Sequels are always a crap shoot when it comes to quality, and that’s never more true than with horror movies. Particularly those that end up as a franchise, where you have a set of (usually) diminishing returns. For this list, we’re (mostly) sticking with direct sequels, Part II’s and the like. When a sequel works out, it’s like catching lightning in a bottle. Again. When it doesn’t, it’s like licking a car battery. With this list, we’re hoping to give you bottles full of lightning. Either way, you’re probably going to get shocked. I… I’m sorry, that metaphor got away from me a bit. ANYWAY, here are the terrifying double-dips that ended up working out.
Here are the 50 Greatest Horror Sequels of All Time.
40. Phantasm II (1988)
Much as I love the original Phantasm, this sequel was my favorite for decades – probably because it was the first one I saw. It’s slicker, louder, gorier and just plain more fun than its predecessor. It’s also crazier, with Mike (James LeGros) and Reggie (Reggie Bannister) chasing the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) around the country in a black muscle car with a trunk full of cool weapons like it’s a proto version of Supernatural.
While Phantasm II lacks the dreamlike tone of the original, it more than makes up for it with car crashes, explosion, a head-slapping sex scene, a gory mini-Tall Man coming out of a girl’s back, multiple deadly spheres (that gold one is cool), a chainsaw duel, and acid-laced embalming fluid. While I now prefer Phantasm as a film, I can’t deny how much I enjoy this follow-up. It’s also the last of the really good sequels, as the rest – sadly – decline in quality as they go.
–Bob Cram
39. Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)
I am not a huge fan of the Final Destination franchise. I had seen bits and pieces of the previous films and enjoyed the premise, but some of the acting and cheesiness of the time was off-putting for me. I didn’t feel that way at all when I went to check out Final Destination: Bloodlines in the theater—it remains one of my favorite movies I’ve seen this year. In my opinion, it make the absolute most of the franchise premise. The opening scene remains one of the best scenes of the year. The lawn party scene is a delectable pile of Chekov guns. The tattoo shop is a terrific set piece for laughs. The deaths are brutal. The MRI scene is creatively satisfying. This movie was firing on all cylinders for me until the very end, the only part that fell a bit flat for me. But I’m not sure if there has ever before been a franchise that found its groove in its sixth outing like this. Watch it now.
–Jacob Holmes
38. V/H/S/2 (2013)
I discovered V/H/S (2012) this year while binging a found-footage marathon, and I couldn’t believe I’d never seen it before. Naturally, I dove straight into its sequel, V/H/S/2. Thankfully, it stayed true to everything that made the first film so much fun. Expanding on a mix of horror subgenres, V/H/S/2 presents a diverse range of four stories, all tied together by a clever frame narrative. It retains the lo-fi aesthetic and the eerie, unsettling energy that made the original so effective. Horror anthologies can be hit or miss, but V/H/S/2 delivers some genuinely nightmarish segments. I found Safe Haven, in which a documentary crew infiltrates a remote Indonesian cult, particularly chilling. Overall, V/H/S/2 honors the spirit of the original while raising the stakes with even more intensity and inventive scares.
–Romona Comet
37. The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
The original Invisible Man is a thriller/horror picture with a lot of dark comedy, but it’s also a monster movie. Griffin is already in the throes of madness when we first see him, and it’s a short road for him to go from researching a cure to planning mass murder. Returns is also a thriller, but it gets most of its suspense from a countdown. Our main character, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price, in a very early role), is framed for murder and sentenced to the gallows. His friend (and employee) Frank Griffin (John Sutton) – the brother of Jack from the original – uses his brother’s formula to turn Geoffrey invisible so he can escape the prison. Geoffrey hopes to find the real killer, but the clock is ticking – because the invisibility formula will eventually cause him to go mad.
It’s a great way to crank up the tension, and the film uses it to good effect. As Geoffrey remains on the run the formula begins to change him, and even finding out the identity of the real murderer doesn’t slow things down. (Indeed, it increases the tension as the bad guy starts to lose his own mind under the stress of being targeted by an invisible assassin.) Vincent price is great, as always, and manages to convey the descent into mania with verve and glee. He’s not quite as terrifying as the original, but part of that is because we’ve seen him as a kind and decent man. Well, I say seen… The effects – again by James P. Fulton – are still great, and there are new effects to enjoy as well. (I particularly liked the inspector blowing cigar smoke around until Geoffrey is revealed as an empty space.)
While the film doesn’t have the same style and thrills as the James Whale film (and how could it), it’s still an entertaining thrill ride and a worthy follow-up.
–Bob Cram
36. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
10 Cloverfield Lane is definitely a spiritual successor to Cloverfield, trading in large-scale chaos for claustrophobic suspense. The story follows Michelle, a young woman who wakes up after a car accident to find herself locked in an underground bunker with two men. Howard, a doomsday prepper who insists the outside world is uninhabitable, and Emmett, another supposed survivor. What follows is a gripping battle of trust, manipulation, and survival, as Michelle struggles to determine whether Howard is protecting her or keeping her prisoner. As entertaining as Cloverfield was, I have to admit 10 Cloverfield Lane is the superior film. With escalating tension, fear, and a performance from John Goodman that should have garnered an Oscar nod, everything in this film surpasses its predecessor. I left this movie unsettled, fearing humanity more than any monster or alien that may descend from the skies.
–Romona Comet
35. 28 Years Later (2025)
This year was the first time I finally sat down to watch 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. I’d heard the praise for years, and with 28 Years Later hitting theaters, it felt like the perfect moment to dive in. Each film has its own strengths, but I found 28 Years Later to be the more compelling sequel, succeeding where 28 Weeks Later faltered. It’s a character-driven story centering on a family living on a small island. Locals occasionally venture to the mainland for supplies, a rite of passage that has become a coming-of-age moment for the younger residents. At its core, though, it’s about a young boy grappling with the slow loss of his mother. Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes both give fine performances, but it’s Alfie Williams as Spike who is the standout. He carries the film with ease, and I’m eager to see more of his story next year. 28 Years Later still delivers some tense moments that make the series so memorable, but it’s the emotional depth of the movie, as well as how it tackles human connection and grief, that make it a superior sequel.
–Romona Comet
34. Scream 2 (1997)
For me, Scream 2 is one of the rare sequels that not only lives up to its predecessor but very nearly surpasses it. While the original Scream revitalized the slasher genre with razor-sharp meta-commentary, Scream 2 elevates that concept by turning its focus on sequels themselves, satirizing the notion that they can never be as good as the original, while proving the opposite. Set in a college environment, the film follows Sidney as she struggles to move forward from the horrors of Woodsboro, only to be confronted by a society and media machine that refuse to let her heal. We get some fresh new characters, blending seamlessly with the beloved cast that has returned from the original. I will also say that two of the franchise’s best scenes can be found in Scream 2: the tense sound booth scene and the nail-biting car escape. Blending dark humor, brutal kills, and biting commentary on pop culture’s obsession with violence, Scream 2 stands as a worthy continuation and companion to the groundbreaking first film.
–Romona Comet
33. Halloween (2018)
By erasing decades of uneven sequels, Halloween (2018) returns the mythology of Michael Myers to its core: Laurie Strode as a survivor still haunted by one horrific night, and Michael as an unstoppable embodiment of evil. Halloween is a legacy sequel that honors the 1978 classic, but is still bold enough to carve its own identity. It explores generational trauma, showing how Laurie’s survivalist mentality and paranoia have affected her life and relationships. Of course, it still delivers some pretty brutal kills, and there is plenty of nostalgia and nods to the original without feeling too much like fan service. I can’t say the sequels to Halloween (2018) are as worthy of such praise, but at least this film restored Michael to his true essence: terrifying and primal!
–Romona Comet
32. A Quiet Place Part II (2020)
I honestly do not think there’s one weak film in the Quiet Place trilogy. Each entry delivers solid tension and fantastic performances all around. Since A Quiet Place: Day One is a prequel to the events of the first film, I’m going to rave about the sequel, A Quiet Place Part II. Not only does it carry the suspense and emotion of the first film, but it also expands the world in meaningful ways. I loved how it picked up immediately after the Abbott family’s fight for survival, showing that their story is far from over. The addition of Cillian Murphy as Emmett was one of my favorite things about the movie. His character added both tension and depth, illustrating how grief and fear can transform people in distinct ways. His reluctant bond with Regan gave the film a new emotional core with Lee’s absence, and watching her courage push him out of his despair was incredibly rewarding. Between the terrifying creatures, the clever sound design, and the expanded cast, A Quiet Place Part II proved the series could grow bigger without losing its heart.
–Romona Comet
31. Saw X (2023)
Saw X has the distinction of being the best sequel in the franchise, yet also one of the worst-written. Everything involving John Kramer and his battle with cancer is top-notch. For about 30 minutes or so, it actually feels like a movie. You’re rooting for him to find a cure even though you know he doesn’t. It’s weird being invested in the arc of a mass serial killer, but the midquel — it’s set between the events of Saw and Saw II — does a great job of creating sympathy for a monster. It’s everything after the cancer business that makes the movie fall flat on its face.
Every time a new game is played in Saw X, you are immediately taken out of the movie. The traps are so comically impossible to solve that the movie contradicts its own lore. If the difference between living and dying and learning a lesson and proving you want to live by doing impossible tasks is just 60 seconds, you don’t want to teach them anything, and you certainly don’t want them to live. If that was the only thing wrong with it, that would be one thing, but it also has a twist so stupid, your brain will start to melt if you think about it for five seconds. Saw X is almost nothing but giant flaws, yet I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a great time with it.
–Sailor Monsoon
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What are some of your favorite horror sequels of all time? Maybe they will show up later in this list!