Summary:
- Halloween is the best time to binge through horror movie franchises.
- Ever since the 1970s, horror movies have become a part of pop culture and even Halloween.
- So, we have prepared the best list of horror movie franchises that you can binge this Halloween season.
H.P. Lovecraft once said, “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear.” Perhaps the same can be said about horror movies. Horror as a genre has existed ever since the 1920s, and it evolves with a movie bringing something new to the table every year. If you’re a person who gets in a spooky mood during Halloween and wishes to binge horror franchises from start to finish, we have the perfect list for you. We have also listed each movie of the franchise under its name.
Table of Contents
1. The Nightmare on Elm Street (1984-2010)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989)
- Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
- New Nightmare (1994)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
A Nightmare on Elm Street became a cultural phenomenon back when it came out, everyone was talking about Freddy Krueger. From Halloween costumes to references in other movies, Freddy Krueger definitely became an icon. That said, the character might be slowly dying since no new movies have been made since 2010.
Freddy Krueger’s character was created by Wes Craven, the same director who made the best Scream movies. The last Freddy movie came out in 2010. However, after Craven’s passing in 2015, Freddy has been stuck in a legal battle of ownership between the estate of Wes Craven and New Line Cinema.
2. Final Destination (2000-)
- Final Destination (2000)
- Final Destination 2 (2003)
- Final Destination 3 (2006)
- The Final Destination (2009)
- Final Destination 5 (2011)
- Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
Final Destination is one of those “fun” horror movie franchises. The movie begins, and you know everyone’s going to die, and you’re here for it, but it’s the way they die that’s fun. For most millennials and Gen Z, the Final Destination franchise carries a heavy dose of nostalgia, which is why the franchise came back with a new movie, 14 years after the last one was released.
Final Destination: Bloodlines is a rare gem in today’s era of disappointing horror sequels that are nowhereclose to the original. Bloodlines not only lives up to the original Final Destination but also surpasses it. And the best part? A seventh entry is already in the works.
3. Friday the 13th (1980-)
- Friday the 13th (1980)
- Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
- Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982)
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
- Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
- Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988)
- Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
- Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
- Jason X (2001)
- Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
- Friday the 13th (2009)
Friday the 13th is one of those horror movie franchises where the studio just won’t let it die or, if you’re at it, make a good movie. It’s baffling to see that ever since the release of the first movie, Jason has had eight movies back-to-back, with each worse than the last.
The studio even followed up Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter with a new movie just within one year. That said, Jason is one of the most iconic characters in pop culture, having appeared in various movies, games, and even having a crossover with Freddy Krueger. However, the franchise is far from dead because a brand-new Friday the 13th remake is in the works, but no new details have been revealed.
4. Evil Dead (1981-)
- The Evil Dead (1981)
- Evil Dead II (1987)
- Army of Darkness (1992)
- Evil Dead (2013)
- Evil Dead Rise (2023)
- Evil Dead Burn (2026)
Evil Dead, though successful, doesn’t have a whole slew of movies being pumped out every year. Sam Raimi followed his original Evil Dead with Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, both of which took the horror movie franchise in bold directions.
The 2013 reboot of Evil Dead was also well received. While obviously up to the original movie, it delivered gory visuals with a fun plot. Since then, we have gotten Evil Dead Rise, which is set to get a sequel in 2026. All in all, Evil Dead is a tight franchise, with each movie offering something unique.
5. Omen (1976-2024)
- The Omen (1976)
- Damien: Omen II (1978)
- The Final Conflict (1981)
- Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)
- The Omen (2006)
- The First Omen (2024)
If you’re into religious horror movies, then the Omen series should be right up your alley. The first four Omen movies tell a connected timeline of stories about the Antichrist that is destined to bring chaos and destruction to humanity. Everyone tries to stop the birth of the child; however, the child, Damien, remains unstoppable.
The story revolves around Damien, how he grows up, inherits power, and his fate as the Antichrist. The latest movie, The First Omen, is a fantastic prequel that directly connects to the first Omen movie.
6. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974-)
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
- Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
- Texas Chainsaw (2013)
- Leatherface (2017)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is another iconic horror movie franchise that was released alongside other legendary titles like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. However, belonging to that era, Leatherface faces a similar ordeal of having quite subpar movies in the entire franchise. You can, however, watch the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is one of the best horror slashers ever made.
A new Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released in 2022, which wasn’t received well either. The franchise is set to reboot yet again, with a new movie, reportedly called Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Legacy, in the works. However, no details have been revealed.
7. Halloween (1978-)
- Halloween (1978)
- Halloween II (1981)
- Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
- Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
- Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
- Halloween (2018)
- Halloween Kills (2021)
- Halloween Ends (2022)
How can we end our list of the best horror movie franchises to watch during Halloween without mentioning the Halloween series itself? John Carpenter’s Halloween movie, released in 1978, is considered by many to be the first slasher movie. It cemented Michael Myers’s name in pop culture history alongside the likes of Jason and Freddy.
Since then, the studio has refused to let Michael die. He has appeared in multiple movies and has even been in Fortnite. Sadly, Michael Myers hasn’t stood the test of time. The new Halloween trilogy is what can easily be considered a cash grab that drags on for way too long, with no real reason to exist, but it’s still an enjoyable watch, especially during Halloween.
