There have be a lot of good Horror movies throughout time, but good horror movies sequels are few and far between.
Most horror movie sequels seem to be cash-grabs in order to bank on the success on the first movie. Every now and then, however, there are a few horror movie sequels that do manage to impress. With Halloween coming up, I decided to an alphabetical list of ten good horror movie sequels to indulge your spirit of the holiday.
28 Weeks Later (2007)
Danny Boyle’s 2002 zombie film 28 Days Later revolutionized the genre as he changed zombies from slow walking creatures to creatures who could actually run fast. He also employed a lot memorable imagery in that film, such as showing Cillian Murphy looking around in an abandoned London. The sequel, now directed by Juan Carlos Frensadilio, also provides some of the same haunting and creepy imagery of the abandoned London streets. Frensadilio also provides some pretty scary sequences throughout the film. The scene where the survivors are sent to the protection chamber is filled with great claustrophobia and the fact that there may be a zombie running inside heightens that sensation even more. The scene that follows it, when the army has to shoot everyone in sight, is also pretty chilling knowing that the majority of the people who are running from the zombies might be shot. There is also one more brilliant sequence towards the end that is filled with great tension and is quite scary as it takes place entirely in the dark and we as the audience see it through a POV shot in night vision. The only problem I do have with the film is that the zombie attacks themselves are edited way too fast and are shot with shaky-cam (something you might find in a Jason Bourne movie). While I understand that it might be the film’s attempt to show off the chaotic nature of the situation, it is a bit distracting (plus the two main characters make an inexplicably dumb decision in the film too). That being said, the film does provide plenty of scares and the acting, especially from Robert Carlyle, Imogen Poots, Rose Byrne, and Jeremy Renner, is also quite good. I hope they do return to this franchise sometime soon.
Aliens (1986)
The sequel to Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/horror film Alien is not only one of the best horror films of all time and one of the best overall sequels of all time, it is one of the best films of all time. This film, this time directed by James Cameron, ups the stakes by bringing in more than one alien this time, which in return makes the film all the more terrifying, and manages to brilliantly blend science-fiction and horror. Sigourney Weaver is at her absolute best as she reprises her role as Ripley (the heroine from the last film), and again makes a worthy female heroine (she was also nominated for an Academy Award for this film). Like Scott, Cameron also employs a great claustrophobic atmosphere as Ripley and the others try to outrun the aliens. However, there is only so many places they can run and hide. Cameron also keeps the aliens hidden for about half the film, which is also what Scott did in his film (which in itself was inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws). This does add great suspense, especially in a brilliantly scary sequence in which half the soldiers are attacked and we as the audience see half it through their body camera. This scene does get across the fear and confusion as the crew first come in contact with the aliens, and all the actors do a great job at getting across that fear. There are many brilliant sequences in the film as the situation gets worse and worse. It’s violent, the special effects are first rate, and it also features one of the best child performances in the history of the cinema (Carrie Henn is great). The film also looks great (Cameron also employs the use of color to get across some themes just like Scott) and some of the dark blue shades help the film become all the more scary. I can’t praise this film enough. Like I said earlier, it really is one of the best films ever made.
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
The zombie genre has been a popular one. Every recent zombie film or tv show owes its debt to George A. Romero, who brought the genre to the main stream with his low-budget yet highly influential Night of The Living Dead. Its sequel, however, actually upstages the first and brought the zombie to bigger heights than before. So much so, it hasn’t looked back. While it may not be scary by today’s standards, there are plenty of gory moments that are pretty gruesome, but it is Romero’s commentary that is pretty clever. Romero’s Dead films do feature some social commentary and his commentary of modern commercialism does work. Since the film takes place at a mall, Romero does show we are all like zombies who buy into commercialism. Plus, it is enjoyable to watch the two main characters (David Emerge and Ken Foree) be free in the mall. There have been many zombie films that came after this one and while they may be scarier, this one should be watched because of its influence. You should also check the 2004 remake by Zack Snyder as it is one of the better remakes in recent memory.
Evil Dead II (1987)
Sam Raimi’s horror/comedy cult classic has unique distinction of being both a remake and a sequel to the first Evil Dead (in fact, I think this film surpasses the first because it does feel a bit more complete). The film does manage to have a good balance of supernatural horror and slapstick comedy. The horror comes mostly from its images, isolated setting, and some of its monsters, but its comedy does come from its slapstick (such as when Bruce Campbell’s Ash fights his own hand) or the over excessive amount of gore. Bruce Campbell, like a majority of his roles, does bring a lot of charisma and does bring a lot of laughs. This film is pretty much a lot of fun. If you want something less extreme in horror films this Halloween, this is one you should watch.
Insidious Chapter 3 (2015)
A third Insidious film could have just been made to cash in on the first two, but Leigh Whannell, in his directorial debut, actually does put effort into the film to actually make it worth watching. It is an efficiently made horror in which Whannell does create a very hauntingly dreadful atmosphere with many creepy images that manages to get under your skin. It may have one too many jump scares for its own good, but Whannell does make some of them work and the acting is quite good, especially from Lin Shaye, who reprises her role from the previous two films. While the other characters from the previous films are missed, the new actors, particularly Stephanie Scott, do manage to hold their own. It may not be as scary as the first film, but it does provide enough scares and the effort shows (which is something rare for a part III in a horror series).
Land of the Dead (2005)
The fourth entry in the George A. Romero’s Dead series takes it into the new millennium. While it may not be as good as some of the other entries on this list, it is better than most part IVs in recent movie history (and for a horror film that is saying something). I think what actually makes it satisfying is its attempt to add some social commentary on American society (which is prevalent in Romero’s previous “Dead” films). Usually, a part IV in a horror film is usually an attempt to milk out the popularity as much as possible, but Romero actually does try to say something. The obvious commentary here is the wealth gap between the rich and poor in America and I think it is used rather well. In fact, the film does actually put the characters first and the zombies second. That being said, the zombie attacks themselves are also gruesomely enjoyable with its excessive blood and guts, it is pretty fun. However, the majority of the characters are somewhat uninteresting, with the exception of John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper. They basically make this movie worth watching. While it may not be the best film on this list nor is it the scariest, but it does try to do something more than part IV movies attempt to do.
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
I am not entirely that fond of the Paranormal Activity franchise as a whole. The first one certainly does has it’s moments of decent scares by practically doing so little, but the rest of the films in the series basically follow the same formula; strange things start to happen and slowly, but surely things get a lot worse. We just get a little bit more of the mythology each time to really distinguish the films. Paranormal Activity 3, however, is the only other film in the franchise that does seem to have some genuine scares and it’s prequel setting does take the film in a much more fresh direction than the other movies in the series. That is not to say it is not without its flaws. This may be a nitpick, but the film, like the others, has the characters film everything (right down to the most mundane stuff). Also keep in mind this film does take place in 1988, so cameras were a lot bigger back then, and I am sure trying to run away and carry a camera like that would have been a challenging task. This film also may rely a bit too much on jump scares, but some of them are used quite well as they are unexpected and the build up to some of them are pretty suspenseful. Plus, the film does employ some pretty effective techniques that does lead to those genuine scares (the scene of the back and forth camera with the babysitter is perhaps the best sequence out of all these movies). Plus, there is plenty of frightening imagery from a silhouette small girl watching through a half open doorway, to figure in a window, to a shot of someone at the top of the stairs. Paranormal Activity 3 isn’t one of the best horror films ever made, but it does supply some of the best scares in this franchise other than the first.
[REC]. 2 (2009)
[REC]. is one of the best horror films of the 21st Century. Like most successful horror movies, it had to spawn a franchise. There is a total of three sequels, but it is the second one in the series that comes close in matching the quality. It is not as great as the first one, but it does come very close. It picks up right where the first one left off where we see a SWAT team go inside the apartment complex. It is also a a found footage film that’s filmed with the SWAT teams POV body cameras. Much like the first one, this one utilizes its setting that manages to create great claustrophobic atmosphere. There is only so many places to hide, and since there are many affected people, which makes it all the more scary since there is more people to outright. Also like the first one, it is bloody and terrifying at times. The reasons why it isn’t as good as the first one is because while there some genuinely scary moments, the first one is scarier. The last act alone is absolutely terrifying and suspenseful. Plus, the characters aren’t as interesting this time around. That being said, there plenty of scary moments in REC. 2 that make it worthy sequel to the first.
Scream 2 (1997)
Wes Craven’s sequel to his influential horror/satire is just as good and clever as the first. There are some get satirical and self-aware moments where Craven does make fun of the cliches associated with sequels. Just like the first one, there is a great mystery involved and Craven does a wonderful job of dropping clues that sets up each character as a potential killer. Craven does manage to balance the horror with the satire without one over shadowing the other. It is funny in its satire, but does manage to be scary at in its slasher scenes. Neve Campbell again proves again to be a great, likable, strong heroine and she again manages to have a wonderful dynamic with the other actors. The Scream series, I feel, are essential viewing since Craven does brilliantly deconstructs the horror while simultaneously creating a genuinely good horror film.
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1992)
Another Wes Craven film. This film is cleverly meta in its tone, which is something that Craven would continue to use in his Scream films. This film takes place in the “real world” where actors from the original Nightmare on Elm Street play fictionalized versions of themselves and Freddy Kruger is treated like a fictional movie character. The film does bring up some interesting ideas in terms of films vs. reality and how much the two cross, and Craven shows that they may be closer than original thought. This idea comes to light when Freddy ends up in the real world. I also enjoy Craven’s commentary on fan culture and some slight Hollywood satire. This film is also noticeably darker with Freddy getting a whole new makeover and acting less comical than the previous films. There are some pretty gruesome scares, but this time they feel scary because of the fact the film isn’t as comical and is much more serious (just like the first film).
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