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Talk about a confusing series of films. Michael Myers is perhaps one of the most recognizable antagonists in horror, right alongside the hockey-masked Jason and Freddy Krueger. Like those other two characters, the franchise is filled with films, and not all of them are exactly related. To put it into perspective, there are a total of 12 films in the Halloween franchise that make up four different timelines, with one standalone film meant to kick off an anthology series.
The kicker is, if you try to watch the films in the order they were released, you’ll get confused quickly as the third film in the series is completely unrelated to the first two, and the fourth picks up where the second film left off, but so does the 6th film in the series. The 10th film, somehow, picks up after the first film, and all of them are perfect examples of the final girl trope.
Then there are the 2007 and 2009 films that are completely separate from any other film in the series—just trust us when we say it can get confusing. To help, we’ve organized the different timelines as well as included a recommended watch order that should make it easy and enjoyable to binge-watch the entire Halloween franchise. Here’s the best way to watch the Halloween movies in order.
The First Halloween Timeline
The first timeline includes five total films, running from 1978 to 1995. The first timeline watch order is as follows:
- Halloween (1978)
- Halloween II (1981)
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
- Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
As you can probably tell, the first timeline skips the third film. This is because the third film was meant to be the start of an anthology series, but we’ll delve more into that later.
The series begins with Halloween, where we are introduced to Micahel Myers as he escapes from the mental hospital and sets his sights on Laurie Strode. The second film picks up right after the first and delves deeper into the familial relationship of Michael. Jumping ahead to the fourth film (third in the timeline), Michael is back, and ten years have passed as he lay in a comatose state, eventually waking up while being transferred back to the same mental hospital from the first film and escaping, hunting Laurie’s daughter Jamie.
Halloween 5 is set right after the events of Halloween 4 and sees Michael chasing after Jamie yet again (talk about obsession). Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is the final film in the first timeline and takes place six years after the events of the previous film. This time, Michael has some help from a mysterious stranger—and we will leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
The Second Halloween Timeline
The second timeline includes the first two films but diverges after that. This timeline still has Laurie, but she faked her death after the events of the first two films to go into hiding from Michael. This timeline isn’t as highly rated as the first or third, but it’s still a decent watch if you’re a fan of Michael Myers.
- Halloween (1978)
- Halloween II (1981)
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
- Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later takes place, well, twenty years later, and follows Laurie, who is now known as Keri Tate, a headmistress for a private school. Unfortunately for her, Michael must have some sort of GPS tracker because he’s back with a vengeance after the events of the second film. Halloween: Resurrection is set three years after the events of H20 and sees Michael chasing after Laurie… again (notice a pattern?). Unfortunately, this one is considered to be the worst film in the series, which is a stark difference from H20, which some consider one of the best sequels.
The Third Halloween Timeline
The third and final timeline still connected to the original film contains four movies, the most recent of which was released not too long ago in 2022. Unlike the second timeline, this one picks up right after the events of the first film and is unconnected to the others, which means the sibling relationship between Michael and Laurie that is divulged in the second film no longer exists.
- Halloween (1978)
- Halloween (2018)
- Halloween Kills (2021)
- Halloween Ends (2022)
It’s slightly confusing since the first two films have the same name; the 2018 film starts where the first film left off. The film takes place 40 years later, which is also the exact amount of time between the release of the original Halloween and the 2018 film. Michael has escaped again and is back on a warpath, this time going after Laurie’s entire family that she built over the 40 years between the events of the first film and this one.
Halloween Kills allows for no downtime between the two films, with Michael escaping after the climax of the previous film to continue his killing spree. The most recent installment in the franchise, Halloween Ends, is the end to the third timeline, but almost certainly not an end to Halloween films in general. It received mixed reviews for focusing on a new antagonist alongside Michael, but it is still a decent slasher flick and end to the third timeline.
The Fourth Halloween Timeline
- Halloween (2007)
- Halloween II (2009)
Rob Zombie’s Halloween is meant to be a remake of the original film and follows a similar plotline. Michael kills his family, he’s sent to an insane asylum, and he breaks out and tries to kill his sister. Halloween II is unrelated to the original sequel from 1981, but again, we have Michael hunting down Laurie, this time with a sort of telepathic link between them that causes them to see visions of their dead mother.
Standalone Halloween Films
There’s only one film in the entire franchise that has no relation to any other film, and it is Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Season of the Witch wasn’t well-received on release, which is why they decided to move away from the idea of an anthology Halloween set of films. That said, it’s become a cult classic and is a great film if you’re looking for a Halloween film unrelated to Michael Myers.
This anthology film follows Dr. Dan Challis, who is trying to solve a mysterious murder of a patient at his hospital. His investigation leads him to Santa Mira, California, a small town that is the location of mystic powers and ancient Celtic witchcraft. It’s an interesting horror film and definitely a refreshing pause from Michael.
Halloween Franchise Suggested Watch Order
Arguably, the best way to watch the series is in the same order as the timelines, with the late 2000s Halloween films sprinkled in between. If you’re looking to watch all 12 films, you should start with the first timeline, then Halloween III: Season of the Witch, followed by the second timeline, the 2000s-era films, and finally finish off with the newer, third timeline. Here’s a list that makes it easier to follow:
- Halloween (1978)
- Halloween II (1981)
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
- Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
- Halloween Resurrection (2002)
- Halloween (2007)
- Halloween II (2009)
- Halloween (2018)
- Halloween Kills (2021)
- Halloween Ends (2022)
You could skip the Rob Zombie films and opt to only watch the first or second timeline to avoid rehashing similar themes, especially since the 2007 Rob Zombie film is a remake of the original, but if you’re a completionist, the above Halloween watch order is a great way to see the franchise in its entirety. Do you enjoy watching them in another order? Let us know in the comments below!
