Sequels are a tricky beast, and horror sequels are especially tough to get right. I could fill countless articles with all the truly terrible successors to brilliant horror flicks, but the list of worthwhile horror sequels is quite a lot shorter.
This month sees “28 Years Later” and “Megan 2.0” arrive in theaters, and so it seems like a fitting time to look back on the horror movie sequels that managed to thread a very precise needle, riffing on what worked previously while still managing to bring new ideas to the table.
Before diving into my picks, I will just note a couple of ground rules. I kept myself to one sequel per franchise; otherwise, as an “Alien” superfan, Xenomorphs would completely dominate this article. Also, inclusion on this list doesn’t necessarily mean the sequel is better than the original. Rather, in my eyes, these sequels were worthy follow-ups rather than cheap cash-ins.
So, with that housekeeping sorted, here are the best horror movie sequels and where you can stream them right now.
‘Aliens’ (1986)
Let’s start with an inclusion that anybody who knows me would have seen coming a mile off, “Aliens.”
“Alien” (1979) is my favorite movie of all time, and while “Aliens” can’t surpass it, director James Cameron makes the smart choice of not attempting to replicate the Xenomorph’s first haunting appearance on the big screen. In some ways, “Aliens” is the polar opposite of what came before it, but instead of feeling like a betrayal of its progenitor, it’s a genius move.
The claustrophobic scares of “Alien” are stripped out for a more bombastic approach, which sees a squad of highly trained colonial marines square off against the eponymous big bad. But that’s not to say all the fear is lost, even armed with flamethrowers and pulse rifles, the Xeno puts up one heck of a fight, and this time there’s a whole horde of them on the hunt.
Sigourney Weaver effortlessly slips back into the role of Ridley, and the thrilling climax is rightfully the stuff of cinematic legend. And we can’t forget the numerous iconic lines either.
Watch on Hulu now
‘Pearl’ (2022)
A reasonably common approach with horror sequels is to take the prequel route, and explain how the big bad that stalked the victims of the first movie came to be. It’s a predictable option, but few have done it as well as the second chapter in Ti West’s “X” trilogy, “Pearl.”
We’re introduced to “Pearl” in 2022’s “X,” but the movie branded with her name explores her difficult adolescence and her unrealistic dreams of Hollywood stardom.
The real draw of “Pearl” is the towering performance of Mia Goth, who played the heroine in “X”, now cast as the villain of the piece. Pearl is a deeply tragic figure, tormented at home and yearning for a way to escape her small-town life.
As the movie progresses, we see her slowly slip into insanity, before a spine-chilling finale that is wonderfully understated but so darn effective. It’s a shame that the follow-up “MaXXXine” brought the series to a weak end.
Watch on HBO Max now
‘Scream 2’ (1997)
The first “Scream” is a whip-smart satire of the slasher genre that dominated horror in the 1980s, and just 12 months later, along came “Scream 2,” this time to lampoon the formulaic nature of slasher sequels, which were also a staple of cinema in the decade prior.
Yes, “Scream 2” does rewalk much of the path laid down by its predecessor, but that’s the point. Sequels are often repetitive by nature, and “Scream 2” has great fun poking fun at that trend.
What’s always been so great about the “Scream” series (well, aside from the undercooked “Scream 3”) is that it manages to walk the fine line between satire and genuinely being a gripping slasher mystery in its own right.
This first sequel sees Sydney (Neve Campbell) head of college after surviving the Ghostface massacre of the first movie, but wouldn’t you know it, the killings start up again, and Sydney has to reunite her old crew to unmask the murderer.
Rushed into production, and with key plot details leaked ahead of time, it’s pretty impressive that Wes Craven managed to deliver such a strong sequel.
Watch on HBO Max now
‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978)
![Dawn of the Dead (1978) | Original Trailer [HD] | Coolidge Corner Theatre - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y_EviQj5tvA/maxresdefault.jpg)
“Dawn of the Dead” is pretty much the quintessential zombie movie. It’s a genre touchstone that has served as one of the main sources of inspiration for the last 45 years of zombie media.
I’ve seen people in the past wrongly label it George A. Romero’s first foray into a dark world full of brain-munching zombies, but it’s a sequel to 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead.”
Granted, it’s a sequel in tone and subject matter only, as no characters, settings, or events from “Night of the Living Dead” are involved, so even as a standalone sequel, it counts for this list. It sees a group of survivors during a zombie outbreak hold up in a shopping center to escape the hordes, but once there, they face threats both inside and outside the mall.
“Dawn of the Dead” is so impactful not only because it’s a blood-splattered experience, but because underneath the horror trappings, it reflects the dark side of human nature in a way that is arguably even more terrifying than any zombie apocalypse could ever be.
Buy or rent on Prime Video now mow
‘Annabelle: Creation’ (2017)
The above movies are all excellent follow-ups to also fantastic originals, but what makes “Annabelle: Creation” such an interesting case of a strong sequel is that its predecessor was bad. No, like really bad.
2014’s “Annabelle” is a prime example of generic 2010s horror, a spin-off from “The Conjuring” franchise that seemed designed as an exercise in raking in box office dollars rather than crafted with any creative passion.
“Annabelle: Creation” is the exact opposite. Much like “Pearl,” it takes the prequel route and explores the creation of the titular creepy doll, and really manages to unnerve you with a supernatural story stuffed with psychological terror rather than just tacky jump scares (though it does have its share of moments designed to startle you).
It also features a cast of young actors who all bring their A-game, including Talitha Bateman in the lead role of Janice.
Watch on HBO Max now
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