Top Ten Best Horror Movie Sequels

We typically expect one of two things from a movie sequel. We either expect it to fail horribly and look like a bad joke compared to the original (which we'll all hold high on a sacred pedestal) or completely flatten the original like a Buick driving over a beer can. With horror movies it's typically pretty simple. The sequel will be more or less frightening than the original (with bonus marks for plot twists and a better script). The movies in this list represent the best examples of horror sequels that build upon the strong foundation laid by their respective predecessors.
The Top Ten
1 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors

The first movie on this list that isn't a #2 movie. That's okay. Let's pretend 1985's 'Freddy's Revenge' didn't happen. 1987's 'The Dream Warriors' made a big leap in the right direction when they brought back original writer/director Wes Craven to do the writing for this third venture into nightmare land. They also brought back Heather Langenkamp (Nancy) to give the film a stronger connection to the original 1984 film. Together, with a delightfully frightful premise and a cast of enjoyable characters, 'The Dream Warriors' became the best entry in the series (after the original classic, of course).

2 Evil Dead II

Imagine the difficult task ahead of director Sam Raimi when he was told to make the sequel bigger and better. He basically went all out with his independent flick 'The Evil Dead' back in 1981 so making a bigger (bloody) splash with 1987's sequel wasn't going to be easy. Did he pull it off? Do chickens lay eggs?

3 The Silence of the Lambs

I bet you didn't know this movie was a sequel, eh? Yup. This 1991 film is actually the successor to the 1986 movie 'Manhunter' (mind you, Hannibal Lecter wasn't played by Anthony Hopkins in the original - what a shame). Some call this modern classic more of a psychological thriller film but it has plenty of "horror movie" in its DNA.

4 The Bride of Frankenstein

Many of today's younger viewers have not likely come across this piece of horror movie history yet but let me assure you it is worth the time. It had remained a worthy cinematic endeavour for over eight decades. It's still frightening, it's brilliantly acted, and has special effects that still look good (that last achievement is especially remarkable).

I'm 15 and I love this film, no I'm proud of it, masterpiece!

5 Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Anybody who can successfully deny this movie of its significance deserves riches beyond what the human race could ever possibly fork up. I kid you not.

6 Aliens

To be honest, I've always preferred this to Alien. Greatly.

7 Child's Play 2
8 Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

It was a tough decision, ranking 'Friday VI' lower than 'Nightmare 3', but the decision was ultimately made after taking into account how many rougher sequels transpired in between these films and their series' respective originals. 'Jason Lives' has the distinction of being the only instalment in the series to earn a considerably positive reaction from critics (who think the rest of the series is a complete waste). Of course, fans like me like the whole series :) Anyways, look out for lots of cultural "Easter eggs" in this one. It's almost overflowing with them. Also, have fun. The movie doesn't make it a hard task.

9 Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

The only one in the entire series worth watching.

10 Scream 2

People really admire the first Scream film for its original premise and clever script. I don't think enough people realize exactly how the sequel not only equalled the original in these aspects, but also upped the ante. Thanks are in order to whoever added this movie to the list. I can't believe I forgot to add this great sequel, myself.

The Contenders
11 Troll 2

It's so bad, it's good. That is all I should ever have to say. If you don't know and love this gem of a "sequel" (I use the term lightly for a number of reasons) you haven't experienced pure, unrelenting, gut-bustingly corny, laughably bad entertainment at its finest.

P.S. I meant it when I said "corny".

12 Halloween II (1981)

This picks up right where the first one left off. Michael disappears and goes to the hospital that Laurie is taken to. And he kills off all the hospital staff in another attempt to get to Laurie.

13 Psycho II
14 The Devil’s Rejects
15 The Conjuring 2

The Conjuring 2 is one of the scariest horror films of the 21st century and it should be number 1. It's also a shame no one added Scream 4 - my 2nd favourite film in the franchise.

16 The Exorcist III: Legion

Ok. 'Exorcist II: The Heretic' was awful. It really was. But that didn't necessarily mean that 'III' was going to stink (chances were that it would - but it wasn't - so ha! ) George C. Scott and newbie director William Peter Blatty, together, helped to restore the good 'Exorcist' name back into society's nightmares in 1990 (thirteen years after the first sequel and seventeen years after the original - wow).

17 Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Ladies and gentlemen, the misunderstood masterpiece! Yes. I am counting 'Halloween III' among the greatest horror movie sequels of all time. Well, you know what? I am proud of the way I feel. The movie remains hugely unrecognized everywhere for its unique story and playful execution. It's only crime is that it wasn't what fans expected when the producers decided to still name it 'Halloween III' instead of just 'Season of the Witch' (or even something else entirely) since the film confused and angered devoted fans of the Michael Myers-centred franchise. But I say, who cares if there's no Michael? Were we made happy with instalments 4 through whatever? Not really. So let's just stop complaining and reevaluate 'Season of the Witch'. Maybe one day society will see what an unjustly overlooked movie it is.

18 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
19 A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 - The Dream Master

The trilogy should have ended with this movie, far better than Freddy's Dead.

20 IT Chapter Two

I knew this would be a good movie and I was awesomely right, this movie is my absolute favorite movie of all time!

21 Day of the Dead

Hey! Look! We're here again! And why shouldn't we be? George Romero's 'Day of the Dead' was an excellent follow-up to 'Dawn of the Dead' and gave us another steaming pot full of gleeful gore and maniacal mayhem. Too bad his more recent entries in the series couldn't live up to his "gore-ified" original trilogy.

22 Saw II
23 Friday the 13th - Part II
24 Gremlins 2: The New Batch
25 Wes Craven's New Nightmare
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