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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Play trailer 2:04 Poster for Halloween H20: 20 Years Later R 1998 1h 25m Holiday Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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54% Tomatometer 69 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Two decades after surviving a massacre on October 31, 1978, former baby sitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) finds herself hunted by persistent knife-wielder Michael Myers. Laurie now lives in Northern California under an assumed name, where she works as the headmistress of a private school. But it's not far enough to escape Myers, who soon discovers her whereabouts. As Halloween descends upon Laurie's peaceful community, a feeling of dread weighs upon her -- with good reason.
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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

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Critics Consensus

Halloween: H2O is the best of the many sequels, yet still pales in comparison to the original Halloween.

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Critics Reviews

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Aja Romano Vox H20 is far more character-driven than any of its predecessors. Oct 19, 2018 Full Review Derek Adams Time Out While Carpenter's film was all about economy and a skilful use of empty space, Miner's busy compositions have a cluttered feel that is echoed by superfluous orchestral music. Aug 16, 2007 Full Review Paul Tatara CNN.com I'm currently stuck watching the revival of a movie form that appalled me the first time around, then disappeared from view after a torrent of thoughtless re-workings that resembled bloody tape loops. Rated: 2/5 Nov 15, 2002 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Jamie Lee Curtis deserved better, as H20 manages to blend together the worst elements of the Halloween franchise with the worst elements of the teen-themed slasher resurgence of the late '90s. Rated: 1/5 Sep 11, 2025 Full Review Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Laurie goes through the mirror. She goes from a hysterical babysitter who can’t wait to return to normal life to a grown woman who knows that normal does not exist and accepts the monster within. Jun 10, 2024 Full Review Kat Halstead Common Sense Media It's a decent entry into the franchise, with solid performances and kills, but little in the way of additional flair. Mar 1, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mitch S This movie was never intended to breathe life into this bloated rotting corpse that was the halloween IP. It was an actually half decent way to end it all. Finally putting an end to a very drawn out franchise that was in death throes for years. Putting an end to the boogy man itsself michael Myers! Laurie strode's character makes sense being driven into being a functional alcoholic due to PTSD and paranoia that Michael is still alive. There is certainly issues in the characters and overall writing but the movie is not even close to the worst in the franchise. The ending is really what did it for me. She has her final confrontation with evil and does the smart thing. Pushes for absolute annihilation. Learning from the past and taking extreme measures. Eventually literally beheading the monster at the end. With a moment of a shred of humanity coming from Michael before he is beheaded. Sadly though in short order its followed up by a movie that completely undoes all of that. Could have been a solid ending to the franchise. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/09/25 Full Review Edward W Enjoyable sequel, definitely one of the strongest in the series. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/01/25 Full Review Isaac K. Okay movie confusing ending Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/26/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 25 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ages 17 and older!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/16/25 Full Review Fer O Halloween H20: 20 Years Later stands as one of the stronger entries in the long-running Halloween saga, successfully bridging the classic horror of the late 1970s with a late-’90s sensibility. The film’s greatest strength lies in its focus on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), offering a compelling look at how trauma lingers decades after the events of the original film. This new chapter doesn’t just revisit the terror of Michael Myers — it explores survival, resilience, and the haunting weight of the past. If there’s one flaw, it’s the infamous Michael Myers mask. Inconsistent and oddly expressionless at times, it detracts from the otherwise strong presentation and occasionally breaks the illusion of menace that defined the original. Still, this is a minor blemish on an otherwise well-executed film. The climax deserves particular praise. The final act delivers tension, catharsis, and a satisfying sense of closure — one that many fans, myself included, like to consider the true end of Laurie Strode’s story, before Resurrection disrupted that sense of finality. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/14/25 Full Review Rafael S Very good movie, unfortunately the last two movies left people scared of this horrible being, but it is a worthy continuation of the first and second movies. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/08/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Something is Wrong Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Something is Wrong 2:10 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Maternal Advice Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Maternal Advice 1:53 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - I'm Not Who You Think I Am Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - I'm Not Who You Think I Am 2:13 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Michael Myers is Dead! Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Michael Myers is Dead! 2:13 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Sarah's Unsuccessful Escape Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Sarah's Unsuccessful Escape 2:02 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Family Reunion Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Family Reunion 2:13 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - The Garbage Disposal Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - The Garbage Disposal 2:13 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Sneaking Into Campus Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Sneaking Into Campus 2:08 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Final Confrontation Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Final Confrontation 2:13 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Miss Whittington's End Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Miss Whittington's End 2:13 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Two decades after surviving a massacre on October 31, 1978, former baby sitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) finds herself hunted by persistent knife-wielder Michael Myers. Laurie now lives in Northern California under an assumed name, where she works as the headmistress of a private school. But it's not far enough to escape Myers, who soon discovers her whereabouts. As Halloween descends upon Laurie's peaceful community, a feeling of dread weighs upon her -- with good reason.
Director
Steve Miner
Producer
Paul Freeman
Screenwriter
Debra Hill, John Carpenter, Robert Zappia, Matt Greenberg
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Dimension Films, Trancas International Films Inc., Nightfall Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Holiday, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 27, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$55.0M
Runtime
1h 25m
Sound Mix
SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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