Naming movies in a popular franchise should be simple, as fans want to know where each film fits into the timeline. WhileHalloween Endsmakes sense since it’s the conclusion to this trilogy about Laurie Strode and Michael Myers, there are many other well-known movies that don’t offer up any clues as to what number movie they are.
Horror tends to be a genre with confusing titles, especially the more films that are made in a popular franchise. While audiences would definitely prefer easier names, that’s not always the case, leading to some head-scratching choices.
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Many comedy and drama franchises have an easy to follow title structure. Fans of theHarry Potterfranchise, for example, have read the books and therefore know the order of the films as well. TheHome Alonefranchisementions the number of each movie, from the belovedHome Alone 2to the less popularHome Alone 4: Taking Back the House,so there is definitely no confusion here. There is one genre that often has random titles for sequels: horror. There are some exceptions, but for the most part, the genre doesn’t make it easy to remember which films fit in where.
TheHalloweenfranchise is a perfect example of confusing movie titles. While the first five films are simple since there are numbers in front of them, fromHalloween III Season of the WitchtoHalloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, things go off the rails after this point.Halloween H20is a better movie than some think, but it’s hard to remember where this fits into the slasher franchise since the fact that it’s the seventh film isn’t clear.Halloween: Resurrectionsays nothing about its place in the sequence, either. It would be better if these two movies had titles with clear meanings behind them. Instead, they feel vague and random. While theH20refers to the fact that this film takes place 20 years after the 1978 story, it’s still not the best title.
In general, thetimeline of theHalloweenfranchiseis messy and confusing. Rob Zombie’s 2007 movieHalloweenand 2009 sequelHalloween IIchange the timing of events and reset the whole story. Then there are the 2018, 2021 and 2022 movies, which take place after the 1978 movie. These titles are slightly more logical since, of course, fans know that this trilogy has been released in the last few years.Halloween Endsmight be a controversial film but the title is smart and speaks to how this wraps up David Gordon Green’s take on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers.
It would be great if more horror franchises would follow the lead ofScream. While there’s definitely a debate to be had about whetherScream (2022)should have been calledScream 5, fans know that this is a commentary on rebooting a slasher franchise and in that sense, it works fine. The other movies are well-titled as it’s clear thatScream 2is a sequeland so on. The same thing can’t be said of several otherslasher franchiseswhich feature truly random titles.A Nightmare On Elm Streetis one example, asFreddy’s Dead: The Final NightmareandWes Craven’s New Nightmaredon’t explain what number each film is.
TheChild’s Playhorror franchise has complicated loreand it’s another example of confusing title sequences. While the first three movies are well-titled,Bride of Chuckyis the fourth movie and while it’s fun to watch Chucky team up with Tiffany Valentine, it’s hard to recall where this fits into the franchise. The final three filmsSeed of Chucky,Curse of Chucky, andCult of Chuckyalso have poor names. It’s impossible to remember that they are the fifth, sixth, and seventh movies.
Fans likely remember the content of some of theseChild’s Playmovies.Seed of Chuckywas ahead of its timeand it’s heartwarming to see Chucky and Tiffany care about Glen/Glenda. But it’s definitely trickier to recall the plot points ofCurse of ChuckyandCult of Chucky, which were released in 2013 and 2017. The storylines about Nica Pierce (Fiona Dourif) definitely blend together.
While horror fans are of course delighted when their favorite franchises have new entries, there’s something to be said for simplicity. Every new movie should have a number in the title, which will also serve the purpose of making it easier to rewatch in a movie marathon. And if this isn’t going to be the case, then the title should at least be logical and explain exactly what’s going.Halloween: Resurrectiondoesn’t speak to what really happens in this movie, which is that Laurie tragically dies to the disappointment of many fans, and there are many slasher franchises that deserve better titles.
