Horror sequels have always been notoriously difficult to get right, but looking back on some sequels years later, I’m often shocked by how well some of them hold up. Despite certain franchises being criticized for continuing indefinitely, when I took the time to truly look at individual entries and considered them on their own merits alone, I was consistently surprised by how many hidden gems were way better than I remembered. Certain sequels get a bad reputation that, in hindsight, deserved to get a lot more love.

In my opinion, franchise films have often been unfairly compared to the originals, and despite rehashing many of the same story beats as the first film, they still had a lot to offer. Other sequels, like Halloween III, were unfairly judged for departing too much from the previously established story structure, and it is only now, looking back, that I can appreciate how well the movie worked as a great stand-alone horror movie viewing experience. For many reasons, lots of horror sequels were way better than I remembered.

15

Jaws 2 (1978)

Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

The first Jaws movie was a watershed moment in cinematic history that helped usher in the era of the summer blockbuster and established Steven Spielberg as a major Hollywood figure. With this reputation behind it, I always dismissed the Jaws sequels as unnecessary, and that’s why I was pleasantly surprised by how well Jaws 2 held up. While it’s true that Jaws 2 can be criticized for retreading much of the same plot points as the first film, I believe it still stood out as an effective thriller with great performances, impressive special effects, and an iconic score by John Williams.

14

Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1992)

Directed by David Price

Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice maintained the eerie atmosphere of Stephen King’s story and stood as one of the best horror sequels of the 1990s. Taking place just two days after the original, Children of the Corn II followed the surviving Gatlin children being taken in by families in a neighboring town, only for the story of He Who Walks Behind the Rows to continue with frightening effect. While I agree this sequel can’t live up to the original, it was way better than I remember and among the best entries in the entire franchise.

13

The Fly II (1989)

Directed by Chris Walas

I’ve always been a big fan of director David Cronenberg’s work, so I was skeptical about the viability of a sequel to his acclaimed sci-fi remake, The Fly. Without Cronenberg or its star, Jeff Goldblum, returning, I always viewed The Fly II as an unnecessary follow-up that felt like it shouldn’t have been made. However, returning to The Fly II many years later, I discovered a fascinating film just as repulsive, outrageous, and purely entertaining as Creonberg’s version. While The Fly will always be my favorite entry in this series, The Fly II was far better than I remembered.

12

Bride Of Chucky (1998)

Directed by Ronny Yu

The Child’s Play franchise has always been categorized as over-the-top, campy, fun filmmaking that blended horror and comedy with thrilling effect. While I’ve always been a fan of this series, it was not until I revisited Bride of Chucky that I realized how slept-on this movie was. As the first film that departed from the Andy Barclay storyline and embraced a more self-referential style, Bride of Chucky reignited the franchise creatively, introduced the character of Tiffany Valentine, and stood as my favorite entry.

11

Final Destination 5 (2011)

Directed by Steven Quale

I always loved the Final Destination series and thought using the very concept of Death itself as its villain was an ingenious decision that set these movies apart from other more traditional slashers. However, by the time the franchise got to its fifth entry, I had written the series off for being too repetitive and having squandered its incredible potential. But returning to Final Destination 5, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a film far better than I remembered, as it utilized a 3D style and special effects to deliver one of the franchise’s best entries.

10

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)

Directed by Christopher Landon

Looking back on the Paranormal Activity franchise, I was delighted to realize that the fifth entry, The Marked Ones, was far better than I remembered. Paranormal Activity: The Marked expanded the franchise’s lore by highlighting the witches’ coven as a sinister presence with untold influence. While it may appear downright incomprehensible at times, I can’t deny that The Marked Ones made for thrilling viewing filled with great performances, plenty of scares, and enough twists and turns that kept the franchise feeling fresh even after so many releases.

9

Predator 2 (1990)

Directed by Stephen Hopkins

Predator 2 blended action, horror, and science fiction and suffered from a wholly negative reputation, which meant I avoided watching it for far too long. However, looking back on Predator 2 decades after it was first released, I was surprised to find a solid action-horror that took the jungle survival setting of the original and expertly translated it into a gritty urban environment. For me, the highlight of Predator 2 came after Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) made it onboard the Predator’s ship, which expanded upon the series lore and laid the foundations for its crossover with the Alien franchise.

8

Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982)

Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace

As the only entry in the Halloween series that did not feature the serial killer Michael Myers, I always considered Halloween III: Season of the Witch to be an anomaly within the series. Because of this, it’s easy to disregard Halloween III, especially as it imbues the series with aspects of witchcraft and science fiction elements. However, when viewed on its own merits alone, Halloween III was a suspenseful and enjoyable cult film that, in my opinion, offered a unique insight into an alternative horror history where the Halloween franchise was not always associated with Myers.

7

The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995)

Directed by Kim Henkel

The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was such a flop at the box office that I had always disregarded it as a low point in the series. However, I must admit I couldn’t have been more wrong, as not only did it feature early career performances from pre-fame Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, but it also included elements of parody, self-referential, and even a secret society subplot. The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a uniquely campy horror film that paid homage to the franchise’s legacy while adding something new to it.

6

Scream 4 (2011)

Directed by Wes Craven

The Scream franchise has always been among my favorite horror series ever made, and I have always thought of the first three films as an excellent deconstruction of the cliches and tropes of horror trilogies. However, I also felt like Scream 4 got left behind, and looking back on it today, it stands as a fantastic look at the cinematic landscape of horror remakes in the 21st century. As the final film by the legendary horror director Wes Craven, I think Scream 4 deserved a lot more love and attention than it got at its release.

5

Bride of Re-Animator (1990)

Directed by Brian Yuzna

In my opinion, Re-Animator was the greatest H.P. Lovecraft adaptation ever made, and as a beloved cult classic, that film often overshadowed the quality of the sequel, Birde of Re-Animator. As a continuation of Lovecraft’s short story “Herbert West–Reanimator,” I loved how Bride of Re-Animator paid homage to Lovecraft and to the classic horror movie Bride of Frankenstein. With plenty of returning cast members and just as much over-the-top gore, I will always argue for Bride of Re-Animator’s status as an underrated horror classic.

4

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Directed by Wes Craven

As a franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street has had plenty of entries with a massive disparity in quality, but looking back, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare stood as a hidden gem that was way better than I remembered. By exploring a new continuity that portrayed Freddy Kruger as a fictional movie villain who invaded the real world to haunt those making a film about him, I thought that New Nightmare added a new meta-layer of meaning to the series. With a self-aware style, it was refreshing to see Craven deconstruct horror tropes and deliver one of his very best films.

3

Psycho II (1983)

Directed by Richard Franklin

For me, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was one of the greatest movies ever made, in which Anthony Perkins delivered a career-defining performance at the troubled Bates Motel proprietor Norman Bates. While Psycho has consistently been written about as an undisputed masterpiece, the same cannot be said about the rest of the series, which has been criticized as unnecessary and inferior. However, revisiting Psycho II revealed a fascinating follow-up that paid homage to the original and proved Perkins still had what it took to recapture the essence of Norman’s nefarious nature.

2

The Exorcist III (1990)

Directed by William Peter Blatty

Although I’ve never gone into an Exorcist sequel with the expectation that it could outdo the original, the closest any entry in this franchise came to achieving that was The Exorcist III. This was because it was written and directed by the original novel’s author, William Peter Blatty, who effectively added to the franchise’s lore while maintaining the original’s eerie atmosphere. While The Exorcist III was full of slow-building tension, for me, the most enjoyable aspect was just how funny it was, and upon rewatching it, I was struck by how underappreciated it was as a sequel.

1

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Directed by Mike Flanagan

I remember being apprehensive when it was announced Mike Flanagan was directing Doctor Sleep, which acted as a sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and an adaptation of the novel by Stephen King. It felt like these were lofty shoes to fill, and although I enjoyed the film upon release, the magnitude of what Flanagan had pulled off only truly struck me upon revisiting it. By walking the fine line between King’s sequel story and the legacy of Kubrick’s film, I felt like Doctor Sleep achieved the impossible and was a movie that pleased both King and Kubrick camps.