12 Great Horror Movie Sequels You Shouldn’t Miss

Like the perfectly timed jump scare in a slasher flick, sequels to hit horror movies are inevitable. Horror movie sequels tend to get a bad reputation, both for relying on ridiculous gimmicks (remember when Jason Voorhees… He went into space?) or completely invalidate the originals. But for the hundreds of just-bad bits out there, there are some gems that sometimes rival – or even surpass – their predecessors.

We spoke with some experts in the horror world about which installments two, three, and even six in the series deserve a spot on your binge-watching list this Halloween season.

1. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
3. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
4. Aliens (1986)
5. Friday the 13th Part VI: The Life of Jason (1986)
6. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
7. After 28 weeks (2007)
8. Blade II (2002)
9. Satan refused (2005)
10. Evil Dead II (1987)
11. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
12. Exorcist III (1990)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

One of the oldest horror film series ever made is also one of the best in the genre. It wasn’t long after Universal had success with Frankenstein In 1931, director James Whale and star Boris Karloff He came back to make the second part of the story. Bride of Frankenstein It was a commercial and critical success, and is widely regarded as not only one of the best horror film series, but also one of the best horror films Best consequences An all-time classic movie.

“James Whale took everything that was wonderful and terrifying and darkly humorous in the original and elevated it,” James Kendrick, professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Film and Digital Media at Baylor University, tells Mental Floss. “A postmodern horror masterpiece before anyone knew (what) postmodernism was.”

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

eight A Nightmare on Elm Street Movies have been released since the original theatrical release in 1984, but not every sequel (or reboot) is created equal. according to Fangoria Contributor Anya Novak, 1987 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Stands out from the package. “It leaves Elm Street behind for the bulk of the story, and dares to give the victims supernatural agency that they didn’t have in the previous two films,” she told Mental Floss. “All of this leads to a new entry in the series, a rare win for any third film in a horror series.”

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

the Halloween The series took a bold step with its third installment by ignoring most of the elements that made the original film successful. Instead of the standard piece rate, Halloween III: Season of the Witch Featuring supernatural themes that play with the pagan roots of the holiday, Michael Myers is nowhere to be found. “This third installment in the Halloween series drew some fan fury when it was released for cutting out the franchise’s iconic killer,” said Andrea Subbisati, executive editor of Morgue Streettells the mental thread. “However, the years have been kind to it, and it is now considered one of the best entries in the series.”

John Carpenter and Debra Hill, creators HalloweenImagine becoming a franchise Excerpts A series of stand-alone stories all set on Halloween Season of the witch Being the first. But due to the film’s commercial disappointment, this premise was never implemented and Myers was brought back for it Halloween 4.

Aliens (1986)

James Cameron Aliens It set the bar high for every horror and sci-fi sequel that came after it. Instead of trying to recreate Ridley Scott’s original masterpieceCameron made the story his own, and produced an instant classic in the process. When visionary director James Cameron took the reins on this 1979 sequel Alien“He imbued it with a generous dose of action and comedy,” says Subisati. Aliens It accomplishes this in spades.

Friday the 13th Part VI: The Life of Jason (1986)

Friday the 13th It is a rare case where the franchise as a whole is more popular than any one film. But ask horror movie fans to name the best ones made over the decades, and many will say Jason lives. “While they play by most rules Friday the 13th “The series has its own tone,” Kendrick says. “It’s still gory and scary sometimes.” Jason lives It is above all funny, and is a hugely enjoyable parody of horror films in general Friday the 13th The series in particular.

In the sixth part of the series, Tommy Jarvis exhumes Jason’s body with plans to burn it, but ends up resurrecting the mass murderer instead. Self-aware humor and scenes that break the fourth wall make it Jason lives One of the most original films in the franchise.

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

George A. Romero is influential Night of the Living Dead (1968) spawned numerous sequels, remakes, and parodies—the most memorable of which may be its direct follow-up. with Dawn of the DeadRomero returned to the zombie world he created in 1968 to explore new themes, such as the dangers of modern consumerism. According to Novak, “You’d be hard-pressed to find a better example of acerbic wit than Romero’s satirical allegory. Dawn of the Dead. “It’s a devastating masterpiece in the genre.”

After 28 weeks (2007)

if Night of the Living Dead The zombie genre was created by Danny Boyle After 28 days (2000), which followed the spread of a highly contagious virus, reinvented it. Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo had a tough act to follow, however Its sequel It exceeded the expectations of many fans. The film begins with an attack on an isolated farm, and according to Matt Baron, a senior programmer at… Brooklyn Horror Film FestivalIt’s one of the best opening scenes of any horror movie.

“It’s one of the few times that a horror sequel convinced me on first viewing that it was going to be better than its predecessor within the first 10 minutes,” Barron tells Mental Floss. “And yes, I believe that After 28 weeks It is the better of the two films.”

Blade II (2002)

code (1998), a film based on a Marvel comic book character who uses his vampire superpowers to protect humans, is more than just a horror film. It also suits the action, superhero and legendary director genres Guillermo del Toro He embraced all of these elements when he signed on to helm the sequel. Result, Blade IIbecame a cult classic like this first. “It’s an ultra-violent horror show from pre-MCU comic books.” Fangoria Contributor Jacob Knight tells Mental Floss. “It’s basically Aliens From vampire movies!

Satan refused (2005)

To follow his directorial debut in 2003 House of 1000 corpsesRob Zombie made the sadistic villains from the first film his heroes. The sequel maintains the gory 1970s exploitation style of the original while also showing Zombie’s growth as a director. “How much of a quantum leap forward Satan refused Dedicated to Zombie as a filmmaker House of 1000 corpses “It can’t be underestimated,” Barron says. “While its predecessor showed promise but ultimately felt like a horror fan enjoying some new games, Satan refused is a serious heart-attack cinematic middle finger aimed at American horror films’ inability to produce any real, in-your-face nightmare fuel in the aftermath. Screaming (1996).”

Evil Dead II (1987)

In 1981, Sam Raimi shocked theatergoers with his gore-filled horror film Evil dead. The film has grown into a cult classic, and rather than follow it up with a more traditional sequel, Raimi decided to make a 1987 adaptation. Evil Dead II Comedy spin.

“Is it a remake? A sequel? It’s both,” Kendrick says. “Sam Raimi’s brilliance in remaking his low-budget debut is that it takes everything that was wonderfully crazy and outrageously gory and pours it on even heavier.” The third installment in the franchise, Army of DarknessIt was also well received before evil dead Fans.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

Despite its profound name, this is Tobe Hooper’s original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre He took a minimalist approach to the gore, choosing to keep most of the carnage off camera. with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2The director abandoned this style, and many fans were much happier with it. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 “This is everything a horror movie sequel should be: bigger, bloodier and more fun,” says Novak.

Exorcist III (1990)

This is largely because of the disappointing mess that was Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), the third installment in the series has been largely forgotten, but if you’re a fan of the original, it’s worth a watch. William Peter Blatty, who wrote the screenplay The exorcist (1973) and the novel on which it is based, she returned to writing and directing Exorcist III. The film may never fully recapture the horror created by William Friedkin The original movie A classic of the genre, but offers some real scares.

“(It’s) one of the most overlooked and underrated sequels of all time,” says Subisati. “George C. Scott and Brad Dourif give some of their best screen performances in this classic.”

A version of this story was originally published in 2018; Updated for 2025.