Ranking the Halloween movies.
I am a long-time fan of the Halloween franchise. The franchise has seen peaks and valleys. Here is how I see those peaks and valleys. Warning, there are major spoilers throughout, so if you read these, the assumption is you are a fan that has seen them. If not, read at your own risk. Given that the mask, "Shape" (how Michael is commonly referred to in scripts and by fans) and music are key components of these films, I will rate those individually in my review of each film along with my overall rating of the film.
List activity
4.9K views
• 5 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
13 titles
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsDonald PleasenceJamie Lee CurtisTony MoranFifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.My thoughts on this movie will be the shortest of any film on this list mainly because I can't add any more praise that hasn't already been lifted up by fans and critics over the years. The film that started it all still stands as the standard. Simple story, simple setup, minimal showcase of gore and a score for the age’s equal extraordinary film. I remember being on the school bus and kids talking about this movie called Halloween that was absolutely putting the fear into them. I did not get to see it until it hit TV. I remember watching it and not being able to sleep the whole night without constantly waking up to check things out. There is still an atmosphere about this film that has not ever been recaptured by any of the subsequent films in the series, the second film coming the closest to it. Carpenter and Co. hit this out of the park. A solid 10 out of 10 stars and number 1 on the list. Suffice to say, mask, music and "Shape" all get the same 10 rating.
- DirectorRick RosenthalStarsJamie Lee CurtisDonald PleasenceCharles CyphersWhile Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.This film has enjoyed a storied off-screen history in regard to how much tinkering with Rick Rosentha's film (director) did Carpenter do (Carpenter produced, wrote and did music)? Depending on who is asked the answer varies. In the end, this film does for hospitals what the first film did for babysitting in suburbia. What makes this film a downgrade from the first is the increased gore for no reason other than to keep up with what other films of the genre were doing at the time. After the first film's minimal yet effective depiction of violence, Carpenter felt compelled to up the gore to be "relevant" to the then current state of horror. I personally feel it was a mistake, he didn't need to cheapen the film that way. Still, it is one of the few sequels, horror or any genre, that is a very close second to the original. Dick Warlock took over as “the shape” and does an effective job, if not a little too stilted at times. At the time, our protagonist Michael met with a fiery end and all was right with the little town of Haddonfield once again, or so we thought. I remember holding this film up as a badge of honor that the makers of the franchise did the right thing and let the story and character resolve. Alas, that badge would be tarnished in 1988 with the 4th film in the franchise, “Halloween: The Return of Michael Myers”. Mask is a 10, music is a solid 9 (heavy synths replacing piano) and "Shape" a solid 7. I would have rated the film an overall 9, but in the end I have to downgrade it to an 8 star for succumbing to the status quo rather than sticking to their guns on the violence. With that, it still ranks high enough to be my number 2 on this list.
- DirectorTommy Lee WallaceStarsTom AtkinsStacey NelkinDan O'HerlihyKids all over America want Silver Shamrock masks for Halloween. Doctor Daniel Challis seeks to uncover a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran.This film at one time was a great divider in the franchise. There are some fans who just couldn't accept a Halloween movie without Michael. With his seeming fiery demise in part 2, with yet more money to be had, part 3 was pushed forward. Fans such as myself welcomed the anthology approach that the filmmakers were trying to move toward. This was to be the start of a series of films that dealt with different stories and characters centered on the event of Halloween. I enjoyed the story line in this one; manufacturer of Halloween items rigs his new line of masks to cause death when worn while watching the commercial for the masks on Halloween. It was twisted, crazy and scary enough that seen as a film on its own merits, works very well. The film has garnered more love from the fan base over the years for being a good horror movie. One of the endearing elements of the movie is the mock TV commercial jingle that you just can’t get out of your head. Personally, I wish they had stayed the course started with this film. Unfortunately, fans won out and Michael was resurrected years later. So much for all these moviegoers who claim they want original rather than the same oh same oh. No rating for the mask or "Shape", for obvious reasons. The music gets a solid 9 for creating evocative and spooky atmosphere. The overall film gets a solid 7 out of 10 stars from me for the attempt to bring something new to the franchise and overall entertainment value of the film and lands at number 3 on this list.
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie Lee CurtisJudy GreerAndi MatichakSurviving victims of Michael Myers form a vigilante mob and vow to end his reign of terror.While there are flaws aplenty in this film, it rises above those, for me, to be a more entertaining movie than the first film in this new trilogy. We are definitely hit over our heads with the whole "evil must die" tonight. Laurie is benched most of the movie and just overall, the dialog, especially that of our OG characters,
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie Lee CurtisJudy GreerAndi MatichakLaurie Strode confronts her long-time foe, Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.Halloween 2018 ignores all sequels after the original film while also reverting back to the basics of the 1978 classic. That decision is welcome. There are some decisions made which are off-putting, affecting overall the atmosphere and suspense. The lack of atmosphere and suspense can be attributed to the editing and dialog tone shifts. The transition from scene to scene is haphazard and clunky. Humorous dialog is interjected at in-opportune times removing much needed suspense. Two key scenes are revealed in the trailers, which had they been held back, could have built some suspense if we hadn't already been privy to their outcome. As far as the characters, Jamie Lee is in top form, the movie tends to lean more on the fractured caricature of her psyche and less on her intelligence and strength, but all are on display. James Jude Courtney presents the best "Shape" since Nick Castle. Most of the male characters are forgettable save for Will Patton’s “Officer Hawkins” and Haluk Bilginer as “Dr. Sartain”, who seems to be hit or miss with fans given the turn his character takes. There is very little attempt to offer up anything substantial with the teen males, rather, we get cliched negative examples. I would rather they spent more time exploring/showing the relationship between Laurie, her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). Greer and Matichak do a fine job with their characters, but most of their scenes involve them interacting/reacting to the inept males in their lives. The movie shines most in the 3rd act when we see the women together in survival mode and finally suspense is built. Speaking of the end, the ever present haphazard editing culminates in a very abrupt ending. There is no doubt the intent is to be ambiguous, but you are left with a feeling of "that's it?". James Carpenter returns to score the film along with his son Cody and Daniel Davies. They have updated the known themes and created new music that is outstanding. There are several scenes that the music goes silent, a curious decision as the score is the one element that does create atmosphere. The music gets a 10 out of 10, so does the mask and Shape. The positives mentioned help to overcome the lack of atmosphere and suspense, poor use of young male characters and frustrating editing and dialog, giving it a 7 out of 10 stars rating and a ranking of number 4 on my list.
- DirectorDwight H. LittleStarsDonald PleasenceEllie CornellDanielle HarrisTen years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens on Halloween Eve and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece. Can Dr. Loomis stop him?You can't keep a good slasher down. It would seem that the events of Halloween 2 (1981) only served to incapacitate Michael. Ten years down the road he lives, recovering from his injuries in a mental hospital. Loomis has survived too. Myers is in the process of being transported to a minimum security hospital, of course, a big mistake as he gets away mid-trip and before you know it, he is on his way to Haddonfield. For the most part, the movie does a good job of atmosphere, performances and story. It introduces Danielle Harris as Laurie Strode’s daughter "Jamie" who was put up for adoption by Laurie and adopted by the Lloyds. Danielle really carries the film as does the indomitable Donald Pleasence. This film begins the constant carousel of different mask designs for the Shape/Michael Myers. You would think it would be easy to replicate film to film the design of the mask, evidently it is a major task trying to recreate an altered Shatner face mask. The mask design in this one is one of the worse in the franchise. It fails to evoke on any level the chills that the original mask design did. Not only that, the stuntmen playing Michael are stilted and lumpy looking (literally padded with hockey pads), not menacing at all. The highlight of this film is the end when it appears Jamie Lloyd is going to pick up the mantle from Michael. It left fans with a lot to talk about. Due to Danielle's performance being so good, it helps to counter the disappointing mask design and overall physical appearance of Michael which rate a 6. Music fares better with a 7. All of the previous mentioned elements result in a shaky but respectable 7 out of 10 stars rating from me and the shear strength of the lead actresses and the atmosphere, lands it at #5
- DirectorRob ZombieStarsScout Taylor-ComptonMalcolm McDowellTyler ManeAfter being committed for 15 years, Michael Myers, now a grown man and still very dangerous, escapes from the mental institution and immediately returns to Haddonfield to find his baby sister, Laurie.After over 20 years it was reboot time. If ever a franchise needed it, this one did. Steeped in horror history and his own 2nd career as a horror director, Rob Zombie stepped up to the task. Equal parts original story and homage to the first film in 1978, Zombie goes back to the beginning. The first act of the film is the backstory of Michael. Lifting the veil can be a dangerous thing, a character like Michael works best when you don’t know everything. Zombie deftly avoids the trappings of offering too much backstory and gives us just enough without diminishing the aura of this man being pure evil. The key to the first act of the film is the young Michael as played by Daeg Faerch. He is equal parts innocent, tragic and evil. Another great casting choice was the adult Michael, played wonderfully by ex-wrestler turned actor Tyler Mane. He moves his 6ft 9” frame with a smooth and purposeful glide making him one of the best to ever done the famous mask. Speaking of the mask, FINALLY, FINALLY, we get a mask that is chilling and not comical. In the pivotal Loomis role Zombie cast Malcom McDowell. In this version, Loomis is more of a salesman, he is slicker than the Donald Pleasence version of Loomis which was played more as a man on the edge. Another key member of the cast was Sherri Zombie being cast as Michael’s mother. She does a wonderful job of giving this never featured character a tortured and sad depth. One last casting decision that I enjoyed was Zombie casting previous Halloween alum Danielle Harris as Laurie’s friend Annie. After the horrible and disrespectful way Danielle was treated during the casting of Halloween 6, it was great to see her get another chance to be a part of the franchise that she helped resurrect in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The music is an update, but in most scenes is a note for note recreation of the original film. Zombie does bring his usual hillbilly deluxe characters to the film and that admittedly can be a turnoff for some. My biggest critiques of the movie is Zombie recreates some of the original film’s kill scenes, beat for beat. I would have rather he stick to doing his own retelling of the story.The aforementioned reliance on white-trash characters is over done here as is the violence which is ratcheted up big-time. Both of these drop this film down in my list. Mask and "Shape" get a 9 and 10 respectively. Music gets a 9. The film earns a solid 7 out of 10 for making Halloween scary again and lands it at number 6 on this list.
- DirectorSteve MinerStarsJamie Lee CurtisJosh HartnettAdam ArkinLaurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time, as the life of her own son hangs in the balance.In 1998 the franchise was going to celebrate 20 years. After much hard negotiation the producers were able to get Jamie Lee Curtis to come back to the franchise for another film. A concession, this film would pick up 18 years after the events of Halloween 2 without any acknowledgment to films 4-6. Overall, I like the story. We have Laurie, 20yrs removed from her experience, living/working under an assumed name, employed by a private school as their headmistress. She has a son who attends the school, he is turning 17 (Josh Hartnett in his feature film debut), the same age she was when Michael returned to Haddonfield in 1978. This son is the result of a random liaison she had during college. The film starts out at Nurse Chambers house (chain smoking nurse from Halloween 1 and 2), who has been the caretaker for Loomis and has all of his files at her house, so Michael shows up to get the files so he can find Laurie, in the process, our good Nurse Chambers is dispatched, the third time in the last 4 films of the franchise that a female survivor of a previous film in the series is killed in the first act of the next film they are in. The cast consisted of up and coming actors (Hartnett, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Michelle Williams and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as well as a very respectable acting performance from LL Cool J and a coup of casting, Jamie Lee’s mom Janet Leigh, playing her assistant. Ultimately, Laurie takes charge of the horror/fear she has lived with and takes the fight directly to Michael. Absolutely love where the character goes and how Jamie Lee plays her. The end is a fitting send off and appears to put an end to the series. Unfortunately, the movie made a good amount of money, which meant more films (sigh). Some elements that I did not care for, once again, the mask is a point of contention. They just couldn’t get the mask right, ultimately changing the design mid-filming, so parts of the film you actually see three different designs, not to mention a painfully obvious CGI version at one point. The other element that disappoints is the music. John Ottman was hired to do the music. His final pass was rejected by Dimension, however it was very late in the game. Marco Beltrami was brought in to replace/add some flourishes. What we end up with is a very scattered and orchestral score, which for Halloween, is out of place. Finally, the thing that keeps this film lower on my list is the slick nature of it. The music aside, just how the film looks and was shot, it very much feels like a horror film made in the late 90’s. The ever changing mask throughout the film gets a 6, music the same. Stunt man Chris Durand's "Shape" rates better at a 8 giving us back an imposing and deftly moving villain. Ignoring the silliness of the Thorn/druid infused story lines of the previous 2 films, solid story and casting and the return of Jamie Lee makes this a solid 7 out of 10 stars for me and number 7 on my list.
- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie Lee CurtisAndi MatichakJames Jude CourtneyThe saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode comes to a spine-chilling climax in the final installment of this trilogy.This is not a horrible movie, but as the ending film of a trilogy, it fails to deliver what should have been an easy satisfying end to the current storyline.
- DirectorRob ZombieStarsScout Taylor-ComptonTyler ManeMalcolm McDowellLaurie Strode struggles to come to terms with her brother Michael's deadly return to Haddonfield, Illinois; meanwhile, Michael prepares for another reunion with his sister.If Zombie’s first foray into the Halloween franchise was a divider in the fan community, his next entry split the split. Outside of a nod to the original sequel’s hospital setting, Zombie made a film which was a full board Rob Zombie film. The violence in this film is brutal, I mean make you cringe brutal. We pick up 3 years after the events of the first film. Laurie is struggling as are many of the victims involved. The only one who seems to be flourishing is Dr. Loomis who has written another book and is doing well on the talk circuit. Zombie really does a good job here in avoiding the sins of the past and doesn’t try to justify Michael’s action with supernatural elements. He is pure and simple crazy evil. So crazy that he is seeing his dead mother, with a constant white horse in tow and an image of himself at the age when he committed his first murders. The scenes with him seeing his mother and the horse at times can be unsettling crazy, but that is the point. Zombie’s brand of hillbilly deluxe is on full display, which I can understand wears thin. You either like it or not, there is no middle ground. Michael’s mask is in bad shape, half of it has disappeared, and he walks around a lot without it on, covered in a hooded coat most times. The only time he puts on the mask is when he is about to kill. This brings about an interesting aspect to the character that was revealed in the first movie where he starts wearing masks at an early age to cover his “ugliness”, the reason he gives his mother when she asks why he is wearing them. An actor missed badly in this film was Daeg Farech. The scenes where Michael see’s his younger self with his mother would have worked so much better were Daeg a part of them. When the film was being shot, Daeg had grown up quite a bit, he couldn’t play himself again at the age needed, so another young actor was cast. No slight to him, but he just was not in the same league as Daeg. Something else very different about this film, none of the famous Halloween music themes were used. All the music is original. We get the famous theme at the front and end, but the film is void of any call back to the original films score. Mask and music get an 8 while Tyler Mane's "Shape" gets a 10. I actually appreciate what Zombie was doing and ultimately how he treated the story and didn’t try to turn it into something more beyond a mentally disturbed evil person. A solid 7 out of 10 stars for a totally unique and violent retelling, landing at number 8 on my list.
- DirectorDominique Othenin-GirardStarsDonald PleasenceDanielle HarrisEllie CornellOne year after the events of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), the Shape returns to Haddonfield once again in an attempt to kill his now-mute niece.Fast-tracked after part 4 was profitable, this film begins what ultimately is the Halloween train going off the rails. Jamie Lloyd is tucked away in a mental hospital, mute and having flashes of Michael’s kills, evidently from the horror she experienced at the end of the previous movie. The concession here is that when Jamie touched Michael, he passed on or kicked started the evil already inside her. Either way, this begins an attempt by the filmmakers to provide some explanation for Michael’s seeming other worldly ability to bounce back over and over as well as why he continually sets out on killing sprees. Elle, who was Jamie's step-sister and co-survivor of part 4 is unceremoniously offed in the first act of this film, a story plot that we would see repeated in the next two films. We learn that Michael is under the curse of the Thorn and is being directed by a group of druids to act out as a slasher, a man in black, evidently the leader of these druids, shows up half-way through the film. As I mentioned earlier, this is an obvious attempt to try and explain the evil and justify the randomness of Michael's kills now that we are up to part 5 with no end in sight. There is not one new character introduced that you give a damn about, to include "Tina" the replacement for "Elle". This makes the casual way "Elle" is killed in the first act even more frustrating. On the upside, we have an improved (if still not quite right) mask and improved stuntman under it. The end has the man in black showing up at the jail where Michael has been taken and busts him out with the help of a team of armed folks. Jamie, who had just been ushered out of the jail, goes back in (sigh). After having such a promising restart with part 4, this film feels like a major step back. Unfortunately, there was one more step back coming in part 6 as we get a heavy dose of the newly introduced druid sub-plot in it. Mask rates a 6, the music an 8 (one of the better scores of the 90's Halloween films). Stuntman Don Shank's imposing "Shape" gets an 8 for improving on Halloween 4's padded figure. This film gets a 6 out of 10 stars, mostly for the silly Druid story line, muted main character, killing off strong heroine and replacing with totally unlikable characters. Were it not for yet another strong performance by Danielle Harris, a strong score and improvements on the Shape’s mask and appearance, this could have slipped further down, as is, it ranks number 9 on my list.
- DirectorJoe ChappelleStarsDonald PleasencePaul RuddMarianne HaganSix years after Michael Myers last terrorized Haddonfield, he returns there in pursuit of his niece, Jamie Lloyd, who has escaped with her newborn child, for which Michael and a mysterious cult have sinister plans.After rushing part 5 to theaters, it would take 6 years for the 6th film to hit theaters. Time did not help them figure a way out of the Thorn/druid element introduced in part 5, so they thoroughly embraced it, unfortunately. A recast Jamie Lloyd was back, the first mistake of many. Jamie has given birth to a child while in the custody of the druid clan, evidently Michael fathered this child, cult shenanigans abound. They kill Jamie off in the first 20mins, second film in a row they dispatch a strong surviving female character from the previous film. We get a new child character under the spell of the Thorn/druids, the return of an emotionally wrecked Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd's theatrical intro), a new Strode family living, in all places, the Myers house (looking nothing like the original). We learn Michael and his kin, randomly, have within them the Thorn, which is the catalyst for turning them into slashers at the will of a druid leader who knows how to work their minds to do his or her will. I think the producers knew what kind of mess they had as there was much tampering with the film in post-production, which ultimately became famous for a "producers cut" being made available online. Many hailed it as a much better film than the theatrical. It is now part of the new boxed set of all the Halloween films. Personally, I don't think it improves the film much as both try and deal with the Thorn/druid story. Jamie's death doesn't happen until later in the producers cut, but none the less she is still killed unceremoniously. This cut has more of the Thorn/druid aspect, to include an ending that insinuates a transfer of the druid leadership to Loomis, the music is also reworked to give us more of the classic Halloween music themes. No matter which cut, the film is still a mess. What is tragic about the film is this would be series stalwart Donald Pleasence’s final film role before his death. The mask design takes a step back and gets a 7, in the theatrical cut, the music disappears for long stretches and when brought back, can be barely heard, so it gets a 6. Wilbur is back as the "Shape", improved from his appearance in part 4, but still not one of the better performances behind the mask, and rates a 7. The film gets a 6 out of 10 stars from me and barely escapes the final spot on my list at number 10.
- DirectorRick RosenthalStarsJamie Lee CurtisBusta RhymesBrad LoreeThree years after he last terrorized his sister, Michael Myers confronts her again, before traveling to Haddonfield to deal with the cast and crew of a reality show which is being broadcast from his old home.H20 did very well at the box office. Needless to say they couldn’t help themselves and another film was green-lit quickly. How could this be you ask? Seems our industrious killer recovered from his injuries, attacked a paramedic who came to put him in a body bag, crushing his larynx, but didn’t kill him. Michael duct tapes the mouth of the guy, puts the mask on him and throws him in the body bag, discretely making a get away from the scene. So his sister beheads the driver at the end of H20, not Michael……yeah, right. Three years later, Laurie is in a mental institution, waiting for Michael to find her. He of course shows up and they have a show down where Laurie gets the upper hand, but falls for a tricky Michael and is killed, thus ending her storyline. The fourth film in a row, a female character who survived a previous film is killed off in the first act unceremoniously. The once strong, smart and resilient character Laurie is reduced to a mental patient, living her days in a psycho ward, falling for a ruse that is so contrived it is maddening. Absolutely despise how the Laurie character was resolved. I know Jamie Lee wanted to have her chapter in these films closed, but there had to be a more honorable way to send her out. Ultimately, the first act of this film kills all of the momentum built by H20. Our boy Michael goes back to the infamous Strode house (this time recreated in the likeness of the original unlike part 6’s not even close attempt). The house is being used for a contest to see who can spend all night in the infamous house, all the while wearing a webcam that is posting to a live feed on a website persons pay to watch. Enter our 6 lambs for the slaughter. They did well casting LL Cool J in the last film, so they figured what the hell, let’s try another “celebrity” casting with Busta Rhymes as the creator of the contest and Tyra Banks as his assistant. Ultimately this proved to be a source of fan ridicule as both failed to create characters beyond their own personas and Rhymes having a scene and line late in the movie that has become infamous. Rick Rosenthal, director of the 2nd film is back in the director’s chair and does a workman’s job. The concept is not bad, it actually could have worked real well as a premium channel affair where you have 6 different versions of the movie based on which character you followed. Rosenthal actually toyed with sending out prints with different endings to theaters, not letting anyone know which ending was on the print received. That idea was shot down by the suits, a missed opportunity. I had no major issues with the Shape's mask design (though the design is far from my favorite, at least it was consistent unlike H20) and the music was a return to more of the basic music qeues that the series is known for. Mask and music get a 7, stuntman Brad Loree's "Shape" gets an 8. Ultimately, after the major letdown of the Laurie resolution, the film never fully recovers and for me deserves its place at the bottom of this list.