Halloween movies in order

Thirteen films, five mutually exclusive timelines, and one entry with no Michael Myers in it at all.

Updated 4 August 2026 · 13 titles tracked

Halloween is the most fragmented franchise in horror. Thirteen films branch off the same 1978 original into five continuities that contradict each other, and three separate films are simply called *Halloween*.

The trick is to stop looking for one order. Pick a branch, watch it, and ignore the rest.

Every Halloween film, grouped by timeline

Each block is a self-contained continuity. They all start from the 1978 film and disagree from there.

Open the interactive Halloween list

The five timelines

All of them begin with Halloween (1978). After that they diverge completely.

The original continuity — 1978, Halloween II, then 4, 5 and The Curse of Michael Myers. Six films, and the only branch that uses the sibling twist all the way through.
The H20 branch — 1978, Halloween II, then H20 and Resurrection. Pretends parts 4, 5 and 6 never happened.
The Rob Zombie remakes — a full restart. Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009), connected to nothing else.
The 2018 trilogy — 1978, then Halloween (2018), Kills and Ends. Ignores every other sequel, including the sibling reveal.
Season of the Witch — Halloween III, which has no Michael Myers and no connection to anything. An attempt to turn the series into an anthology.

Which branch should I watch?

The 2018 trilogy if you want the modern version: Halloween (1978), then Halloween (2018), Kills, Ends. Three films plus the original, and it treats the 1978 film as the only history that matters.

The original continuity if you want the classic run. It gets sillier as it goes — by The Curse of Michael Myers there is a cult involved — but parts 1, 2 and 4 are solid.

Just the 1978 original is a completely respectable answer. It is a masterpiece and needs no sequel.

Is Halloween III worth watching?

Yes, if you know what you are getting. Season of the Witch has nothing to do with Michael Myers — the plan was for Halloween to become an anthology series with a new story each time. Audiences hated it in 1982 and the idea was abandoned immediately.

Viewed on its own terms it is a strange, nasty little film about killer masks and television advertising, and its reputation has recovered enormously.

Common questions

What order should I watch the Halloween movies in?

Pick one of five timelines rather than watching all thirteen in sequence. The 2018 trilogy is the most accessible: Halloween (1978), then Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.

Why are there three movies called Halloween?

The 1978 original, Rob Zombie's 2007 remake, and the 2018 direct sequel. Each starts a different continuity, and all three share the title.

Do I need to watch the other Halloween films before the 2018 one?

Only the 1978 original. Halloween (2018) ignores every sequel between them, including the twist that Michael and Laurie are siblings.

Why does Halloween III have no Michael Myers?

It was an attempt to turn the series into an anthology with a new story each year. The idea was abandoned after audiences rejected it, and Michael returned in Halloween 4.