There are two possible reasons a horror movie gets a sequel, either there’s more story to tell, or the studio wants to milk that bastard like a zombie gnawing off the last bits of flesh from a petrified corpse. Oftentimes it will work out well enough to where everyone can agree its worth watching, other times its just a waste. Tired and overplayed tropes like repetitive story beats, characters returning from the dead, and far fetched plot points that make as much sense as me writing country music. There are a million reasons why horror movie sequels fail, but the ones that do slip through the cracks tend to make a cultural impact within the horror community to where these sequels become more beloved than the original movies themselves. A good sequel won’t negate the impact of the first film, it will build upon it. The original might be the better movie as far as legacy goes, but there are cases where a sequel can be more enjoyable than the original. Thats the case with my list below, where you’ll find a handful of frightful flicks that I always gravitate to more than the originals.

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare

I’ve written countless pieces on this website showcasing my love for this movie, so I wont dive too deep into my reasons. What I will say, is that this one stands out among the rest due to its overall strange tone. The movie just feels off, much like a bad dream, which is more than fitting for a Freddy film. While the ending is over the top cringe with its force fed use of 3D, a gimmick of its time, the rest of the movie does a great job of balancing the bizarre and the absurd, crafting a world that’s as eerie as it is unhinged.

Halloween III

I still laugh at the thought of movie goers balking at the screen, watching this in theaters after its premiere. Waiting in suspense for the triumphant return of everyones favorite Halloween slasher, Michael Myers, only to be severely disappointed by a movie that has absolutely nothing to do with the first two Halloween movies. The studio wanted to create an anthology series of Halloween themed movies, and this was their first attempt to stray from the pack, and it bombed. Badly. People were so angry that Myers wasn’t in the film, their anger blinded them to the fact that this was actually a really good horror movie with a killer soundtrack to boot.

Exorcist III

Nothing will ever compromise the legacy of the original Exorcist movie, a horror classic that continues to scare the living skin off first time viewers. They tried to dive into a direct sequel with Exorcist II, and failed miserably, but the third times a charm in this case. Brad Dourif, famous for his role as Chucky, truly brought legitimacy to his role here as a sadistic serial killer. There are often times watching this that you forget its a sequel to such a legendary film, but that all gets resolved in the final act, with a great use of cross clutching chaos that never fails to send chills up your spine.

Army of Darkness

As if this franchise wasn’t enough fun to begin with, Sam Raimi had to go ahead and make what many would consider one of the most re-watchable horror movies of all time. There are so many absurd lines of dialogue that bake into your memory, one cannot resist quoting it often enough to annoy anyone and everyone within a chainsaws length away. The movie also features some great Ray Harryhausen inspired creature effects, with practical set pieces that bring more than enough depth and charm to the unique production.

Creepshow II

Growing up in the 80s and 90s you’d see many kids parked in front of the television watching cartoons or kids movies, but there were some, such as myself, seated in front of the screen watching Creepshow II on repeat. Well, as much as the cable networks would run it throughout the day and night, which during the Halloween season seemed like a frequent basis. Creepshow II stuck with me most because of its downright dreadful scenarios. A floating puddle of black goo that could swallow you whole? A Native American statue that came to life seeking justice in the form of flesh and blood? Yeah, those were all reasons for me to sleep with the lights on back when I should have been watching cartoons.

Dawn of the Dead

Here we have another case where the original film in the series remains an untouchable classic, but what Jaws did for shark movies, Dawn of the Dead did for zombie films. It brought them into the forefront as the lovable flesh eating gut swallowers we have all come to love in the horror world. With George Romero behind the directors chair and Tom Savini taking over makeup duties, how can you go wrong? Not to mention the intensely underrated score from the Italian band Goblin, who created something so iconic with more than just your typical spooky sounds. They crafted a score that fit the narrative, all the way from swinging country beats to groovy goth funk. One of my favorite horror scores to date.

Friday the 13th VII

Another horror movie I watched too much as a child, and often rooted for Jason much like a kid would root for Superman throughout a superhero movie. The idea that Jason would eventually meet someone that could match him in twisted abilities seemed like a natural progression, but nobody at the time imagined a girl with psychic powers could be the one to deliver the beating of a lifetime to the hockey goalie from hell. Unfortunately, the movie suffers from another cornball ending, much like Freddys Dead, but it was Kane Hodder’s first time playing the iconic killer, and boy did he inject enough personality into that role to make us all fear what was behind that mask.