How To Watch The Halloween Movies In Order? (Updated 2023)

The Halloween movies are a popular horror franchise that features the iconic masked killer Michael Myers and his nemesis Laurie Strode. The series has 13 movies so far, with the latest one, Halloween Ends, coming out in 2022. But how to watch the Halloween movies in order? 

There are different ways to enjoy the franchise, depending on whether you want to follow the chronological order of the events, the release date order of the films, or the different timelines that exist in the series. 

In this article, we will explain each option and tell you where to watch Halloween movies online.

Halloween Movies in Chronological Order

If you want to watch the Halloween movies in the order that the story unfolds, you will need to skip some films and jump between different timelines. This is because the series has been rebooted and retconned several times, creating different versions of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode’s history. Here is the chronological order of the Halloween movies:

1. Halloween (1978): The first and original film introduces Michael Myers as a child who murders his sister on Halloween night in 1963. He is then locked up in a mental institution for 15 years, until he escapes and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, to kill again. He targets Laurie Strode, a teenage babysitter who turns out to be his long-lost sister. Dr. Sam Loomis, Michael’s psychiatrist, tries to stop him. This film is considered a classic of the horror genre and established many of the slasher tropes. It is streaming on Shudder, AMC Plus, and IndieFlix, and for free with ads on Redbox.
2. Halloween 2 (1981): The sequel picks up right after the events of the first film, with Laurie being taken to a hospital and Michael surviving the gunshots from Loomis. Michael follows Laurie to the hospital and continues his killing spree, while Loomis learns more about Michael’s connection to an ancient cult called the Thorn. This film reveals that Laurie is Michael’s sister and ends with Michael being set on fire by Loomis. It is streaming on Peacock.
3. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988): After skipping the third film, which has nothing to do with Michael Myers, the series resumes with this film that takes place 10 years after the second one. Michael wakes up from a coma and learns that Laurie has died in a car accident, but has left behind a daughter named Jamie Lloyd. He escapes from a transfer to another facility and heads to Haddonfield to kill Jamie, who is living with a foster family. Loomis also returns to stop him. This film ignores the cult subplot from the second film and introduces a psychic link between Michael and Jamie. It is streaming on Shudder and AMC Plus.
4. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989): The fifth film follows a year after the fourth one, with Jamie being mute and institutionalized after stabbing her foster mother under Michael’s influence. Michael survives being shot by a militia and returns to Haddonfield to kill Jamie again, while Loomis tries to use her as bait to capture him. A mysterious man in black also appears in town, who seems to have a connection to Michael. This film continues the psychic link and cult subplot from the previous films. It is streaming on Shudder and AMC Plus.
5. Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995): The sixth film takes place six years after the fifth one, with Jamie being kidnapped by the cult of Thorn and impregnated by Michael. She gives birth to a baby boy and escapes from the cult’s headquarters, but is killed by Michael shortly after. The baby is taken by Tommy Doyle, a character who was one of Laurie’s babysitting charges in the first film. He teams up with Dr. Loomis and Kara Strode, a relative of Laurie who lives in the Myers house, to protect the baby from Michael and the cult. This film reveals that Michael is controlled by an ancient curse that compels him to kill his family members on Halloween night. It also features two different versions: a theatrical cut and a producer’s cut, which have different endings and scenes. It is streaming on AMC Plus.
6. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982): This film is an outlier in the series, as it does not feature Michael Myers or any of the previous characters. It is part of an abandoned plan by John Carpenter, the creator of the franchise, to make each Halloween film a standalone story with different themes and villains. This film focuses on a sinister plot by a novelty company called Silver Shamrock to kill millions of children on Halloween night using masks embedded with microchips that trigger a deadly signal when a commercial airs. It is streaming on Peacock.
7. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998): This film is a reboot that ignores all the films after the second one and creates a new timeline. It takes place 20 years after the events of the first two films, with Laurie Strode being alive and living under a new identity as the headmistress of a private school in California. She has a son named John and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Michael Myers tracks her down and attacks her and her son on Halloween night, while she decides to face him once and for all. This film features a cameo by Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis’ mother and the star of Psycho, another classic horror film. It is streaming on AMC Plus.
8. Halloween: Resurrection (2002): The sequel to H20 follows the events of that film, with Michael Myers surviving being decapitated by Laurie and switching places with a paramedic. He then kills Laurie in a mental hospital, where she has been confined for three years. He then returns to his childhood home, where a group of college students are participating in a reality show called DangerTainment, hosted by an entrepreneur named Freddie Harris. Michael kills the students one by one, while they are watched by online viewers. This film features an early appearance by rapper Busta Rhymes, who plays Freddie Harris. It is streaming on AMC Plus.
9. Halloween (2007): This film is a remake of the original film, directed by Rob Zombie. It explores the origins of Michael Myers, showing his troubled childhood and his relationship with his mother, sister, and Dr. Loomis. It also follows his escape from the mental institution and his pursuit of Laurie Strode, who is revealed to be his baby sister who was adopted by another family. This film is more violent and graphic than the original and gives more screen time and dialogue to Michael Myers. It is available to rent or buy on Amazon, YouTube, and Vudu.
10. Halloween 2 (2009): The sequel to the remake follows the events of that film, with Laurie Strode being traumatized by her encounter with Michael Myers and living with Sheriff Brackett and his daughter Annie, who survived Michael’s attack. Michael survives being shot by Laurie and has visions of his dead mother and a white horse, which guide him to find Laurie again. Dr. Loomis also returns, having written a book about Michael and exploiting his fame. This film diverges from the original sequel in many ways, such as having Michael speak for the first time and having Laurie discover her true identity earlier. It is available to rent or buy on Amazon, YouTube, and Vudu.
11. Halloween (2018): This film is another reboot that ignores all the films except the original one and creates yet another timeline. It takes place 40 years after the events of the first film, with Laurie Strode being a paranoid survivalist who has prepared for Michael Myers’ return. She has a strained relationship with her daughter Karen and her granddaughter Allyson. Michael Myers escapes from a prison bus transfer and heads to Haddonfield to kill Laurie and her family, while being pursued by Dr. Sartain, a former colleague of Dr. Loomis who is obsessed with studying Michael. This film features many references and homages to the original film and its sequels. It is streaming on Peacock.
12. Halloween Kills (2021): The sequel to the 2018 film follows the events of that film, with Laurie Strode being taken to a hospital after being stabbed by Michael Myers, who survives being trapped in a burning house by Laurie and her family. He resumes his killing spree in Haddonfield, while Laurie joins forces with other survivors of his previous attacks, such as Tommy Doyle, Lindsey Wallace, Marion Chambers, and Sheriff Brackett, to form a mob that seeks to end him once and for all. This film features more gore and kills than the previous one, as well as flashbacks to the night of the original film that reveal new details about Michael’s capture. It is streaming on Peacock.
13. Halloween Ends (2022): The final film in the trilogy will conclude the story of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, taking place four years after the events of Halloween Kills. It will deal with the aftermath of Michael’s rampage and the trauma that he has inflicted on the town of Haddonfield. It will also explore the theme of mob violence and how fear can turn people into monsters. The film is expected to be released on October 14, 2022, in theaters and on Peacock.