Top 10 Horror Movie Sequels
Nelson Monteiro
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3: Scream 2 (1997)
Director Wes Craven spoofs the slasher genre and horror genre expertly in Scream 2, and most of the cast returns for a second installment in the quadrilogy with the characters being hunted by a new Ghostface Killer, who kills in ways that make the sequel both fresh and engaging. The twists and turns in the sequel feels less formulaic than the first, and the danger to the characters is ever-present as they fight for their lives and search for clues as to who is behind the murders.
Scream 2 is one of those sequels you can watch over and over again, loving the kills and the story with the acting balancing out the movie to give it weight. Scream has had many fans through the years, and they all agree it is a dark comedy about damaged people surviving against a psychopath/deranged person. Fans of good kills and suspenseful moments should give it a watch at least once in their lives.
2: Psycho II (1983)
Director Richard Franklin brings back actor Anthony Perkins in one of horror’s most iconic roles. Norman Bates gets released from a mental asylum after his split personality becomes supposedly suppressed. The personality that usually overtakes him is his mother, Norma. After being released, he goes back to his motel, gets work in a diner close to his home, and befriends a young woman. The horror starts from there and builds up to a climax that homages the classic Hitchcock movie.
Anthony Perkins’ performance is as great here as in the first film – maybe even greater. The directing style is different and oozes 1980’s grindhouse with its suspense, great acting, intense scenes, violence that is gritty and disturbing, as well as a creepy soundtrack to make the movie whole. Quite simply, it never disappoints. Scream to your mothers when you watch this sequel, and get ready to be shocked over and over again.
1: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Robert Englund returns as Freddy Krueger to wreak havoc and misery on more troubled teenagers in one of the better sequels in the Nightmare series. Nancy Thompson returns from the first film to help some teenagers in a psychiatric hospital after Freddy focuses on the kids’ fears to kill them one by one. Nancy helps them prepare for battle by showing them how to use their own individual dream powers to fight and kill Freddy for good.
Robert Englund is always a scream as Freddy Krueger, bringing his dark humor into the mix amongst the horror and dark setting. Full of gore, with an intriguingly surreal storyline and often random moments in the dream sequences, it leaves you guessing what is next until the very end. Give it a viewing if you dare! Sweet dreams…
Writers and directors of horror sequels should take a page from the past and make their films better than the originals. Always one-up your game when delivering a new installment into a franchise with unique kills, fresh stories, and more twists, or fans will never come back for more. Don’t release a sequel just to capitalize on a fan base already established for a film that is well loved by fans and critics alike.
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