Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

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Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

R

Released Oct 21, 1988

1h 28m

Holiday

Horror

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Popcornmeter

39%

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33 Reviews

54%

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50,000+ Ratings

The apparently comatose Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur) is being transferred from one hospital to another, but he wakes up when the ambulance crew talk about his surviving niece, Jamie (Danielle Harris). After slaughtering his attendants, Myers sets out to find his one living relative who is, fortunately, being cared for by a kind and resourceful foster sister named Rachel (Ellie Cornell). Meanwhile, the ever-cautious Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) remains on the killer's path.

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Critics Consensus

Halloween 4: The Return Of Michaels Myers may bring the series' masked killer back into the fold, but fails to offer the visceral scares and inventiveness of the original.

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Chris Stuckmann

ChrisStuckmann.com

You can tell that it felt very rushed and things were kind of clobbered together to make this movie at the last second.

Rated: C+

Nov 1, 2019

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Aja Romano

Vox

I need to state for the record that Donald Pleasence is a truly great actor... But he also loved to chew the scenery, and the middle period of the Halloween franchise gave him plenty to sink his teeth into.

Oct 19, 2018

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Variety Staff

Variety

Fourth entry in the Halloween horror series is a no-frills, workmanlike picture.

Aug 27, 2007

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

This is the first Halloween movie where I kind of get it. Once they allow Michael Myers to poke a hole in a skull with his thumb… the series has turned a corner. Now he’s not just a guy with a knife, his hands are knives too!

Rated: 7/10

Sep 23, 2025

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Embraces Halloween iconography a bit more heavily than other installments and having a young character serve as the protagonist breaks the mold but is otherwise a repetitive, dull snooze.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 12, 2025

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Brian Rowe

InSession Film

Sure, the mask doesn’t look great, and some of the supporting characters are pretty one-note, but Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers remains one of the finest of the franchise’s many sequels, a nostalgic classic that will never get old.

May 3, 2023

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Jake P

Halloween 4 is arguably one of the best films for me in the franchise. Dwight little is an incredible director and the town of haddonfield truly felt like how Midwestern Halloween should feel and look. I think he hit the nail on the head. The mask - the mask wasn't the original but it was scary. I wouldn't want to catch a side eyed glimpse of it in my house at night. I absolutely love everything about this film. The filming locations are great and the script was terrific. I applaud the entire crew. R.I.P. Donald Pleasance and George P. Wilbur

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/10/25

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Khaliel P

After the failed detour of the third film, Halloween 4 brings Michael Myers back in a direct sequel to Halloween 2. With Laurie killed off-screen, the story follows her young daughter Jamie, now the target of her murderous uncle. Despite surviving the previous explosion, Michael returns stronger than ever, and Loomis once again chases him while authorities ignore his warnings. The movie falls into the typical slasher formula—plenty of victims, gore, and dumb teens—but stands out by making a 7-year-old girl the heroine. Although Michael now terrorizes an entire town rather than just a hospital, the weak pacing and lack of explanation for his supernatural powers hold the film back, leaving it a middling entry: not terrible, but far from truly satisfying.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/25

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Brandon L.

My favorite in the franchise I love Danielle Harris’s performance even as a kid she puts on a stunning performance & of course Michael gotta love him

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/19/25

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Jayjay R

Halloween's back on track to go on the express train of misery. This movie doesn't help after the third movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

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Jason H

Nostalgia, and nothing more.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/06/25

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Riley V

My only gripe about it is that even though its the RETURN of Michael Myers, he is barely in it

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/08/25

Full Review

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Dwight H. Little

Director

Donald Pleasence

Dr. Samuel 'Sam' J. Loomis

Ellie Cornell

Rachel Carruthers

Danielle Harris

Jamie Lloyd

George P. Wilbur

Michael Audrey Myers

Michael Pataki

Dr. E. W. Hoffman

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Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The apparently comatose Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur) is being transferred from one hospital to another, but he wakes up when the ambulance crew talk about his surviving niece, Jamie (Danielle Harris). After slaughtering his attendants, Myers sets out to find his one living relative who is, fortunately, being cared for by a kind and resourceful foster sister named Rachel (Ellie Cornell). Meanwhile, the ever-cautious Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) remains on the killer's path.

Director: Dwight H. Little
Producer: Paul Freeman
Screenwriter: Alan B. McElroy
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Production Co: Trancas International Films Inc.
Rating: R
Genre: Holiday, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 17, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.9M
Runtime: 1h 28m
Sound Mix: Surround

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