Halloween movies: order of Michael Myers films, including 1978 and Halloween Kills - and how to watch in UK

With Halloween on the horizon, what better way to get in the spooky spirit than with a movie marathon of the aptly named Halloween franchise.

There are two ways you can go about doing this - if you’re not fussed about continuity or anything like that, you can always opt to simply watch the Halloween films in the order that they were released.

However, if you want to do things properly this Halloween, then you’ll want to follow each storyline through, but this can get a little complicated.

The franchise is essentially split into four different timelines, and your best bet is to watch each independent timeline of movies before moving onto the next one.

Warning: spoilers for the Halloween franchise ahead.

The Original Timeline

Halloween (1978)

The original Halloween, released in 1978 and directed by John Carpenter, introduces audiences to serial killer Michael Myers for the first time.

In this film, we see Myers brutally stab his sister to death and after spending 15 years in hospital, he escapes despite the efforts of his childhood psychiatrist Dr Sam Loomis.

The night of Halloween, teenage babysitter Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, becomes the target of the deranged killer.

Where to watch: free to watch with a Netflix subscription, or Cinema Pass with NowTV, or available to rent via Sky Store.

Halloween II (1981)

The second film, written by John Carpenter but directed by Rick Rosenthal, see’s Myers once again put his sights on Laurie after miraculously surviving the events of the first film.

After the first film, Laurie was admitted to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital and it’s here that Myers tracks her down. It’s during this film that Dr Loomis discovers a hidden link between Myers and Laurie.

Where to watch: free to watch with a Netflix subscription.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

That’s right, we’re skipping Halloween III and going straight to Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.

It’s revealed that neither Myers nor Dr Loomis died at the end of Halloween II and the character that did survive, Laurie, actually died in an off-screen car crash, as Jamie Lee Curtis did not return to reprise her role.

Myers has spent 10 years in a coma, but after waking up he sets out after Laurie’s previously unmentioned daughter Jamie Lloyd, who grew up with a foster family.

Once again, Myers embarks on a killing spree, and now the entire city bands together to stop him.

Where to watch: free to watch with a Netflix subscription, or available to rent via the Sky Store. 

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

Michael Myers is truly an unstoppable killing machine - after surviving being shot down a mineshaft, he slipped into another coma and upon waking he, once again, went on a killing spree. This time, Myers is being stalked by Dr Loomis.

After surviving the last film, Jamie has been rendered mute by the events that happened, but appears to have forged a psychic link with the killer. She and Dr Loomis team up to put an end to Myers reign of terror for good.

Where to watch: free to watch with a Netflix subscription, or available to rent via the Sky Store. 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers revolves around the “Curse of Thorn”, a symbol that first appeared in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. The Curse of Thorn is revealed to be the source of Myers’ evil, and that Myers himself is a victim of a Druid cult.

This instalment of the franchisestars Paul Rudd as Tommy Doyle, who was one of the kids that Laurie babysat. Now in his mid-20s, Tommy takes care of Jamie’s baby following her demise in the previous film, and does everything in his power to protect the child from Myers.

This film was famously plagued with script changes, extensive reshoots and for being a mess in almost every way possible.

Where to watch: available to rent or buy from Amazon Prime Video.

Interlude: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Halloween III: Season of the Witch doesn’t actually slot into any of the Halloween timelines, so you can really watch it whenever you like in your movie marathon.

It is the only Halloween film not connected to Michael Myers in any shape or form as it was made in an attempt to turn Halloween into an anthology series with standalone films.

The film follows the evil scheme of the owner of a mask company plotting to kill the children of America on Halloween using a series of popular masks.

However, this film was not well received and the idea of an anthology series was ultimately abandoned.

Where to watch: free to watch with a Netflix subscription, or available to rent from Google Play or Amazon Prime Video.

The second timeline

In this timeline, watch Halloween and Halloween II as normal but do not progress in the same way as the original timeline.

In this timeline, the events of Halloween 4, 5 and 6 didn’t actually happen, and instead the third film you’ll move on to is:

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

To mark the 20th anniversary of the franchise, Jamie Lee Curtis returns in the role as Laurie Strode - the film attempts to rewrite Laurie’s death by saying that she faked it.

In Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, it’s revealed that she has been living under a different name (Keri Tate) in a bid to escape the murderous machine that is Michael Myers, but it proves futile as nothing can get in his way.

Where to watch: available to rent from Amazon Prime Video.

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

Michael Myers (again) returns to his hometown of Haddonfield (again) to have a final showdown with Laurie (again).

A year later, a reality TV show called Dangertainment sends six thrill seeking college kids into the childhood home of Myers where they have to stay the night. Things end about as well as you expect when Myers returns home.

Where to watch: available to rent or buy from Google Play or Amazon Prime Video.

The Rob Zombie timeline

After Halloween: Resurrection was panned, the franchise was handed off to director Rob Zombie in a bid to reinvent the series with full creative control.

Halloween (2007)

This 2007 version of Halloween is a remake of the very first Halloween film, starring Scout Taylor-Compton as Laurie Strode and Malcolm McDowell as Dr Sam Loomis.

The Rob Zombie version more or less follows the same beats as the original version, although it does spend a bit more time focusing on the murderous inclinations of Myers when he was still just a child.

While this version exists in a completely different universe than the John Carpenter original, Danielle Harris (who previously starred as Laurie’s daughter Jamie) returns instead as Laurie’s friend Annie.

Where to watch: available to buy or rent from Amazon Prime Video, Google Play or the Sky Store. 

Halloween II (2009)

Rob Zombie returns once again as director and Michael Myers continues to hunt down Laurie, set two years later after Zombie’s first Halloween film.

Dr Loomis also capitalises on his newfound fame writing a book about Myers.

Where to watch: available to rent or buy from Amazon Prime Video or Google Play.

The Blumhouse timeline

In this timeline, also known as The Blumhouse timeline, the events of basically all the other Halloween movies so far have not happened, bar the original Halloween in 1978 (kind of).

Blumhouse Productions is a production company known for producing mostly horror films, including the likes of Paranormal Activity, The Purge, Get Out and The Invisible Man.

Halloween (2018)

In this timeline, Michael Myers has been locked up following his killing spree in the 1978 film, however 40 years later, he escapes in order to - you guessed it - go on a murderous rampage.

However, this time around, Laurie is ready for him and with the help from her daughter and granddaughter they manage to trap Myers in the basement of a house that they then set on fire.

Where to watch: available to buy or rent from Google Play, Amazon Prime Video or the Sky Store. 

Halloween Kills (2021)

Michael Myers did not die in the basement of the burning house and after killing a few firefighters for fun, he heads off for another killing spree in Haddonfield.

This sequel picks up on the same night as the 2018 film, and even brings back some familiar faces from John Carpenter’s original movie.

Where to watch: Halloween Kills is currently not available on any streaming platforms or for purchase as it’s currently still running in cinemas in the UK. It was released on 15 October.

What order were the films released?

If you decide that you just want to watch the films in the order that they were released, this is what your watch list will look like:

• Halloween (1978)
• Halloween II (1981)
• Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
• Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
• Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
• Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
• Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
• Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
• Halloween (2007)
• Halloween II (2009)
• Halloween (2018)
• Halloween Kills (2021)

Yes, you read that list correctly - the franchise has three separate films titled Halloween and two titled Halloween II, so make sure you’ve got the right year when organizing your watchlist.

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