It is fairly frequent for a horror franchise to function one or two unhealthy motion pictures, however some collection might by no means dwell as much as the standard of their authentic movie. Horror, extra so than some other style, lends itself exceptionally nicely to sequels, and there are dozens of fashionable franchises. The suspension of disbelief permits the monster to return many times.
Stretching again to the Nineteen Thirties in movies like Bride of Frankenstein, horror sequels have been a sure-fire approach for Hollywood to earn a living on the field workplace. Practically 100 years later, audiences nonetheless flock in droves to see their favourite ghosts and ghouls stalk the display in ongoing franchises. Nevertheless, horror collection typically have diminishing returns in high quality.
Horror sequels are sometimes rushed out with a purpose to meet demand, so they are not given as a lot thought. Generally, a sequel is so radically totally different from its predecessor that it leaves viewers perplexed, whereas others merely fall in need of the flicks that got here earlier than. Regardless, many horror franchises are populated with sequels that do not do the unique movie justice.
The Stepfather
1987’s The Stepfather is an underrated horror thriller largely anchored by the stellar efficiency of Terry O’Quinn, however its two sequels misplaced the plot. O’Quinn returned for Stepfather II, however was changed in Stepfather III by Robert Wightman. Whereas this variation in solid definitely did not assist, the franchise was already at all-time low by the point O’Quinn exited the venture.
The Stepfather was remade in 2009 with Dylan Walsh within the lead function.
The obvious subject with all the Stepfather franchise is that the idea behind the movie merely does not lend itself nicely to sequels. The thrilling twists and surprising reveals of the primary film are already recognized to the audiences within the sequels, so that they degrade into generic B-grade slasher flicks.
Mimic
Mimic was Guillermo del Toro’s first Hollywood film, but it surely was a far cry from his regular model. Made alongside tons of different sci-fi horror movies within the Nineties, Mimic was a serviceable schlock-fest with some eerie ambiance and gross particular results. It might have been a mere blip in del Toro’s filmography, but it surely was a great film however.
The primary sequel, Mimic 2, had all of the hallmarks of an arbitrary follow-up, however Mimic 3: Sentinel tried one thing fully totally different. The threequel leaned into suspense, blatantly ripping off Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window within the course of. This transformation did nothing to assist the franchise, and each Mimic sequels are horrible for wildly totally different causes.
Pumpkinhead
With horror legend Lance Henriksen main the solid, Pumpkinhead is a wierd and startling examination of revenge and grief. Although the primary movie is definitely responsible of being a bit tacky at instances, it takes itself so significantly that the gravity of its story is imparted to the viewers. In the meantime, Pumpkinhead‘s three sequels fail to seize that very same weight.
Regardless that it is not a great movie, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings deserves some credit score for effort, however the subsequent two sequels fall into the made-for-TV lure of low-budget obscurity. Total, the Pumpkinhead franchise suffers from a scarcity of ambition, which is kind of a disgrace contemplating the artistic potentialities of the titular monster.
The Amityville Horror
The argument may very well be made that 1979’s The Amityville Horror is not all that nice to start with, however the “based-on-a-true-story” movie is definitely a cornerstone of ’70s horror. It additionally kicked off one of many largest and most complicated franchises in horror historical past, with copious sequels, most of which are not a part of the official Amityville canon.
Ignoring the non-canon movies, the primary film obtained seven sequels, every drifting farther from the preliminary idea. By Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes, the plot involved a haunted lamp, and issues solely obtained worse. There’s solely a lot that may be finished with a haunted home story, and The Amityville Horror was stretched skinny after just one movie.
The Strangers
2008’s The Strangers was a throwback to the gritty and mindless violence of Nineteen Seventies horror, and it performed on frequent fears of seemingly unmotivated crime. It took a decade for the primary sequel to materialize, and the cracks instantly fashioned within the basis of the franchise. Every further sequel weakened that basis much more.
The essential idea of The Strangers looks like the proper platform for a long-running franchise, however overexposure diminishes the chills. With the discharge of The Strangers: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 (and the approaching Chapter 3), all of the mystique of the titular villains has been sapped out. With out that mystique, they fade into the background of uninspired fashionable slashers.
From Nightfall Until Daybreak
Whereas From Nightfall Until Daybreak is without doubt one of the quintessential ’90s horror movies, its sequels are all however forgotten besides by essentially the most devoted style followers. Mixing motion and horror, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino reimagined vampires as vicious monsters, and captured the angsty temper of the period. Two sequels had been produced back-to-back earlier than the tip of the ’90s.
From Nightfall Until Daybreak 2: Texas Blood Cash is a logical continuation, however it is low finances and lack of latest concepts makes it forgettable. From Nightfall Until Daybreak 3: The Hangman’s Daughter is a prequel, however is generally only a boring train in repetition. Whereas not the worst franchise ever, From Nightfall Until Daybreak‘s sequels simply weren’t as good.
Jaws
Making a sequel to Jaws was not solely an unimaginable activity, however an ill-advised concept from the beginning. Steven Spielberg’s basic animal assault movie revolutionized summer season blockbusters and made generations of individuals afraid to go within the ocean, however Hollywood wasn’t content material with its smashing success. The movie ultimately begat three sequels.
Although Jaws 2 is not something to write down residence about, the inferior rehash a minimum of tries to honor the primary film, whereas Jaws 3D and Jaws: The Revenge toss the movie’s legacy out the window. Dropping any and all cinematic magic that the primary movie had, the sequels are blunt and simple shark motion pictures, typically with goofy outcomes.
Cabin Fever
Eli Roth’s lean early Aughts horror flick, Cabin Fever, helped kick-start his profession as a filmmaker, and it gleefully mixed a ton of tropes in a novel mélange. Although it was a bombastic and generally foolish expertise, the primary movie was good for a number of gory chills, particularly a specific scene involving leg-shaving.
Its sequel potential wasn’t instantly obvious, however Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever did ultimately materialize in 2009. With future horror hitmaker Ti West behind the wheel, the horror comedy tried (and failed) to do one thing intelligent, however Cabin Fever: Affected person Zero hardly even tried. The collection might have been even higher, however fell sufferer to typical horror sequel laziness.
Poltergeist
Combining whimsy, magic, and many thrills, Poltergeist introduced the supernatural horror style into the slick and shiny Nineteen Eighties. It traded spooky outdated homes for a contemporary residence, which made the haunting all of the extra creepy for modern viewers. The Oscar nominee was a monetary smash, so sequels naturally adopted.
The supposedly cursed movie spawned an equally troubled franchise, although Poltergeist II: The Different Facet and Poltergeist III deserve some credit score. The primary sequel had too many ideas for its personal good, whereas the threequel obtained misplaced in much more sophisticated lore. Basically, the Poltergeist franchise might by no means work out tips on how to department out from the haunted home system.
The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath
Regardless of being ranked among the many biggest slasher movies of all time, The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath is a horror franchise with nary a single good sequel. Tobe Hooper’s virtually documentary-like exploration of the darkest corners of the American soul labored nicely the primary time, however the trick might by no means be repeated.
The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath Half 2 virtually works as a spoof and horror comedy, but it surely was butchered in modifying. Subsequent sequels grappled with tips on how to make Leatherface a real slasher villain, and every Texas Chainsaw sequel failed in a singular approach. Whilst horror film royalty, The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath is the one good movie within the collection.