The ultimate ‘Halloween’ movie marathon: A chronological guide

*Video above: What is the most popular Halloween candy?

(WGN) — We all know there’s no shortage of scary movies to watch this time of year, but can you really go wrong with one that shares the same name as the holiday itself?

If you haven’t seen any of the “Halloween” movies, don’t fret!

Here’s a quick rundown of the “Halloween” films by release date — and how they fit into the franchise’s notoriously tangled timeline.

“Halloween” (1978)

The first and undoubtably best installment in the “Halloween” franchise and one of the greatest horror films of all time.

It’s when moviegoers first met Michael Myers, then just a 6-year-old boy who, on Halloween night 1963, murdered his older sister Judith with a kitchen knife for no apparent reason whatsoever.

Fifteen years later, Myers escapes from his mental hospital and heads back to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he preys upon a group of teenagers again on Halloween night, one of which is protagonist Laurie Strode, played by a budding Jamie Lee Curtis.

“Halloween II” (1981)

Money talks!

After the financial success of the first film, a sequel became inevitable.

More continuation than sequel, “Halloween II” picks up immediately where the original left off, following Laurie Strode to the hospital while Michael continues his killing spree.

“Halloween III: Season of the Witch” (1982)

While part of the Halloween franchise, this film is a stand-alone movie and has nothing to do with any other films in the franchise.

It’s the only installment that doesn’t feature Michael Myers as the antagonist and the only one to depart from the slasher genre, instead featuring a witchcraft theme laced with science fiction elements.

Despite grossing $14.4 million at the box office on a $4.6 million budget, “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” was the lowest-grossing film in the “Halloween” series at the time.

“Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” (1988)

Dismayed by low earnings, producers and studio executives pushed for a fourth film that featured the return of Michael Myers.

The result?

A film titled, well….. “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.”

“HE’S BACK” was also written on the film’s poster, a very Michael Jordan announcement-esq marketing campaign.

Rather than play a cat-and-mouse game with Strode again, Myers is instead after Strode’s orphaned daughter Jamie Lloyd.

Bear with me now, because here’s where the timeline starts to get messy.

Although this is the fourth film in the franchise, it’s really a sequel to 1981’s “Halloween II” as “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” is a stand alone film.

“Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers” (1989)

Michael Myers continues to try and murder Lloyd, with whom he now shares a telepathic connection.

This film is a direct sequel to “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.”

“Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers” (1995)

In this installment, Michael hunts Jamie Lloyd’s infant son, while the story leans heavily into the supernatural elements hinted at in “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.” Furthermore, it establishes Michael as part of a Druidic cult.

It’s a sequel to Halloween 5 and also features the first time Haddonfield’s location is shown on a map — a fun little detail for fans trying to pin it down geographically.

“Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” (1998)

No, this movie has nothing to do with chemistry or water, but it does have something to do with education.

The seventh installment of the “Halloween” franchise finds Laurie Strode working as the headmaster of a private boarding school in California when Michael tracks her down again.

“Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” serves as a sequel to 1981’s “Halloween II,” disregarding all the events of “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers” and “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.”

This is also the first film since 1981’s “Halloween II” to feature Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode.

“Halloween: Resurrection” (2002)

A direct sequel to “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later,” this one follows a reality TV show set inside Michael Myers’ childhood home.

Many critics and fans cite this as the worst film in the franchise.

“Halloween” (2007)

Director Rob Zombie reimagines the 1978 classic in this gritty remake that dives deeper into Michael Myers’ backstory.

“Halloween II” (2009)

The sequel to Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake — not to be confused with the 1981 version.

It takes the story in a much darker, more psychological direction.

“Halloween” (2018)

After being dormant for nine years, director David Gordon Green stepped up to the plate and revived the franchise with a trilogy of films, starting with 2018’s “Halloween.”

This film serves as a sequel to the 1978 original film, disregarding the events of all other films that came before it in the franchise.

It’s also the franchise’s first of three films to be produced by horror production company Blumhouse Productions, LLC., the same company that produced the “Paranormal Activity,” “The Purge” and “Insidious franchises, as well as the critically acclaimed stand-alone film “Get Out.”

“Halloween Kills” (2021)

Green’s second entry picks up immediately after the events of the 2018 film — much like 1981’s “Halloween II” did with the original.

“Halloween Ends” (2022)

The final film in Green’s trilogy (and the franchise, for now) pits Laurie Strode and Michael Myers against each other one last time in an epic showdown to end the saga.

Watching the films in the correct order

Confused?

You’re not alone. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the “Halloween” timelines:

Happy Halloween!