Horror sequels are strange territory. Some are poorrehashes of the film they continue from, whilst others take the series into unusual new directions. It’s hard for a movie follow-up to capture the magic of the first installment, but sometimes, blood-stained gems can be unearthed among the cash-grab trash.
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Some horror sequels are vastly underrated. They might not be as good as the original (although this has been known to happen on occasion), but they offer up their own fiendish delights. This list contains a selection of spooky sequels that deserve to be reappraised, from faithful follow-ups to crazy left-turns.
10Dracula A.D. 1972
Hammer Studios decided to move away from the archaic settings of their earlier output, bringing their most infamous boogeyman into the 1970’s with their seventhDraculamovie.
It’s both unusual and visually arresting, watching Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing battling it out in the London of the 1970’s. The guest cast are all excellent, in particular the eccentrically suave Christopher Neame, and the funky soundtrack brings a different sort of atmosphere to the proceedings. Panned at the time,Dracula A.D. 1972’s reputation has improved with age.
9Jason X
Jason X(legal rights forbade the production team from using theFriday 13thtag) is every bit as ridiculous as you might expect. Jason Voorhees,an infamous campsite slasher(now undead killing machine) in space. Somehow, it makes sense.
After the excellentPart IV, theFriday 13thfranchise slowly gotsillier and cheesier.Jason Xis the logical conclusion, turning Voorhees into a Terminator-esque cyborg. It’s a fun, knowing script and, despite the lack of gore, features some inventive kills. Watch out for the David Cronenberg cameo!
8Leprechaun 3
TheLeprechaunfranchise is immense fun, toeing the line nicely betweenhorror and humor. Later sequels would send the little green ghoul into space and the ghetto, butLeprechaun 3lands him in Las Vegas.
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It’s a logical location for the greedy Leprechaun to wind up in, and introduces some fun new concepts to the franchise. Scott, the handsome young lead, starts to turn into a leprechaun himself, whilst a host of unsavory times make wishes that come true….in the ghastliest of ways. A highlight of the franchise.
7A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revengeis an interesting sequel, taking thefranchiseinto a slightly different direction. It wasn’t popular with critics at the time, but is now revered as a cult classic.
Freddy’s Revengesees the gloved maniac haunting a teenage boy called Jesse, in a bid to get the youngster to kill for him. Aside from having a male lead in a slasher film (unusual for the time), the sequel also explores homoerotic themes and has some great sequences of body horror.
6Seed Of Chucky
Seed of Chuckybuilt upon the vibe ofBride, and took the franchise into ever-more ridiculous territory. While this caused the series to grind to a halt (asoft-reboot occurring years later) but Seed is actually highly entertaining!
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Giving Chucky a genderfluid son,Seed of Chuckyexplores LGBTQ themes (much like the recent TV series), and has a surprising amount of heart. It’s also good, violent fun and is hilarious at times. It might not be the best entry in the franchise, but it’sbetter than you remember.
5Halloween II (1981)
Now retconned to avoid the brother/sister subplot,Halloween IIwas a direct continuation of the iconic original. Taking place mere moments after the first one ended, it sees Michael Myers on the hunt for his sister Laurie throughout the corridors of a hospital.
Halloween IIups the gore factorin order to compete with the contemporary slashers of the time (ironically all influenced by the near-bloodlessHalloween), but loses none of the atmosphere. While it’s a shame to see Laurie’s role diminished, having Dr Loomis face up against The Shape is never less than thrilling.
4Halloween III: The Season Of The Witch
Initially hated for not featuring Michael Myers, time has been kind toHalloween III: Season of the Witch. It is an atmospheric, creepy affair with flawed characters and a truly nasty villain.
Halloween IIIworks because the cast sell the slightly bananas plot of “mad man wanting to kill all the children in the world using Halloween masks and ancient Celtic magic”. It’s played dead straight, and has at least one truly shocking moment. Absolutely worth revisiting!
3Gremlins 2
Gremlinswas a hugely successful comedy horror, which combined humor and darkness beautifully.Gremlins 2definitely leans more towards the comedy, eschewing almost all of the horror elements in favor of something more slapstick.
This works, becauseGremlins 2is essentially aspoofof the original. It even has a cameo from film critic Leonard Maltin, who is openly slating the 1984 original while a bunch of Gremlins mock him. It’s cleverer than you’d expect, and still manages to tip its hat to the horror classics of yore.
2Poltergeist 2: The Other Side
Following on from the successful 1982 original,Poltergeist 2continues the story of the Freeling family, this time up against the ghost of a cult leader.
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The first film had a host of memorable images, from the infamous face-peeling sequence to THAT clown toy.Poltergeist 2has its own nightmare fuel in the form of Kane, a disturbing spirit who consumes the souls of others to increase his power. His rictus grin alone is enough to send shivers down the spine.
1The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Doing away with the gritty, nail-biting realism of the original,Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2is a much more colorful, camper affair that works just as well as a standalone entry. In fact, it probably fares better when viewed in isolation from the others.
Bill Moseley steals the show as the truly grotesque Chop-Top, and his relationship withLeatherfacemakes for an amusing double-act. Dennis Hopper hams it up as a chainsaw-wielding Lieutenant hell-bent on revenge, and Caroline Williams is the perfect final girl. Excellent fun!
