Halloween

Play trailer

0:34

Halloween

R

1978

1h 31m

Holiday

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

92 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith's Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.

Critics Consensus

Scary, suspenseful, and viscerally thrilling, Halloween set the standard for modern horror films.

Read Critics Reviews

Richard Combs

Sight & Sound

Nov 20

It is one of the cinema’s most perfectly engineered devices for saying ‘Boo!’; it is also a good illustration of director John Carpenter’s philosophy of film and audience involvement.

Go to Full Review

Joseph Gelmis

Newsday

Nov 17

2.5/4

"Halloween" offers a familiar yet skillful suspense tale.

Go to Full Review

Tom Huddleston

Time Out

12/12/2024

5/5

It’s left largely to the cast to lend the film personality, which they do in spades: Jamie Lee Curtis’s casting was almost accidental (Carpenter wanted someone else) but the film might not have worked at all without her grounding, relatable presence.

Go to Full Review

Brian Bisesi

Horror Movie Club Podcast

Oct 29

4/5

John Carpenter’s score and Dean Cundey’s cinematography elevate Halloween to a genre-defining classic. Its style and atmosphere are still unrivaled by any of the imitators released in its wake

Go to Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 12

5/5

A masterclass in tone and tension, with the incredible cast adding an air of authenticity that actually makes you care about their fate. Slashers, and horror in general, don't get any better.

Go to Full Review

Joe Leydon

The Times (Shreveport, LA)

Aug 27

Cleverly photograph, brilliant edited, and carefully designed so that the frightening peaks are separated by few valleys, "Halloween" is so effective that it never needs blatant gore.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Maureen L

Nov 9

I Halloween (1978)! I go to the theater every Halloween to see it. Jamie Lee Curtis' performance is underrated imo. She does terror to well! Even the score is perfect. It works so well to add to the suspense and freight stirred up in the viewer. Halloween has stood the test of time and is an American cinematography classic for a reason.

See more

Joseph

Nov 1

The GOAT of slasher movies . The movie that started the trend. A definite must see.

See more

Derek G

Nov 1

It’s a classic and one of the GOAT horror moves for a reason

See more

Cameron O

Nov 1

This is horror. This film is so simple yet perfect. The pace, the music, the camera work is all top tier. Ive see this film over 20 times and every time I still go wow. Every time I get those small jumps even though I know its coming. This is horror at its finest.

See more

C3

Nov 1

Classic !!! Best Horror Movie of All Time.

See more

Rob

Nov 1

Not a perfect movie, but it's a classic that started the slasher formula we know and love today. The performances and soundtrack alone make it rewatchable while the atmosphere is also superb.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

John Carpenter

Director

Donald Pleasence

Dr. Sam Loomis

Jamie Lee Curtis

Laurie Strode

Nancy Kyes

Annie Brackett

P.J. Soles

Lynda

Charles Cyphers

Sheriff Leigh Brackett

Halloween II

35%

63%

Halloween II

Watchlist

Halloween: Resurrection

10%

24%

Halloween: Resurrection

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Halloween: Resurrection

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

47%

31%

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Watchlist

My Bloody Valentine

39%

52%

My Bloody Valentine

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The 10 Scariest Horror Movies Ever

Know Your Critic: Dani Bethea, Pop Culture Writer and Horror Connoisseur

New on Netflix in August 2022

Rotten Tomatoes is Wrong About... Halloween (1978)

51:31

Halloween: Event Trailer

0:34

Halloween: Trailer 1

2:40

Halloween: Halloween Oral History - Part 2

10:44

Halloween: Halloween Oral History - Part 1

10:42

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith's Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.

Director: John Carpenter
Producer: Debra Hill, John Carpenter
Screenwriter: Debra Hill, John Carpenter
Distributor: Compass International Pictures
Production Co: Falcon Films, Falcon International Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Holiday, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 1978, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 27, 2018
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $47.5M
Runtime: 1h 31m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now