10 Horror Movie Reboots (And Scoring How Successful They Were)

We already had a Halloween reboot in the form of Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007) and its follow-up two years later. Halloween H20 (1998) was also a recalibration of sorts, making an attempt to simplify Halloween's increasingly convoluted lore. However, it wasn't until Halloween (2018) that they found the ideal formula to reboot the franchise.

The latest Halloween film had the simple but brilliant idea to ignore the majority of the franchise, instead serving up a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s original 1978 slasher flick. This decision meant that fans of the franchise had some context for the reboot, and series’ star Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode - the unlucky fixation of notorious serial killer, Michael Myers - was also welcome news.

In David Gordon Green's 2018 offering, Laurie is traumatised because of her previous encounter with the Shape; her paranoid delusions and erratic behaviour have driven a wedge between herself and her daughter’s family. Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak and the film's supporting players all give engaging performances here, and while Michael Myers doesn’t get any more depth, the film is elevated by the ensemble cast at its core.

Halloween has a couple of surprises and is hugely enjoyable for its entirety. Other horror movie remakes can learn from the deft handling of this one and the importance of having characters that aren’t paper thin - with this a great contrast to Friday the 13th (2009).

The 2018 revisit to the Halloween franchise already has two sequels in the works, with Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends currently scheduled for release in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Reboot rating: 10/10