All 14 Halloween movies ranked from worst to best

1. Halloween (1978)

Halloween is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies of all time and remains the greatest Halloween movie ever created. The film introduced audiences to one of the most iconic horror villains of all time with the debut of Michael Myers and its impact on the horror genre cannot be overstated.

At its core, Halloween is a slasher film, but it’s so much more than that. Director John Carpenter’s masterful direction, combined with Jamie Lee Curtis’ breakout performance as Laurie Strode, creates a tense and terrifying atmosphere that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

The film’s plot centers around Michael Myers, who, as a child, murders his sister and is then locked away in a mental institution. Years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown to continue his killing spree. The film’s simplicity is part of what makes it so effective. There are no complex subplots or convoluted backstories – just pure, unadulterated terror.

Halloween’s success spawned an entire genre of slasher films, with countless imitators trying to capture the same magic that Carpenter created. But none of them have ever come close to matching the sheer terror of the original. The film’s legacy can be seen in countless horror films that followed as it helped to popularize the slasher genre and set the standard for how horror films should be made.