When it comes to the horror genre, Michael Myers is a character that just won’t die. The character was first introduced as The Shape in John Carpenter’s original 1978 film. There have been several Halloween sequels over the years and even two films in a remake series that have had varying levels of success.

Despite many of these films getting poor reviews, Michael Myers has kept returning to the box office since Halloween has proven to be a profitable franchise.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers - 9%

On the opposite end of the spectrum comes Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. The film was released in 1995 and takes place six years after the events of Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. Based on the Rotten Tomatoes score for The Curse of Michael Myers, the sixth Halloween entry is by far the worst in the series.

This film introduced the Cult of Thorn storyline, which tried to give an unneeded backstory as to why Michael killed his family. The only redeeming factor for the film is that it brings back Tommy Doyle, the little boy from the first movie, but even Paul Rudd couldn’t save Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Halloween: Resurrection - 11%

While Halloween: Resurrection isn’t the worst-rated Halloween movie on Rotten Tomatoes, it does have the lowest score of the series on IMDb with a 4 out of 10. This sequel shows Michael taking out the cast and crew of a reality TV show in his childhood home, and the movie is just as ridiculous as the plot sounds.

Jamie Lee Curtis is advertised in the film, but she is killed off almost immediately. With as important of a character as Laurie was, her death should have been more memorable, but it wasn’t. The acting and story were sub-par in the movie, which is probably why the series was rebooted rather than getting another sequel.

Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers - 13%

After four Halloween films, it seemed as if the well had run dry with ideas for more movies. Halloween 5 takes place directly after the fourth film and shows Michael surviving his gunshot wound and escaping via a creek. Michael once again goes after his niece Jamie Lloyd who is now a mute in a children’s hospital.

The film is comparable to a Friday the 13th film since Michael basically just goes and kills his victims in different ways while looking for Jamie. The film also ends on a confusing cliff hanger that shows Michael escaping thanks to the Man in Black.

Worst: Halloween II - 21%

While Rob Zombie’s first Halloween wasn’t well-received, the film made enough money for a sequel. The film was released two years after the first and follows an original storyline instead of remaking the 1981 Halloween II. The sequel ended up doing even worse than the first, with many people again criticizing the unnecessary use of excess gore and for Scout Taylor-Compton’s acting.

Despite what fans have to say, Rob Zombie himself does prefer Halloween II over his original remake, but he may be the only one. Zombie may have crafted an original movie without basing it on any source material, but that doesn’t mean the movie is good.

Halloween (2007) - 27%

Five years after Halloween: Resurrection failed to land with fans and critics, Dimension Films allowed Rob Zombie to remake Halloween. The film was released in 2007 and stars Tyler Mane as Michael Myers, Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Sam Loomis, and Scout Taylor-Compton as Laurie Strode.

One big difference between the remake and the original is that Zombie’s film shows a lot more of Michael’s back story, taking away the mystery of the character. In the end, people couldn’t get behind Zombie’s Halloween since it just relied on cheap jump scares and violence to shock audiences.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers - 29%

After failing to turn Halloween into an anthology series, Michael Myers returned in 1988. The film sees Michael return to Haddonfield, Illinois once again, but this time to find his young niece named Jamie Lloyd. Even though Michael returned, fans still weren’t overly thrilled with the sequel. Not only was Jamie Lee Curtis not a part of the film (due to Laurie dying in an off-screen car accident), but the film also went away from the psychological horror that Carpenter used in the original.

With that in mind, the film has aged gracefully, with many people now calling it one of the best sequels in the franchise. Danielle Harris also gives an incredible performance for only being 11 years old at the time.

Halloween II (1981) - 30%

Just beating The Return of Michael Myers is the character’s original return to movie screens with his very first sequel. Billed of more of “the night he came home,” Halloween II follows Laurie Strode as she’s attacked again by the relentless masked killer in the hospital after her ordeal in the original movie.

Though it is rarely thought of as one of the best movies in the franchise, the first sequel is remarkably atmospheric and clearly kept the horror of the original alive enough to nurture a longlasting series.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch - 42%

After two films in the Halloween series, Universal tried their hand at making Halloween an anthology series that revolved around the holiday Halloween. Season of the Witch was the one and only Halloween movie to not focus on Michael Myers, which is part of the reason why the film did poorly.

That being said, Michael did appear when one of the characters is watching a trailer for the first film on TV. The film shows a doctor discovering that a company called Silver Shamrock novelties is using Stonehenge rocks to perform witchcraft. The film didn’t do good when it was initially released, but the film has now garnered a cult following.

Halloween H20 - 52%

Right off the bat with the lame title of Halloween H20, fans should have known that the movie was going to be bad. Even with the films mixed to negative reviews, the film is still in the top 3 Halloween films according to its Tomatometer score.

Halloween H20 is lacking in a lot of areas much like the other sequels, but what’s notable about H20 is that Jamie Lee Curtis returned to star in the film. Curtis hadn’t appeared in a Halloween movie since Halloween II in 1981, so it was a welcome return to see the famous scream queen back up on the big screen.

Halloween (2018) - 79%

After nine years away from the box office, it was time to give Michael another film. Instead of another movie in the Rob Zombie remake series, Halloween was brought back to the basics with a film taking place 40 years after the original. This allowed the film to retcon all of the other poorly received sequels and refocus the series on Laurie Strode and her conflict with Myers.

Not only did Jamie Lee Curtis return for last year’s Halloween, but original Michael Myers actor Nick Castle returned to film certain scenes as well. John Carpenter also supported the project and even composed the score for the movie. Needless to say, with the fan and critical reaction to the film, it’s no wonder why Halloween Kills was quickly greenlit.

Halloween (1978) - 96%

Like many horror franchises, the first film in the Halloween series is the best of the franchise. Halloween was released in 1978 by the legendary horror director John Carpenter and is about a serial killer who kills babysitters in Haddonfield Illinois on Halloween night.

The film starred Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode and Donald Pleasence as Dr. Samuel Loomis. Today, Halloween has been praised by fans and critics alike. Everything from the acting, to the cinematography, to the story, seemed to be well done, so it isn’t much of a surprise that the original came out on top even after 40 years.

Next: Halloween 2018: Every Reference And Connection To The Original Film