When a movie does exceptionally well at the box office, what’s typically the next step? Making a sequel of course! When something works, naturally - especially in today’s movie-making world - studios will want to capitalize on a movie’s success and give the audiences more of what they enjoyed.
And that couldn’t be any more true for the horror genre. Many of the biggest horror films of all time have all gotten the sequel treatment. And it’s easy to see why. You can simply update a setting or bring in new characters, and as long as you find a way to bring back the previous film’s major villain, you could in theory make as many sequels as you want. And this has led to some of horror’s biggest figures to be as widely recognized as they have, from Freddy Krueger to Michael Myers and everyone in between.
The horror genre has been doing well for itself these days, and sequels are still proving to be very popular with both audiences, and even critics, with the recently-released Doctor Sleep - both an adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name, as well as a sequel to the Stanley Kubrick film The Shining - continuing that trend.
To coincide with the release of Doctor Sleep, here’s a look at ten of the best horror sequels (in alphabetical order):
1) Aliens
Including this one is slightly cheating. Ridley Scott’s Alien is a classic in the horror genre, capturing both the feel of a slasher movie as well as the desolate feel of being trapped in space. And it went on to spawn a whole franchise. The thing is though, while most of the sci-fi franchise is tied to horror, the first sequel, directed by James Cameron, took on more of a straight-up action approach to the franchise. It’s still extremely intense just like the first film, and in some ways it does retain bits of its horror roots, but it’s technically not a horror movie. Still, it’s an incredibly well-crafted film that is one of the best-known examples of a sequel being even better than its predecessor, and it would be difficult to make a list such as this and simply ignore this one.
2) Bride of Frankenstein
Horror sequels have been a thing since the dawn of filmmaking, going all the way back to the classic Universal monster movies. There have been sequels to The Wolf Man, Dracula, The Mummy, and nearly any other classic monster you can think of. Though the most remembered of the bunch is Bride of Frankenstein. It’s visually stunning, especially for a film in 1935, and still managed to contain some really gothic and dark imagery that managed to work its way around some heavy censorship issues, having been put into production after the implementation of the Hays Code. With plenty of iconic imagery and widely-interpreted themes, this is another film that has gone on to be considered an improvement over its predecessor and one of the greatest sequels of all-time.
3) The Conjuring 2
What’s great about the Conjuring films - specifically the main films - is that you can justify telling plenty of stories, as they’re all rooted in the real-life cases of paranormal investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren. And not only are they great portrayals of real life stories, but they serve as extremely well-made horror movies. Director James Wan is a man who knows his craft with telling an incredibly creepy horror movie without having to rely on jump scares, and not only was it apparent in the first Conjuring movie, but in the 2016 sequel. Based on the 1977 Enfield Poltergeist case that the Warrens investigated, the only real issue with the movie is that its pacing is slightly off at times, being about fifteen minutes longer than the first Conjuring movie. But overall, it’s full of frightening imagery, well-timed suspense-building, and solid acting that make it a truly memorable sequel.
4) Dawn of the Dead
While a sequel to the 1968 cult classic Night of the Living Dead, this actually contains none of the characters or actors from that film. Instead, this portrays the same zombie outbreak that began in the first film and shows it having spread to a much wider scale, focusing on a brand new set of characters as they attempt to combat the flesh-eating creatures. What makes this film so enjoyable to watch is its use of makeup and effects, done by the great Tom Savini. Filled with plenty of instances of fake blood splattered, as well as grey makeup to portray the zombies, these effects were unprecedented, and are rarely seen in film these days now that zombie films turn more to CGI. Proof that you can still make a convincing film without relying on such type of effects, this is a classic in the zombie genre.
5) Evil Dead II
Is it a sequel? Is it a remake? Well, technically it’s both. While taking place immediately after the first Evil Dead, it’s essentially the same exact movie all over again, with a few changes. The biggest being, it’s now funny. This did throw people off originally when the film was first released, though it still managed to receive positive reviews. In the years since, it’s gone on to become a staple in the horror genre, and is also considered one of the funniest movies of all-time. With an increased focus on bloody slapstick, this helped solidify star Bruce Campbell as one of the top cult stars in film, with his Ash Williams going on to become known as one of the most well-known characters in horror. Equal parts bloody and funny, this is a staple of the horror genre.
6) Halloween (2018)
While many Halloween fans largely enjoy the standalone sequel Season of the Witch the best, this reboot/sequel proves to be the most effective continuation of Michael Myers’ story, wiping the slate clean of everything that took place after the first film. And while some longtime fans were upset over that fact, this still proved to be a worthwhile continuation of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers’ story, led by a standout performance from Jamie Lee Curtis, who really transformed Laurie into a much more commanding, yet vulnerable, figure. Directed by David Gordon Green, who co-wrote the film with Danny McBride, there’s a much heavier emphasis on comedy in this film, which some fans found off-putting, but the film definitely did not skimp on putting Michael Myers into action, making this is a fun, terrifying, and hilarious continuation of the classic slasher film.
7) Happy Death Day 2U
The first Happy Death Day was a surprise hit for Blumhouse Productions, taking its Groundhog Day-esque premise and giving it a horror-comedy spin. While it was silly, it was a fun time, and worthwhile enough to green light a sequel. This time around, there’s still an emphasis on horror, though the story introduces elements of sci-fi as well this time around, giving the story a new layer of depth that surprisingly worked really well. Parts of it are essentially “more of the same” from the first movie, but what makes this a surprisingly compelling movie is its standout performance from Jessica Rothe, who is a really underutilized actress and can easily hold her own in films with much more weight to them. Equal parts funny and tragic, Happy Death Day 2U is the sequel we didn’t think we would have wanted, but I’m sure glad we got it.
8) It: Chapter Two
By far one of the most widely anticipated movies of 2019, this didn’t exactly live up to audience’s expectations, as some took issue with its three-hour runtime and use of de-aging CGI. But this really is an overall great sequel that does an effective job of continuing the Losers’ Club’s story. What makes this film so great is its pitch-perfect casting and chemistry between the adult cast members. Despite the fact that this is an entirely new set of actors playing adult versions of the characters we grew to love in the original 2017 film, they played off each other so well that the transition was seamless, with Bill Hader being the standout among them all. Plus, seeing Bill Skarsgard in action as Pennywise once again is always great, as he was as terrifying as ever. While the first film is still the superior one, this is still a worthwhile continuation of the story.
9) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
It was either this or New Nightmare. And while New Nightmare is a great entry in the series, I argue that this just beats it out. This marked a major turning point for A Nightmare on Elm Street. While the first two films were straight-up horror movies, this is the first time that turned Freddy Krueger into a much more comedic villain, throwing out one-liners left and right as he continued his reign of terror. It added a huge campy element to the series that disoriented some fans the way Evil Dead II threw off fans of the first movie. But it gave the series a new sense of fun, with over-the-top images and laugh-out-loud moments that make for an overall good time. While the films between this and New Nightmare failed to maintain the new momentum the series gained, this is still an awfully fun, highly underrated slasher sequel.
10) 28 Weeks Later
Director Danny Boyle didn’t return to direct this sequel to his 2002 zombie hit, but Juan Carlos Fresnadillo managed to still give us a solid continuation to what Boyle started. Similar to the original Dawn of the Dead, this focused on the same zombie outbreak as 28 Days Later, but just on a new set of characters. The film boasted an impressive cast that include Robert Carlisle, Idris Elba, and Jeremy Renner, among many others, all of whom really give a fine set of performances here. And the film maintains much of the same dark atmosphere that built off what Boyle created in the first film. It’s an often grim, somber experience, but it’s well-acted and often terrifying, making for an overall great entry into the zombie genre.
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