40 years after the Haddonfield murders in 1978, Michael Myers (The Shape) is back on our screens on October the 19th to prove that things still go bump in the night. As one of the most anticipated instalments to the Halloween franchise, many slasher fans can’t wait to see the showdown between Michael and his sole survivor, Laurie Strode, even after all these years.
With every major film franchise getting sequels, prequels, remakes and reboots, we can lose track of the ones that stood out, and the ones that didn’t. TotallyMoney has created an interactive tool and infographic that explores the scores of films in the Halloween franchise (as well as other major film titles) to compare how critics and audiences have received them, and to find the highest rated movie franchise in cinematic history.
Is It Halloween Yet?
October 19th calls for the Ruby anniversary of one of the most popular seasonal films to ever to hit the silver screen. Fans and critics alike will be comparing how the latest instalment will stack up against the original films and whether it’s rated higher than its predecessors.
- Halloween – 1978 is the year Halloween made its debut, redefining the slasher genre and introducing the audience to Michael Myers. The first instalment was loved by critics, receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%, which is still the highest of all the films in the franchise.
- Halloween II – As a direct sequel to its predecessor, Halloween II was released in 1981. Unlike the first instalment, this film wasn’t as well received only getting a score of 31% on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Halloween 3: Season of the Witch – Halloween 3 was the first of the series to step away from the slasher genre – Making 14 million in the box office (only 2 million less than Halloween 2) – although it did get a higher Rotten Tomatoes rating of 37%.
- Halloween (2018) – Thanks to critics and journalists who have had pre-screenings of the film, we already have an inclination of what to expect. Currently, Halloween (2018) has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 86% – which is much higher than any of the instalments after the first film in 1978. In fact, on IMDb, it has a user rating just higher than the original film at 8.0/10.
Battle Of The Slashers
At some point, everyone has wondered who would win out of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees? If we’re talking about the fear factor they’d probably equal in level, however, if we looked at the slasher genre as a whole, where would the major slasher movie franchises rank in the critics’ eyes?
- You can’t cheat death: Final Destination: A unique thriller/slasher made in the 2000’s that showed the characters and the audience why you can’t cheat death – getting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 34% and an IMDb rating of 6.7/10.
- Always check your blind spots: Halloween (2018): After 40 years Michael Myers will return once again to haunt our screens and our thoughts – when Halloween started in 1978 it redefined the slasher genre, always coming back to remind us what fear is. Currently, the newest instalment to the Halloween saga already has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 86% and an IMDb rating of 8.0/10. Although because the film has not been officially released yet – fans still eagerly await to see what the masked murderer has in store.
- No longer just a day: Friday the 13th: If someone mentions the words hockey mask and machete in the same sentence, you already know who an what they are talking about. Jason Voorhees (AKA the man that made you fear summer camp, mysterious lakes and the woods) made his debut in 1980 – receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score of 59% and a 6.5/10 user rating on IMDb.
- Don’t Go To Sleep: A Nightmare on Elm Street: We’ve all heard the phrase you “can run but you can’t hide” – Freddy Krueger’s version would be you can’t run, hide or dream. This classic American slasher took to the screen in 1980 and was highly rated by the critics – scoring 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.9/10 on IMDb.
These franchises will always be the heavy hitters when it comes to the slasher genre and as Halloween (the day not the film) approaches, fans and critics will be reminded why they were afraid of the dark.
TotallyMoney covers the full story – from start to finish – showing how franchises have risen and fallen from film to film. Take a look at the interactive guide here or the infographic here and get a comparison of each film in each franchise over a variety of genres.
