Let’s assume that you are not a scary movie fan, but as Halloween nears, you decide that it’s time you got into the scary frame of mind. What better place to start than the franchise named after the most terrifying day of the year? But let’s assume you have never seen one of these films. Well, here’s everything you need to know. Before we begin, you are advised to forget the name Halloween: Resurrection, trust me.

Starting with the first film, Halloween (1978), is the best film in the entire franchise. You cannot talk about horror or slashers without this classic being in the conversation. It’s here that you meet Michael Myers, an intimidating presence that kills without a word. It’s here that begins the lore of the boogieman for every following film. The original Halloween stands out due to its reputation as one of the earliest and most terrifying thrillers ever made. There is no graphic violence, and it runs on the rising tension and suspense through events that could very much happen in our world. No sequel stands up to this masterpiece and it still holds up to this day. From here, they all become about the kills and gore aspects that are synonymous with the slasher genre as Michael becomes similar to Jason Voorhees as an unstoppable killing machine. As you continue reading this, you are advised to think of all sequels as stories in separate universes, much like the multiple interpretations of Spider-Man and Batman from the past two decades.

Halloween 2 (1980) immediately follows the first film and was John Carpenter’s final work in the franchise, having only written the screenplay. It is a worthy follow-up, but with it we begin to see a step back from what made the first movie great and a step towards more common slasher film traits. You will get the same killer from here on out. He receives some minor tweaks to his character in different adaptations, but the man remains the same for the most part. The main differences come with each storyline.

The first, which follows up on Halloween 2, are three films that some have referred to as the “Thorn Trilogy,” which consists of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), through Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995). Michael reawakens after a decade-long coma upon hearing the existence of his niece, who he tracks back to Haddonfield to continue his pursuit of eradicating his family. These films loosely feature the ominous Cult of Thorn, a group connected to Michael that works in the shadows to ensure his safety for sinister reasons. For the most part, these three attempt to retain the tone and atmosphere of the original but sacrifice the tension Michael’s elusiveness brought to focus on his kill-count and inhuman qualities. Be warned, these films heavily feature scenes of child endangerment that may be troubling to some.