The 20 best horror movie sequels

Smile was the surprise breakout horror hit of 2022 and received an equally terrifying sequel with Smile 2. The film follows mega pop star Skye Riley, who is about to embark on a world tour. This is thrown into disarray when she starts to experience violent and inexplicable events, marked by a creepy smile. Skye is forced to face her past as she deals with the horrors alongside the pressure of fame. Naomi Scott perfectly conveys the madness and terror her character goes through.

Aliens is a sequel that is bigger and better in every sense, with James Cameron taking over in the director’s chair. Decades after the events of the first film, Ellen Ripley is sent on a mission with a group of marines to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony. It is here where she encounters the Alien queen and her offspring. Aliens is the perfect example of a successful blend of horror and sci-fi, with the Xenomorph becoming one of cinema’s most iconic monsters.

Sam Raimi’s original The Evil Dead was one of the scariest movies to come out of the ‘80s, with its sequel, Evil Dead II, being even more highly acclaimed. However, this isn’t your standard horror sequel. Ash Williams continues to fight off flesh-possessing demons in a cabin in the woods and is joined by a new crew of characters. Evil Dead II takes a far more comedic route than its predecessor, balancing scares with laughs as it humorously reimagines the first film. 

The Exorcist is undoubtedly the most famous horror movie to ever exist, but its sequel failed to impress audiences. Because of this, fans consider the underrated and excellent The Exorcist III to be the real sequel to that film. When Lieutenant Kinderman investigates a series of gruesome murders, he believes the Gemini killer is behind them. However, patients at a psychiatric ward lead him to believe otherwise. It captures the dread of the first film and delivers equally chilling moments. 

John Krasinski is back to direct A Quiet Place Part II, the sequel to his majorly successful 2018 sci-fi horror thriller. Returning to the post-apocalyptic world of the first movie, the Abbott family discovers that the sound-sensitive creatures who hunt them can be defeated using high-frequency audio. They then set out to find other survivors. A Quiet Place Part II is as equally tense and heart-stopping as the first movie, thanks to its immersive sound design.

James Wan delivered one of the most frightening movies in years with The Conjuring in 2013. Luckily, he was able to follow it up with an equally frightening sequel. The Conjuring 2 sees paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to London to help a single mother and her children haunted by a demonic spirit. The scares are just as strong as in the first, thanks to the introduction of The Nun, who would go on to get her spin-off movies.

There were a number of sequels released to John Carpenter’s 1978 slasher classic Halloween, but 2018’s Halloween asks viewers to forget about all of those and consider this the only sequel. Decades after she first escaped Michael Myers, an older and traumatized Laurie Strode is forced to confront him once again and put an end to his killing spree. The film takes the ingredients of the original and makes them feel fresh, with Myers remaining as terrifying as ever. 

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, based on Stephen King's novel, is often regarded as one defining horror films of a generation. Years later, King wrote Doctor Sleep, a sequel to The Shining, which was also adapted for the screen. Decades after the events at the Overlook Hotel, a tormented Danny Torrence meets a young girl who shares his supernatural gift, and must protect her. Director Mike Flanagan brings his own moody and grim atmosphere to King’s story.

Released in 2008, Cloverfield was a found-footage sci-fi horror full of action and thrills. The thrills are very much still there for its sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane, but are presented in an intimate and more refined setting. After an accident, Michelle wakes up in a bunker with two strange men. They inform her that the outside world is inhabitable, but she has doubts. John Goodman is wickedly good as Michelle’s captor, proving that horror doesn’t need monsters to scare.

There are many famous movie monsters, but none more famous than Frankenstein’s monster. Universal first brought the classic story to life in 1931’s Frankenstein and also brought Boris Karloff back to play the titular role in Bride of Frankenstein. When Victor Frankenstein tries to leave his experiments behind, an even madder scientist kidnaps his wife. As a result, Victor is forced to create a female companion for his monster. The film delivers perfect retro spookiness and energy.

George A. Romero is a huge and influential name in the zombie genre, thanks to his classic Night of the Living Dead film series. Dawn of the Dead is the second installment and is often regarded as one of the best zombie movies ever. A zombie epidemic continues to escalate around the U.S., where a pair of television personnel and SWAT team members seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall. The film takes a jab at consumerism while also being a great monster flick. 

Scream redefined the slasher film by satirizing and deconstructing it, while also managing to be pretty thrilling at the same time. Many Scream sequels would follow, and Scream 2 did a solid job of launching it into franchise territory. Sidney Prescott is now in college, when the Ghostface killer returns to hunt down more victims. Scream 2 is even more self-aware than its predecessor, and further develops its main characters while also adding plenty of surprises. 

The first Terrifier movie got people talking due to its extreme gore, but it didn’t have much else to back it up. Luckily, Terrifier 2 learned lessons from that film and outdid it in every way possible. After being resurrected, Art the Clown returns to the town of Miles County. There, he terrorizes a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night. There’s much more of a story here, but the focus is still on the gore, which is dialed up to one thousand. Not for those with a weak stomach.

2014’s Ouija was a complete flop both commercially and critically, and one of the worst horror movies ever made. So, it may come as a surprise that it got a sequel, and thank goodness it did because Ouija: Origin of Evil is actually great. The film is set during the ‘60s in L.A., where a young girl uses an Ouija board to contact her late father. This unleashes a demon, which she becomes possessed by. Director Mike Flanagan continues to prove he knows how to craft great horror projects.

After the success of The Conjuring, creepy doll Annabelle got her own series of films. The first one wasn’t particularly well received, but Annabelle: Creation finally got it right. It sees a doll-maker and his wife embed the spirit of their deceased daughter inside the titular doll. Years later, when they welcome a nun and a group of girls from a shattered orphanage into their home, Annabelle targets the visitors. The film is genuinely scary and provides an intriguing origin story.

It seems that audiences just can’t get enough of torture porn and mutilated body parts because the Saw movies just keep churning themselves out. With ten films and an eleventh on the way, there have expectedly been a few duds. However, Saw X, the tenth film in the series, is actually the best Saw movie there has been for quite a while. When John Kramer, a.k.a Jigsaw, is scammed for cancer treatment, he turns the tables on the con artists with a new set of traps and depravity. 

While no sequel has been able to live up to the greatness of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is often favored among fans. Nancy Thompson is now a psychiatrist and encounters Kristen, a fellow survivor of an attack by Freddy Krueger. Together, they help a group of teens at a mental hospital fight him off in their dreams. The film offers something that feels unique in the series, and Krueger is still absolutely petrifying. 

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later is an eerie and realistic zombie movie, and the chaos continues in 28 Weeks Later. Months after the first movie's events, the virus still rages across Britain. As a result, The U.S. Army steps in and secures an area of London for survivors to repopulate. However, the virus catches up to them once more. It’s an effective continuation of the story that is bigger and bolder, filled with unbearable tension while still remaining grounded.

The Groundhog Day concept was pushed into the horror genre with Happy Death Day, and more time-loop madness continues in Happy Death Day 2U. Tree Gelbman finds herself in the same time loop as the previous film, where she is repeatedly killed by a masked murderer and must live the day over and over again. Like its predecessor, it leans more on the comedic side, making for a fun slasher flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Tree also makes for a great "final girl."

Say his name five times in front of the mirror, and he reappears, which is exactly what Candyman did in 2021. A sequel to the thematic 1992 horror film, Candyman returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the hook-handed killer first struck. An artist inspired by the macabre legend digs deep into the killer’s history for his work and unknowingly unleashes him once more. Tony Todd returns in the role he made so horrifying, and the film is stylishly crafted and full of dread.