Every Halloween Movie Ranked Worst To Best After Halloween Kills

In the end, though, there could be only one, and as is so often the case, the first is still the best.

Released in 1978 and igniting a horror craze that's outlived most of the people involved in its production, John Carpenter's seminal horror masterpiece Halloween is all about the tension and the characters. The violence here is surprisingly minimal, because Carpenter knows its build-up and its effects are what matters.

This psychological approach allows Carpenter to focus on the slow, gasp-inducing deaths of his characters, who through sharp dialogue become so much more than genre stereotypes, but fully-fleshed people we don't want to see fall.

Alongside this compelling approach to character, Halloween also deploys the rest of its staggering arsenal with clinical precision -- Carpenter's iconic score, The Shape's imposing figure, Curtis's blood-curdling portrayal of Laurie Strode, and its haunting opening scene.

Halloween is a stunning exploration of character, a meticulous slasher, a moody drama, and a blood-soaked tragedy all in one, and it will never be topped.