There is something about the Halloween franchise that sticks with you: John Carpenter’s unmistakable music, the quiet Haddonfield streets covered in autumn leaves and that blank white mask appearing where it should not be.
My connection to the series did not begin with Michael Myers. It started with the strangest entry of the original run, Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
I remember it being a weekend night and NBC was gonna broadcast this scary movie at 8pm. I could hardly wait and boy was it spooky!
From VHS box art that burned itself into my memory to Friday night trips to the movies that felt like major events, those early experiences shaped how I still see the first six Halloween movies today.
My First Memories of Halloween
My aunt was the person who introduced me to horror movies, and I believe Halloween III: Season of the Witch was the first movie in the franchise I saw.
The box art, the three masks and that glowing television screen left a serious impression on me. I probably should not have been watching it at that age, but the strange colors, unsettling music and bizarre story made it impossible to forget.
In the weeks that followed, we rented the original Halloween and then Halloween II. Those movies introduced me to Michael Myers and the part of the franchise most fans already knew.
The thing that stood out immediately was the mask. That pale, emotionless face was simple, but unbelievably creepy.
Why Halloween 4 Became My Favorite
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers was the first entry I saw in a theater, and that experience has never left me.
It may not have the same raw scare factor as the original two films, but it brought Michael Myers back after a long absence and gave the franchise a fresh lead in Jamie Lloyd.
The small-town Halloween atmosphere, the rooftop chase and the shocking final scene made it feel like the series had truly returned.
I have already written more about why Halloween 4 remains my favorite movie in the franchise, but nostalgia is only part of the reason it still sits at the top of this list.
The Scene That Still Gets Me
Even though Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is not one of my favorite entries, the scene where Michael chases Jamie through the laundry chute remains one of the most effective sequences in the series.
The silence, the confined space and Jamie’s panic create real tension. It is a reminder that even a flawed sequel can still contain moments that feel completely worthy of the franchise.
Unfortunately, the movie also introduced the mysterious Man in Black and ended with a cliffhanger that would take six years to resolve.
When the Thorn Story Lost Me
I walked out of Halloween 5 wanting to know who had broken Michael out of jail and where the series would go next.
I checked horror magazines for updates, but years passed without much news. I was in eighth grade when Halloween 5 reached theaters. By the time Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers arrived, I was beginning my sophomore year of college.
That was simply too long to wait for an explanation that never felt satisfying.
The Cult of Thorn, the mystical connections and the attempt to explain Michael’s evil pushed the series too far away from the straightforward suspense that originally made him frightening.
Ranking the First Six Halloween Films
These rankings are shaped by more than technical quality. Theater memories, VHS discoveries and the movies I return to most all play a role.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Six years after the cliffhanger ending of Part 5, Michael Myers returns under the control of the Cult of Thorn, a druidic conspiracy attempting to explain his evil through an ancient curse.
The movie introduces adult Tommy Doyle, Jamie Lloyd’s baby and a mythology that becomes more confusing the deeper it goes.
Fresh Thrills Take: Troubled, overcomplicated and disconnected from what made the early movies work.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Michael survives the ending of Part 4 and returns to hunt Jamie Lloyd, who is now traumatized, mute and psychically connected to him.
The movie contains several excellent sequences, especially the laundry-chute chase, but clumsy comedy and the unexplained Man in Black subplot drag it down.
Fresh Thrills Take: A frustrating follow-up that leaves behind a few genuinely chilling moments.
Halloween II (1981)
The sequel begins immediately after the original, following Laurie Strode to the nearly empty Haddonfield Memorial Hospital while Dr. Loomis continues searching for Michael.
The hospital setting creates a cold, isolated atmosphere, and the movie increases the violence without completely abandoning the suspense of the first film.
Fresh Thrills Take: A worthy direct sequel with atmosphere, tension and a memorable final confrontation.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Dr. Dan Challis uncovers a sinister plan involving Silver Shamrock masks, ancient magic and a television commercial designed to trigger a mass sacrifice on Halloween night.
It is strange, atmospheric and completely unlike anything else in the series.
Fresh Thrills Take: An oddball sequel that aged into one of the most memorable movies carrying the Halloween name.
Halloween (1978)
John Carpenter’s original follows Michael Myers as he escapes Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and returns to Haddonfield fifteen years after murdering his sister.
The music, slow stalking shots, autumn setting and Jamie Lee Curtis’s performance as Laurie Strode helped establish the blueprint for the modern slasher film.
Fresh Thrills Take: A masterclass in suspense and one of the most influential horror movies ever made.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Ten years after the hospital explosion in Halloween II, Michael learns that his niece Jamie Lloyd is living in Haddonfield and returns home to hunt her.
The movie restores the small-town Halloween atmosphere, brings Dr. Loomis back into the hunt and ends with one of the franchise’s best final images.
Fresh Thrills Take: A nostalgic favorite, a successful franchise comeback and the Halloween movie I revisit most.
Final Thoughts
The first six Halloween movies move from stripped-down suspense to standalone experimentation, franchise revival and supernatural mythology.
The original remains the strongest film from a technical standpoint, while Halloween III has grown into a cult favorite that stands proudly on its own.
But personal rankings are tied to memories. Halloween 4 was my first theatrical experience with Michael Myers, and its atmosphere, characters and ending still make it the entry I enjoy revisiting most.
For more franchise nostalgia, check out my Friday the 13th movies ranked from worst to best and my A Nightmare on Elm Street movies ranked.