Every Halloween Franchise Movie Ranked Best to Worst

This might hurt my Halloween credibility but until I put this list together I had no idea that there are 11 Halloween movies. Yes, this film that was spawned by the great John Carpenter in the 1970s has, like its antagonist Michael Myers, lived on. To think that we are still making these films 40 years out is not only triumph of low budget filmmaking, but it’s very a testament to the staying power of the horror film genre.

Now, just because we’re still making these films doesn’t mean that they’re any good. In the case of the canon of Halloween films, mainly certainly aren’t. What they are, above all else, is interesting and in the age of the reboot before the film is even released (okay, I am exaggerating) that is certainly saying something.

Which leads us to this new, 2018 version that wipes the slate clean. It picks up where the original Halloween from 1978 left off and says to hell with the other films. Sure, there’s a wink here and there (I’m sure you Halloween-philes caught the Silver Shamrock masks that were so prominent in Halloween III: Season of the Witch when some kids were trick ‘r treating), but ultimately this new Halloween is little more than the 1978 version in 2018 (more on that later).

To its credit, the Halloween films are all pretty solid. Yes, a few of the films in the actual canon leave a bit to be desired, but overall the first 4 films are easily digestible. Okay, I realize that that is less than 50% which is an F under any other circumstances, but as far as genre movies go that’s pretty darn good. With a worldwide gross of close to a half a billion dollars, you’re going to get some clunkers amidst all of those sequels and reboots.

The reality of the Halloween films is that they are cultural icons. The films themselves have their detractors and ardent defenders. I am have no doubt that this list is going to be both loved and derided. Such is the the horrific nature of both lists and the films we do them about.

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