Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

R

1998

1h 25m

Holiday

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Two decades after surviving a massacre on October 31, 1978, former babysitter Laurie Strode 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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Critics Consensus

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

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Aja Romano

Vox

Oct 19, 2018

H20 is far more character-driven than any of its predecessors.

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Derek Adams

Time Out

Aug 16, 2007

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.

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Paul Tatara

CNN.com

Nov 15, 2002

2/5

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.

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Brian Bisesi

Horror Movie Club Podcast

Oct 28, 2026

2.5/5

Halloween H20 has a strong performance by Jamie Lee Curtis, and gives a compelling look into where she is now. But the suspense is lacking, the mask isn’t as haunting, and the plot and character relationships are unfulfilling.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11, 2025

1/5

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.

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

Jun 10, 2024

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.

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Nolan M

@vyzee 3 days ago

Truly a huge upgrade!

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Jacob B

@JB3.0 Oct 31, 2026

Yes, H20 is the best of the Halloween sequels prior to the 2018 film. No contrarian opinion here. It helps to have an advantage of having a low bar to clear thanks to preceding entries becoming more convoluted, meaning that clearing the board was the only way to help this IP regain some level of respect, before the 2018 film went one step further. It ain't perfect. "First Installment Wins" aside, there're clear Scream vibes and an annoying number of cheap jumpscares. Not to mention Michael Myers' eyes being visible resulting in some goofy expressions that detract from his menace + that brief bit where the mask turns into bad CGI. Fortunately, a back-to-basics approach, Jamie Lee Curtis's strong performance and well-directed, genuinely suspenseful scenes make this an enjoyable slasher film that's also unexpectedly heartwarming, most notably during one scene with JLC's actual mother. Would've been a decent conclusion but apparently Michael Myers REALLY wanted to work with Busta Rhymes.

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Melissa L

@Agent99 Oct 31, 2026

It was an okay Halloween. However, she has a son in this movie, but in the next movie, she has a daughter. I wish movie franchises wouldn't make this kind of mistake.

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Jack S

@JackSV Oct 25, 2026

I actually thought this was great. End it’s where the series should have ended.

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Kevin G

@RT09447547 Oct 18, 2026

I love this film. Way better than halloween 5 and 6. I think its up there with og,2, and 4. though there is a few stuff i hate. overall a great film that i reccomend.

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Alex B

@AlexBioni Sep 22, 2026

I Can't, I'm Getting My Nipples Pierced I'm not totally sure how we ended up here after 6, but you know what you're getting into. Michael stalks and kills people. This feels totally 90s and very much like fall. The opening kills had me thinking, oh okay, we got something going here. Brutal Michael. It doesn't make sense that Laurie is presumed dead in 4, only for Laurie to have another kid here. This also removes 4, 5 and 6 from the timeline but doesnt tell you that. It's weird having a reboot, not reboot movie. This isn't Scream. I liked all the characters this time. They had a reason to be there, and the movie fleshed them out. Jamie Lee Curtis being back was great, and I liked her arc. I liked the school setting instead of the same old town. Scream 2 on the TV was great. The kills were unique, and that ending was crazy. Overall, it's the same type of movie as the rest, but it reminds me of New Nightmare. The Creed song during the credits earns this an extra half star.

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Steve Miner

Director

Jamie Lee Curtis

Laurie Strode

Adam Arkin

Will Brennan

Josh Hartnett

John Tate

Michelle Williams

Molly Cartwell

Adam Hann-Byrd

Charles "Charlie" Deveraux

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Something is Wrong

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Maternal Advice

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - I'm Not Who You Think I Am

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Michael Myers is Dead!

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Sarah's Unsuccessful Escape

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Family Reunion

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - The Garbage Disposal

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Sneaking Into Campus

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Final Confrontation

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Official Clip - Miss Whittington's End

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Halloween H20: 20 Years Later: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Two decades after surviving a massacre on October 31, 1978, former babysitter Laurie Strode 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, Mystery & Thriller
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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