What 1978 horror film introduced the masked killer Michael Myers?

The 1978 horror film that introduced the masked killer Michael Myers is Halloween.

John Carpenter’s Halloween begins with Michael Myers murdering his older sister Judith as a child in Haddonfield, Illinois. Fifteen years later, he escapes from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and returns to town, where he stalks teenager Laurie Strode on Halloween night.

Michael is credited as “The Shape” in the original film’s closing credits, emphasizing his near-silent, seemingly unstoppable presence. Actor Nick Castle portrayed him for most of the movie, while the distinctive mask was modified from a cheaply purchased Captain Kirk mask.

Halloween helped establish the modern slasher formula and strongly influenced later films. Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th belong to the same broad horror tradition, but Michael Myers first appeared in Carpenter’s Halloween, which predates all three franchises’ defining killers.