movie does capture the tone of the original film, The actual events and story are quite boring. The story doesn't give Laurie much to do as she is passed out in a coma for the first 2/3rds of the film. The Michael action isn't as exciting either as the whole third act is spent in an empty hospital where there just isn't a lot of action to be had. There isn't much to say about this film as it is just not that memorable. In the end, while the film does capture the tone of the original film, it doesn't have much in terms of action or a memorable story.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

6. Rob Zombie’s Halloween

Rob Zombie's Halloween is a surprisingly decent reboot of the original Halloween film. This movie goes in a different direction by having the focus more on Michael and how he gets the way that he is. This movie is much more Michael's story than it is Laurie's story/ The movie is also a bit faster-paced than the older films and manages to keep you engaged until the end. I also thought that this movie does a better job of handling the Michael-Laurie relationship. This movie includes this into the story organically as opposed to Halloween II that just shoves it in there without much setup. There are a few things that keep it out of the top 5. The first thing is that all of the characters in this movie are just so unlikeable. None of them have the charm that the original cast does and all of these characters just come across as horny and selfish. I also wasn't a fan of how much darker and mean-spirited this movie is. It feels like it has a bunch of sexual jokes and moments just for the sake of having them and doesn't add anything to the story. Overall, this was a decent enough reboot to the Halloween series but I am not a fan of the tone and style Rob Zombie likes to take with these films.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

5. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

Halloween 4 effectively recaptures the story style and tone of the original film but also manages to introduce some new compelling characters and deliver some new plot points. Unlike the first film, when Loomis comes to town, people believe him and see Michael as a threat. This leads to the forming of mobs that are useful and smart, unlike the mob in Halloween Kills. I also like the addition of Jamie and her sister into the franchise. They are both compelling likable characters and Jamie has a legitimate connection to Laurie. Overall, this is a solid addition to the franchise. However, there are a couple of things that you somewhat have to accept to increase your enjoyment of the film. They didn't bother me too much but are just reasons that this film does reach the top 3. The first thing is that you have to accept that both Michael and Dr. Loomis magically survived the events of the last film. The second thing is that you have to accept that they killed Laurie off-screen before the film. If you can accept both of these issues, then this film will likely sit well with you. Overall, this is a refreshing addition to the franchise but just has a few cheats that it uses that give a reason for the story to exist.

Score: 6.6/10 Grade: B-

4. Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Halloween III is the most detached of these films as it doesn't feature Michael or have any of the previous characters. Surprisingly enough, this is one of the better movies in the franchise. This movie came about due to the writers wanting to make this franchise more of an anthology series instead of a connected narrative. This movie swaps out the slasher genre feel and is instead more of a Sci-Fi, invasion of the body snatchers type of movie. I enjoyed this aspect of the film and that there was a bit of mystery or intrigue to it. I also like that it doesn't try to go too dark and is instead more of a thriller instead of an actual scary movie. There are a couple of issues that keep this out of the top three. The first issue is that the characters aren't all that memorable. There weren't any defining traits to them nor did they have any sort of growth. Secondly, I felt the movie played things a bit too goofy. The villain's overall plan just comes across as more stupid than it does threatening. In the end, this was a surprisingly good addition to the franchise, and wouldn't have minded if they continued with these anthology films.

Score: 6.7/10 Grade: B-

3. Halloween: H2O

Halloween: H2O gives us Laurie's return after 20 years away from the franchise. This movie provides a solid follow-up to the first two films as we see how Laurie is coping with the events of that Halloween. We also get to see how Laurie's coping impacts the life of her kid and their relationship. The story itself is quite simple, as it is limited to the grounds of a boarding school. The movie also delivers on a solid Michael vs Laurie showdown that fans of the franchise were hoping would happen. The side characters are also fun to watch. They all add something unique to the story. The main thing that holds the movie back is that it is a bit slow in the first hour. Michael doesn't get much to do until the final 45 minutes of the film. The final 45 minutes are a lot of fun, but the first hour is a bit of a slog to get through. Overall, this is a solid follow-up to the first two films and delivers a fun-to-watch showdown between Laurie and Michael.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

2. Halloween 2018

Halloween 2018 is the second follow to the original film, ignoring the events of all other sequels. Just like Halloween: H2O, this film allows us to see Laurie many years after the events of the original film. However, this film pulls it off significantly better. This film shows Laurie in a natural place after all of the trauma of the first film in that she is now a reclusive paranoid woman that has pushed her family away. We also get to see how that paranoia has impacted her relationship with both her daughter and granddaughter. The film gives us quite a few compelling new characters in Laurie's daughter Karen and granddaughter, Allyson. Both characters add something new to the story and provide interesting dynamics with Laurie. This film also has the best showdown between Laurie and Michael as we get to see the results of Laurie's planning for this moment for the past 40 years. It has a very exciting conclusion and could've had a good sense of finality had they not decided to turn it into a trilogy. What keeps this out of number one is that it does feel a bit derivative of the first film at times. It also has some characters making way too dumb of choices that take you out of the movie. In the end, this is the best follow-up to the original film and to me, the only sequel that matters.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

1. Halloween

Without a doubt, the original Halloween is the best Halloween film. Not only is it the best in the franchise, but it is also the first prominent slasher film that would lay the groundwork for films such as Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. Michael Myers is of course the iconic slasher killer and is a great part of this film. This movie is a great example of excellence through simplicity. Where you don't need a lot going on and can still achieve an effective and iconic film. This film has a really good simple story and can build tension with it. It is so gradual with the tension that you can feel everything building to the big climax. This is one of the first slasher films to go with a slow-burn plot and this film does it the most effective. Laurie Strode is also a great character in the film. She is very likable and easy to route for. The score in this movie is also very good. It has the perfect amount of creepiness that causes the movie to have such a great tone to it while also building throughout the movie to aid in building the tension for the big kills at the end. Not only is this the best movie in this franchise, but it is also one of my favorite horror films.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-