The iconic horror franchise returns with a stellar reboot of “Halloween.”

In 1978, the iconic slasher flick “Halloween” was first released in theaters. Directed by cinema legend John Carpenter, also responsible for films such as “They Live” and “Escape from New York,” “Halloween” is one of the most iconic films ever, as it popularized the slasher film genre.

Many people know the film’s iconic plot line. Michael Myers (Nick Castle) escapes from a psychiatric hospital as an adult after murdering his teenage sister when he was a boy. He partakes in a killing spree in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois, where Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), the central protagonist, lives.

“Halloween” is one of my favorite films ever. It has a great simplicity to it. The film has a classic score by Carpenter, and it has a great aesthetic. 

The first sequel, “Halloween II,” released in 1981 and was directed by Rick Rosenthal. Carpenter and his writing partner, Debra Hill, were involved in the film’s production. It took place immediately after the first film, focusing on Laurie and Myers once again.

Then, there is “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace and produced once again with Hill and Carpenter. Looking back at original reviews for this film, it was not well received. This was mainly because it didn’t have Myers and was its own self-contained story. Not having Myers doesn’t necessarily discount this film from being great. It has that Halloween season aesthetic with an iconic Carpenter soundtrack, and I certainly love it.

After three films, Carpenter and Hill had pretty much no further involvement with the sequels. There are five in total, not including the two remakes directed by Rob Zombie. These are all considered not to be near as good as the original movie, and they had some pretty laughable aspects.

“Resurrection,” the eighth installment, is known as the one where Busta Rhymes uses kung-fu to fight Michael Myers. “Resurrection” had Curtis return to the series, as well as “H20” the seventh, which is considered to be one of the better films of the series.

That leads to the 2018 reboot, which is definitely one of the best that the franchise has made. It tells its story as if only the events of the first film actually happened. The new film is directed by David Gordon Green, with Carpenter returning to work on the score. It is a wonderful return to form. While it is initially slow, it is a worthy successor to the original film and captures the aesthetic and simplicity of the original Halloween in an utterly satisfying way.