The Most Iconic Scene From Every Movie In The Halloween Franchise
One of the best faceoffs in all of cinematic history comes from the infamous serial killer, Michael Myers, and the only person to ever evade and beat him, Laurie Strode. The "Halloween" franchise has become one of the most popular horror franchises, mostly because of the fixation Michael and Laurie had on taking each other down. Film after film, audiences watched with bated breath as Michael relentlessly stalked and tormented the town of Haddonfield, Illinois, and Laurie in particular.
In 2022, after 13 movies, "Halloween" seemingly ended. Laurie came out of the flames victorious, defeating Michael once and for all and showing off his body to prove it. However, the road to get to the killing of Michael was a long one, and had many ups and downs — and many deaths of main characters we grew to love along the way.
Though at times certain scenes in the "Halloween" franchise can be hard to watch — looking at you, Rob Zombie — there are many sequences from the films that have become staples of the series and of the genre in general. Each film has at least one memorable scene that true "Halloween" fans will remember. Read on to see the most iconic scene from each of the 13 installments in the "Halloween" franchise.
Halloween
It is truly difficult to choose just one iconic scene from the film that started it all. There are countless moments that come to mind as iconic from the first "Halloween" film: Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) walking home and seeing Michael (Nick Castle) behind the bushes, Dr. Loomis' (Donald Pleasance) monologue about the horrors of Michael, and the chase scene while Laurie fights to get in Tommy's (Brian Andrews) house. However, there is one part in the film that always stands out as a testament to not only the tone of the franchise but to both Michael and Laurie's character traits, as well: the closet scene.
Laurie, after being seriously injured and doing her best to save Tommy and Lindsay (Kyle Richards), thinks she has killed Michael. However, he is not actually dead — a common thread in all 13 films — and Laurie protects the children before hiding herself. She gets into a closet, anxiously waiting while Michael shakes the door to get it open. Eventually, Michael breaks through the door and turns on the light, and Laurie, the fighter she is, grabs a wire coat hanger and thrusts it at the killer. She stabs him in the face, which causes him to drop his knife and she escapes. This scene shows just how relentless both characters are in their own right: Michael to kill, and Laurie to survive.
Halloween II
Though Laurie bests Michael in the first "Halloween" film, there are many more to come. "Halloween II" picks up just mere moments after the first film ends. After Dr. Loomis tries to shoot him, Michael (Dick Warlock) escapes and figures out that Laurie is being kept in the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital and heads straight there. After an entire film filled with tense scenes, struggle, and violence, Laurie and Michael finally get to the big ending standoff with the most iconic scene of the film: Laurie shooting Michael right in the eyes.
Laurie and Dr. Loomis run into an operating room to hide from Michael. Dr. Loomis is stabbed by Michael, rendering his help useless for the moment. He manages to slide his gun over to Laurie, who is hiding in the corner. She waits until Michael closes in on her, and then shoots him twice — once for each of his eyes. The camera cuts back to Michael, as each of the eye holes from his mask begins pouring out blood.
Michael, unable to see, begins swatting his knife around the room in a last-ditch attempt to kill Dr. Loomis and Laurie. The two injured survivors fill the room with gas and blow it up to let Michael burn. This scene has an unbelievably iconic shot of Michael standing still as each of his eyes bleeds. Laurie's smarts and perseverance are once again proven, and the audience gets a memorably intense scene.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
The excitement and horror of the Michael and Laurie standoff are what kept the audience coming back for more all these years. However, for the third "Halloween" film, director Tommy Lee Wallace took John Carpenter's idea to make the "Halloween" franchise an anthology series all about the horrors of Halloween night and ran with it. Unfortunately, this idea did not hold up for audiences and received mostly negative reviews. This was mostly because our favorite characters, Laurie and Michael, did not appear in the film at all.
That is not to say there are not some horrific moments in the third installment of the franchise, though. In this film, there is one scene, in particular, revolving around the jack-o-lantern masks and their deadly nature that is haunting to watch. In a test room, a child wears the mask and decides to watch some TV. However, the television activates the microchip in the back of the mask, and the child begins to writhe in pain. The mask melts, and cockroaches and snakes begin to crawl out of it and onto the dead child's body.
Visually, this scene is one of the most skin-crawling scenes of all. The fact that the child is dying and cannot do anything about it is already twisted, but coupled with the way the cockroaches and snakes erupt from every bit of the mask makes the scene even viler.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
In the fourth installment of the "Halloween" franchise, one-half of the iconic duo returns to the screen. Michael (George P. Wilbur) is back by popular demand and with more of a tendency for killing than we have seen before. In this film, Michael awakens from his decade-long coma to once again terrorize the town of Haddonfield. This time, he targets his niece and Laurie's daughter, Jamie (Danielle Harris), who is living with her foster parents and their teenage daughter, Rachel (Ellie Cornell). There are a lot of tense moments in this film, particularly in the end when Michael's evil tendencies manifest themselves in Jamie, but the most iconic scene comes from the intense chase onto the roof.
Michael is pursuing the family and trying to murder everyone in sight, so Rachel takes Jamie and runs away to the attic. Rachel helps Jamie through the window, and the two sisters climb onto the roof. Jamie is lowered safely to the ground, but Michael attacks Rachel and sends her falling off the roof. Though Rachel does not die, she is definitely injured. The scene is wildly tense, but Rachel's actions are reminiscent of Laurie's in protecting the children she is responsible for while trying to survive herself. Rachel's quick thinking saves both her life and Jamie's and proves just how brave she truly is.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
The fifth installment of "Halloween" again focuses on Michael and Jamie again, but this time things are taken up a notch. Michael (Don Shanks) is filled with a vengeance after failing to kill Jamie the first time, so he comes back to Haddonfield to attack her once more. Jamie, who is in the Children's Clinic after attacking her foster mom at the end of "Halloween 4" has developed a telepathic link to Michael and tries to warn everyone that he is still alive. Jamie is relentlessly chased and hunted down by Michael who ends up back at his childhood home while in pursuit of Jamie.
This is where the iconic laundry chute scene happens. Jamie is doing her best to escape but knows she needs to hide. She crawls into a laundry chute, hoping Michael will not realize she is there. Michael opens the shoot and tries to stab her, but she sends herself flying down it to avoid him. Michael meets her at the bottom, though, and she is forced to climb through the top to escape.
Her escape through the shoot is one of the most intense and terrifying scenes in the franchise, but certainly the most horrific and iconic of this film. The child is put in an impossible position to avoid Michael, who is hellbent on killing her. This scene is the perfect way to explain the tone of not just this film, but the whole "Halloween" franchise.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
"Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" aims to wrap up the storyline from "Halloween 4." Though the fourth and fifth installments were not as great in comparison to the first two, this film does a great job of bringing in more relevant characters and drawing in the audience's attention. The film is set six years after the events of "Halloween 5," where Jamie and Michael have been abducted by the Man in Black cult leader. Jamie, now 15 years old, gives birth to a child and is able to escape — but Michael escapes too.
The film really revolves around Tommy (Paul Rudd), who is now grown up and lives across the street from Laurie's adoptive family, including Kara Strode (Marianne Hagan). In the iconic scene from this film, Tommy works to save Kara after she's been abducted by the Man in Black. However, when he finally finds Kara and is trying to break her out, Tommy sees Michael (Wilbur) in person for the first time since his childhood. He advances toward Tommy, but Tommy saves Kara and gets them both to safety in the nick of time.
The scene is so powerful mostly because of Rudd's acting. It is unimaginable to think of Tommy's feelings seeing his childhood tormentor face to face for the first time since that haunted night. Rudd's emotions entirely bleed through the screen and into your heart.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Finally, with the seventh installment in the "Halloween" franchise, the audience gets dear Laurie back. Michael (Chris Durand) and Laurie face off once more, and this time, it is more intense than his vendetta with Jamie or even his initial killing spree. "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" features Laurie, hiding out after faking her death to avoid encountering Michael. She is working at an academy but is left alone with just a few people when the whole school goes on a trip.
The iconic scene from this film has the same energy as the pick from "The Curse of Michael Myers," but is more terrifying. Laurie's son John (Josh Hartnett) and his girlfriend Molly (Michelle Williams), are attacked by Michael and chased through the school. Laurie sees them running for help and quickly lets them in. However, through the small window, Laurie and Michael come face to face for the first time in 20 years, separated only by a thin piece of glass.
The scene is filled with tension, not only from the chase but from the fact that Laurie does not yet know what is going on. When she comes face to face with Michael, there is horror, trauma, and endless fear on her face. This scene sparks more avenues for faceoffs between these two iconic characters.
Halloween: Resurrection
The sequel to "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" is "Halloween: Resurrection" (aka the one that Carpenter said made him cringe). This film follows the trend of putting Laurie in the hospital after the events of its predecessor, but this time she is institutionalized after killing a man who she thought to be Michael but turned out to be innocent. Now, Michael (Brad Loree) is on the hunt for Laurie and will do anything to take her down. Laurie expects him to come and try to kill her, so she sets up a trap for him. That is when the iconic scene takes place.
Laurie succeeds in hanging Michael upside down from a roof, ready to drop him to his death. However, she is too nervous about killing the wrong person again, so she tries to take off his mask to make sure she has the right man. In the process, Michael grabs her, the rope snaps, and the two are hurdled over the side of the building. Michael grabs onto the roof, stabs Laurie in the back, and she plunges to her death, promising to see him in hell.
Her death is anticlimactic, but the way Laurie confronts Michael and traps him is well done. Though this film takes place in a different timeline than the latest trilogy of "Halloween" films, the fact that Laurie dies by Michael's hand and he eventually dies by her hand makes it all the better.
Halloween (Rob Zombie)
Part of why the "Halloween" timeline might seem confusing is because of the two Rob Zombie "Halloween" films, which have nothing to do with the Jamie Lee Curtis universe. Zombie recreated the concept of the "Halloween" films and the premise of the showdown between Laurie and Michael, but he did not make it the same way Carpenter conceptualized it. Zombie took many creative risks, and a lot of that had to do with exploring Michael's past and the treatment that led him to further his serial killer tendencies.
The iconic scene from this film actually comes from Michael's (Tyler Mane) treatment at Smith's Grove. The way these scenes are shot is really creative, and these scenes of him at Smith's Grove show the audience a glimpse into his mental state and how Michael is able to take the murder of his family and shove it into the back of his mind. The audience essentially watches Michael descend into insanity as he is being "treated" at Smith's Grove. The creativity of the cinematography in these scenes is duly noted, and it is really well-acted. However, as far as iconic scenes go, this is by far the last on our list.
Halloween II (Rob Zombie)
Zombie did not stop at just one "Halloween" film, though, Instead, he followed up the first film with a sequel in 2009, similar to the first two "Halloween" films in the canonical franchise. Just like in those films, Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton) wakes up in the hospital after having shot Michael. Laurie and Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) have similar confrontations with Michael in Zombie's version of the sequel as in Rick Rosenthal's "Halloween II" from 1981, but the end is a lot darker and sees Laurie losing her mind because of Michael instead of surviving through the horror.
This film does have one really iconic scene, though. As Laurie is still recovering from her trauma in the hospital, she has vivid nightmares about Michael and about dying at his hand. In one of the nightmares, she is back in the hospital and being chased through the halls by Michael. The scene is really intense, and Laurie ends up seeking help, but unable to get any. Michael breaks through the windows to get to Laurie, and right as he brings his axe down, Laurie wakes up from her dream.
This scene reels the audience in and really makes you feel like the stakes are high at that moment. Plus, because the Zombie "Halloween" films are not as great as the others, any scene that is well done would stand out.
Halloween (2018)
"Halloween H20: 20 Years Later" came out in 1998 (as the title tells you) two decades after the original film. Then, another 20 years later, the "Halloween" franchise was revamped once more with another trilogy. This time, though, Laurie's daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) are also being hunted by Michael (James Jude Courtney) and have to work together to take him down.
The iconic scene comes from the whole ending fight between the Strode girls and Michael. Laurie is thrown through a second-floor window onto the ground below, and Michael believes he has won. However, his attention turns when he hears Allyson come in, and he looks back to find Laurie is gone. Allyson and Karen hide in the secret room, which Michael quickly finds and gets the entrance open. Karen pretends to be scared so Michael will reveal himself, and she shoots him in the face. Laurie sends him down the stairs, where they trap and burn him alive.
This scene is one of the best examples of how to build tension and has great acting to boot. Greer's performance and the way she tricks Michael are absolutely phenomenal and a testament to how right Laurie was to prepare Karen for all of her childhood years. Plus, all three generations teaming up together to take Michael down is so good to watch that it will give you chills.
Halloween Kills
Just like the original two "Halloween" films, the second installment in the latest trilogy takes place just moments after the first film ended. "Halloween Kills," like the original sequel, mostly takes place in a hospital, with Laurie being injured after her fight with Michael (Courtney) in the previous film. However, this film plays on nostalgia and brings back characters like Tommy (Anthony Michael Hall) and Lindsey (Kyle Richards), the two children Laurie saved in the original "Halloween" film.
There are many iconic scenes from this film, like Tommy's final standoff with Michael and the opening scene with the accidental kill. However, the one that takes the cake comes early on when we see the three Strode girls in the aftermath of their big fight at the end of the first film. They are in the back of a pickup truck, racing to the hospital as Laurie bleeds out. While they are still full of adrenaline, they see fire trucks race past them and toward Laurie's house, where they are going to inevitably save Michael. Laurie yells "let it burn!" at the trucks, but it is no use. The fire is put out and Michael is saved.
This scene may seem simple, but the acting and sheer emotion that bleeds through the screen is surreal. The fact that it picks up right after the previous film and shows just how lucky Michael is to always survive, too, makes it even better.
Halloween Ends
The first two films in the latest "Halloween" trilogy mix the perfect amount of tension, campy horror, and comedy, all while having great acting moments — particularly for Jamie Lee Curtis. However, "Halloween Ends" falls flat. It takes place much later as we see Laurie and Allyson try to get on with their lives following Karen's death. Michael (Courtney) is gravely injured and tries to brainwash a younger, more agile kid, Corey (Rohan Campbell), who just so happens to be dating Allyson, to do his dirty work. There are not many intense or franchise-based nostalgia moments in this film, other than the one particular scene at the end: Laurie and Michael's final battle.
This might be their most intense and gory encounter yet. Laurie and Michael face off after Michael's apprentice has been killed. Laurie, always prepared, has a whole plan to trap him. The fighting goes back and forth, but Laurie is able to pin Michael down, unmask him, and kill him. As Michael fights back and chokes Laurie, a montage of all of their previous battles throughout the series is shown.
Then, Allyson comes in and finishes the job, and the grandmother and granddaughter take Michael's body away and get rid of him once and for all. The montage, the action sequence of the battle, and the fact that Michael officially dies all make this one of the most iconic scenes in the entire franchise, and certainly the most memorable in the film.