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Halloween II

Play trailer Poster for Halloween II R 1981 1h 32m Holiday Horror Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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33% Tomatometer 46 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
After failing to kill stubborn survivor Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) and taking a bullet or six from former psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), Michael Myers (Jonathan Prince) has followed Laurie to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where she's been admitted for Myers' attempt on her life. The institution proves to be particularly suited to serial killers, however, as Myers cuts, stabs and slashes his way through hospital staff to reach his favorite victim.
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Halloween II

Halloween II

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Critics Consensus

Halloween II picks up where its predecessor left off - and quickly wanders into a dead end that the franchise would spend decades struggling to find its way out of.

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Critics Reviews

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Aja Romano Vox As films go, however, Halloween 2 isn't very good. Oct 19, 2018 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Rick Rosenthal, who directed this 1981 sequel, doesn't have Carpenter's expansive, affectionate way with stereotypical characters, and without it they're empty shells -- bodies waiting for the slaughter. Aug 27, 2007 Full Review Mike Emery Austin Chronicle A bad sequel to a good movie. Aug 27, 2007 Full Review Brian Rowe InSession Film Curtis and Donald Pleasence reuniting at the end always fills me with joy, as does the explosive final scene that feels so beautifully definitive. May 3, 2023 Full Review David Gonzalez The Cinematic Reel The tagline, “More of the Night He Came Home”, never felt truer than when watching Halloween II. Rated: 3.5 Jan 31, 2023 Full Review Cody Leach Cody Leach (YouTube) While not quite the timeless classic that the original has proven to be, Halloween II is still one of the most effective sequels in the franchise. The hospital setting paired with some memorably brutal kills shines above the fairly generic script. Rated: 3.5/5 Aug 19, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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William D This is an okay movie that was ruined by producers trying to force changes to the original story. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/09/25 Full Review Allan C I recently had the chance to rewatch the original HALLOWEEN on the big screen as part of a John Carpenter film festival, and afterward, I decided I wanted to rewatch all of the sequels. The original film is a slasher film masterpiece that helped establish the rules for the plethora of imitators that followed: the final girl, have sex, and you’re dead, the indestructible killer, the dead killer is not really dead, etc. Carpenter focused on suspense over kills and gore, which is where a majority of subsequent slasher films made their focus to their detriment. This sequel picks up immediately following the events of the first film, with Laurie Strode being taken to the hospital as the lone survivor of Michael Myers’ rampage (outside of the kids she was babysitting). “The Shape” follows Laurie to the hospital, where slasher mayhem ensues. Director Rick Rosenthal (BAD BOYS, the one with Sean Penn, not the Will Smith one, and RUSSKIES) does a pretty good job of imitating Carpenter’s style established in the first film, but kind of goes his own way in the second and third act in the hospital. Carpenter and Debra Hill co-wrote this sequel, and Carpenter and Alan Howarth also returned to compose the score. Original cinematographer Dean Cundey (JURASSIC PARK, APOLLO 13, and THE THING) also returned, as do both stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance in lead roles, which makes this sequel feel connected to the first film, which is a major asset. You even get Charles Cyphers returning as Sheriff Leigh Brackett for a short time until his character discovers his daughter’s murder, which Nancy Loomis even returns for in this sequel to play a corpse as the murdered Annie Brackett. Overall, although HALLOWEEN II offers nothing new and is nowhere as good as the original, it is well crafted and delivers exactly what audiences want out of a slasher film. It also features (SPOILER ALERT!) a decisive demise for Michael Myers, which we now all know was not the case, but is pretty satisfying at the moment. FUN FACT! Dana Carvey made his film debut in HALLOWEEN II, playing “assistant.” Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/04/25 Full Review Shaun R Ive always believed the franchise should’ve ended at 1. It was never going to happen but I did not expect over 10 further films. 2 is not a bad film, it’s just not an all time great like the original. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/01/25 Full Review J H Other than the cinematography of Dean Cundey and the cool version of the main title theme, this movie pretty much stinks. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/28/25 Full Review Garry A It moved slow. Some of the kills were cool and the ending was good, but it was boring in parts. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/26/25 Full Review John R Just as good as the 1st one Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/14/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Halloween II

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Halloween II

Halloween II: Official Clip - Hot Tub Horror Halloween II: Official Clip - Hot Tub Horror 1:32 Halloween II: Official Clip - The Desperate Crawl Halloween II: Official Clip - The Desperate Crawl 2:13 Halloween II: Official Clip - Why Won't He Die? Halloween II: Official Clip - Why Won't He Die? 2:49 Halloween II: Official Clip - Slippery When Bloody Halloween II: Official Clip - Slippery When Bloody 2:17 Halloween II: Official Clip - Mistaken for a Murderer Halloween II: Official Clip - Mistaken for a Murderer 2:01 Halloween II: Official Clip - The Burning Death of Michael Myers Halloween II: Official Clip - The Burning Death of Michael Myers 3:00 Halloween II: Official Clip - Syringe Stabbings Halloween II: Official Clip - Syringe Stabbings 2:10 Halloween II: Official Clip - Hammer to the Head Halloween II: Official Clip - Hammer to the Head 2:20 Halloween II: Official Clip - A Sudden Stabbing Halloween II: Official Clip - A Sudden Stabbing 2:13 Halloween II: Official Clip - Knifing the Nightshift Nurse Halloween II: Official Clip - Knifing the Nightshift Nurse 2:18 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis After failing to kill stubborn survivor Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) and taking a bullet or six from former psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), Michael Myers (Jonathan Prince) has followed Laurie to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where she's been admitted for Myers' attempt on her life. The institution proves to be particularly suited to serial killers, however, as Myers cuts, stabs and slashes his way through hospital staff to reach his favorite victim.
Director
Rick Rosenthal
Producer
Debra Hill, John Carpenter
Screenwriter
John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Production Co
Universal Pictures, Dino De Laurentiis Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Holiday, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 19, 2015
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Surround
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