TheHalloweenfranchise is arguably the most famous horror movie franchise of all time. Michael Myers is synonymous with the Boogeyman, and his white, emotion-barren mask is as recognizable as any character design in Hollywood’s arsenal. Since first launching onto the silver screen in 1978, there have been a whopping 12Halloweenfilms. They have been made by different directors, featured different actors, and even had differing timelines. With the exception of one film, each Halloween entrant focuses on Michael Myers and his reign of terror and mayhem.
However, there is a conundrum to watching the Halloween films, especially for newer viewers. The quagmire is this: there are several narratives and timelines throughout the franchise. It gets confusing fast, especially considering that there have been multiple reboots in the 21st century.
RELATED:Is Halloween Kills A More Worthy Sequel Than Halloween 2?
One of theHalloweentimelines suggests that Michael Myers is a supernatural figure. Another says that his prerogative is to kill his younger sister. Yet another suggests that he just wants to go home to be left alone by greater society. MostHalloweenfilms claim that Michael Myers evil made flesh,while the Rob Zombie-directedHalloween entrants suggest he is the byproduct of a broken home and bullying. As one can deduce, theHalloweennarrative and timeline get confusing very quickly. However, there is a way to organize all of the various timelines.
Timeline One:Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween IV, Halloween VandHalloween VI
This timeline might be the most linear one, and the easiest to explain and digest.In the opening sequence ofHalloween, a very young Michael Myers murders his older sister with a butcher knife. He is subsequently institutionalized, but escapes on Halloween night fifteen years later. The first twoHalloweenfilms chronicle the return of an adult Michael Myers to Haddonfield, Illinois. The Boogeyman butchers his way through the town and its hospital without a second thought.
At the end ofHalloween II, Michael Myers is presumed dead by fire. However, he is rescued by paramedics in the beginning ofHalloween IV, much to their misfortune.Halloween IV, Halloween V,andHalloween VIall flow directly from the events ofHalloweenandHalloween II. Furthermore,Halloween Vpicks up exactly whereHalloween IVends, seemingly nodding to the flow ofHalloweenandHalloween II.
What breaks up the three later installments from the first two is that they portray Michael as a servant of evil, involving convoluted plots about dark magic and Samhain. The first two installments demonstrate Michael to simply be an out-of-control killer who is extremely hard to take down.
Timeline Two:Halloween III
Halloween IIIis the one film in the franchise that makes no mention of anddoes not feature Michael Myers. This story is about a toy factory in a dusty, forgotten town whose owner wants to destroy the world using some kind of Stonehenge-related witchcraft and hypnotism. This movie exists in a separate reality where the Michael Myers movies are just that: movies. Early in the movie, a commercial for the originalHalloweenplays on a television.
The film is quirky, bizarre, and very violent – it might have made a good film in its own right during the early 1980s, but is a bit misleading as aHalloweenfilm. Michael Myers had already become something of a pop culture sensation, so having a film in theHalloweencanon that did not feature him was probably a mistake.
Timeline Three:Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween H20andHalloween: Resurrection
As previously explained,HalloweenandHalloween IIflow together rather seamlessly. The latter takes off immediately where the former left off. However, the film runners probably recognized that the convoluted cult-and-dark-magic plots ofHalloween IV, Halloween V,andHalloween VIwere not in the spirit ofHalloweenandHalloween II.
Halloween H20released 20 years after the originalHalloweenfilm slashed the silver screen. It also takes place 20 years after the events ofHalloween, thoughHalloween H20takes place in California rather than Haddonfield, Illinois. This is becauseMichael Myers is hunting down his sister, Laurie, who survived the tragic events ofHalloweenandHalloween II, but was absent in the subsequentHalloweenfilms.
Furthermore, Michael Myers is presumed dead and decapitated at the end ofHalloween H20, but this was a clever bait-and-switch by the filmmakers that is resolved in the first few minutes ofHalloween: Resurrection.
Timeline Four: Rob Zombie’sHalloweenand Rob Zombie’sHalloween II
Rob Zombie’sHalloweenprojects were very much his own, and they stand aside from every otherHalloweenfilm. The eclectic director and musician made these films both remakes and a more pronounced origin story for Michael Myers.
The first of these projects takes its time exploring what eventually lead to Michael Myers becoming a mass murderer. An abusive, broken home and excessive bullying seemed to bring the young Michael to the brink. This makes Michael Myers a more sympathetic villain rather than just a young man who, in the original 1978Halloweenfilm, is said to have “the devil’s eyes.”
The second project delves back into witchcraft, much likeHalloween IV, Halloween V,andHalloween VI. It was not received well by critics or fans of the original franchise, and was Rob Zombie’s last stab at producing aHalloweenfilm.
Timeline Five:Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween (2018),andHalloween Kills
This final timeline is the third one to feature the originalHalloweenmovie andHalloween II. The fifth timeline completely ignores the events of every otherHalloweenproject besides the original two. WhereHalloween H20was a celebration of 20 years of Michael Myers, 2018’sHalloweenserved as a forty-year celebration of the Boogeyman. The story is a no-nonsense approach to the return of Michael Myers. It features an older portrayal of the villain, but one who is not necessarily hunting his sister. In fact, quite the opposite is true.
Michael Myers is once again presumed dead at the conclusion of 2018’sHalloween, but savvy fans of the franchise are too wise to fall for that ploy again. In the opening few minutes ofHalloween Kills, the most recent installment in the franchise, Haddonfield firefighters extinguish the blaze that takes down Laurie Strode’s house, with Michael trapped in the basement. Michael Myers emerges from the burning house and makes mincemeat of the firefighters with extraordinary and explosive violence. He absolutely rampages throughout Haddonfield, setting up a 13thHalloweeninstallment set to hit theaters in 2022. This film will serve as the conclusion of a trilogy: 2018’sHalloween,Halloween Kills, andHalloween Ends.
As one can see, theHalloweennarrative gets blurry and confusing rather quickly. Audiences can sort of choose which timeline they prefer. No matter which someone chooses, there is sure to be plenty of slashing goodness ahead.
Halloween Endsis currently scheduled to be released on October 14th, 2022.
