If you’re hanging up the cobwebs and pulling out the skeletons (some of us started three weeks ago), there’s no doubt you’re ready for a Halloween franchise rewatch. When it comes to the best horror marathons, this franchise is one of the best ways to go. Here’s the ultimate watch order for the Halloween movies.

What’s the best order to watch the Halloween movies?

Since its chilling debut in 1978, John Carpenter’s Halloween has spawned 13 films. It’s one of those horror franchises that just can’t be killed, whether we like it or not. But if you’re planning a full Halloween movie marathon, things can get tricky thanks to multiple timelines, reboots, and alternate continuities.

To help you avoid confusion (and make the most of your watch), we’ve broken down the different continuities and the best ways to experience them.

The Original Timeline

This is the most extensive Halloween timeline, following the original story while later introducing the mysterious Cult of Thorn (which is where things get a little too weird for most fans’ taste.

Halloween (1978)

There’s no denying that John Carpenter’s Halloween set the blueprint for the modern slasher. This masterclass in horror introduces us to Michael Myers, who escapes a sanitarium 15 years after murdering his sister as a child. Returning to his hometown of Haddonfield, he stalks babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends on Halloween night.

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Halloween II (1981)

Picking up immediately following the events of the first movie, Laurie is rushed to the hospital while Michael continues his murderous rampage. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis, Michael’s psychiatrist who helped save Laurie in the first movie, discovers that Laurie is secretly Michael’s sister. Bloodier and more violent than its predecessor, this sequel cements Michael as nearly unstoppable.

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Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Though technically part of the Halloween franchise, this entry has nothing to do with Michael Myers. You’re more than welcome to skip this one if you’re only interested in the Michael storyline. John Carpenter had originally envisioned Halloween as an anthology series centered on different stories set around Halloween night. Written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, Halloween III shifts focus to the sinister Silver Shamrock company, which plots to use cursed Halloween masks to kill children as part of a wildly inaccurate Celtic-inspired ritual. It’s still spooky 80s fun.

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Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

You can’t keep a good guy down — or a really bad one either. After a one-film absence, Michael awakens from a coma and returns, this time hunting Laurie’s daughter, his young niece Jamie. Dr. Loomis once again chases after him in a desperate attempt to end the bloodshed. What really stands out is the shift in style from 1978 to 1988: Gone is the stripped-down eeriness, replaced by bright pops of red and blue (and smoke machines) that give the film a distinctly late-’80s vibe, for better or worse.

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Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

Picking up right after the events of Halloween 4, Michael somehow survives the attempt to blow him up with dynamite in a mine shaft and resumes his hunt for Jamie, who seems to share a psychic link with him. Jamie has also been institutionalized after a violent incident with her foster mother. Loomis learns about this link and sees an opportunity to use it for good, as long as he can keep himself and Jamie alive.

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Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

This entry introduces the Cult of Thorn, a druidic sect supposedly controlling Michael and binding him to a curse that drives his killings. Jamie, now grown, gives birth to a child the cult wants to control, while Tommy Doyle, a survivor from the original film, returns to take on Michael. With multiple versions (the theatrical cut and the more infamous “Producer’s Cut”), it’s easily one of the most controversial (and bizarre) installments in the franchise.

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The H20 Timeline

This timeline skips the sequels from the Thorn storyline and continues after Halloween II. For this continuity watch, you’ll start with Halloween (1979) and follow it with Halloween II (1981). Then we pick up with:

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

Twenty years after surviving Michael Myers’ original killing spree, Laurie Strode has created a new life under a false identity. But on October 29, 1998, Michael, long presumed dead after the explosion at Haddonfield Hospital, begins his return: Loomis’ former colleague Marion is killed after noticing Laurie’s file is missing. Once Michael tracks Laurie down, she’s forced to confront her past and fight for her life all over again. If you’ve ever been irritated by characters’ inability to make sure the killer is dead, you’ll be very satisfied with the ending.

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Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

But somehow, he’s still not dead — and plenty of people were not happy about that! Almost universally panned by critics and audiences, Halloween: Resurrection is still good, cheesy Halloween fun. After surviving H20, Laurie Strode is institutionalized, confident she finally got him. You would think it’s hard to come back from decapitation. Sneaky Michael, of course, switched clothes with a paramedic. We skip over the fact that no one ever ID’ed the body, and the real Michael is still on the loose. This time, he’s targeting a group of reality-TV contestants filming in his childhood home.

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The Rob Zombie Reboot Timeline

Rob Zombie’s take on Michael Myers is both a remake of the original and also gives us something of an origin story. 

Halloween (2007)

Starting in 1990, the remake takes us into his twisted childhood and the making of someone who is pure evil. Even as a child, Michael, a kid with psychopathic tendencies who is bullied and abused — generally not a good combination as far as serial killer triggers go — has no problem getting rid of anyone who gets in his way. On that infamous night, he spares only his baby sister. We follow him through his time in an institution before picking up on Halloween night, when Michael finally comes after Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton). Bloodier and more brutal than the 1978 classic, this one is definitely not for the faint of heart.

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Halloween II (2009)

Picking up right where the 2007 reboot left off, Michael continues his hunt for Laurie Strode. The violence and gore are dialed up even more, with over-the-top brutality around every corner. There’s plenty of cover-your-eyes moments for even the bravest horror fans. If that’s not your thing, you could skip it. But there’s plenty of cover-your-eyes moments for even the bravest horror fans. Directed by Rob Zombie, the film also stars Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris, and Tyler Mane as Michael Myers.

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The Blumhouse Trilogy Timeline (H40 Timeline)

After the Rob Zombie reboot, a few more sequels were planned but never came about. The rights lapsed, and Blumhouse scooped them up for the most recent relaunch with John Carpenter’s involvement. This is the most recent timeline, which continues directly from the 1978 film and ignores all previous sequels. If you’re going this route, of course, start with the original and jump to:

Halloween (2018)

Forty years after that blood-soaked Halloween night in 1978, Michael Myers escapes following a botched prison transfer. Now back on the loose, Michael’s coming for Laurie. And as we know by now, he’ll also take down anyone else unlucky enough to get in his way. He’s old, maybe, but still as unstoppable as ever. Directed by David Gordon Green and written by Green, Danny McBride, and Jeff Fradley, the film also stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney, and Will Patton.

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Halloween Kills (2021)

The carnage continues as Michael survives yet again. Directly after the events of the previous film, Laurie is rushed to the hospital, while the first responders who are at the scene of the burning house are, as you might expect, brutally killed by a very much not dead Michael. But when residents (and survivors of the 1978 killings) learn of Michael’s return, the town takes it upon themselves to bring Michael down for good. With some of the most graphic kills, Halloween Kills may be the grittiest entry in the Halloween movie franchise.

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Halloween Ends (2022)

But does it? We’ll see in the conclusion to the Blumhouse trilogy. Laurie and Michael face off one final time. Four years after her last encounter with Michael Meyers, Laurie is now living with her granddaughter and working on her memoir. But an event on Halloween leads to the emergence of a new killer, a final showdown between Michael and Laurie in a culmination of decades of horror.

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