Horror movie sequels are often derided by critics, but there are actually quite a few movies that came later in a horror franchise that are worth watching. Once a series gets beyond a third or even fourth sequel, all creativity has usually left the projects and they become soulless cash-ins.

This often happens with the slasher genre, where the monstrous killer has returned so many times that the thrills and chills have worn off. However, some horror franchises get a sH๏τ of new life in one of their later sequels, and they sometimes even manage to capture a bit of the spirit of the earlier movies.

The longer a horror series runs, the less likely it is to be good, but there are several notable exceptions to that rule. Perhaps that’s what keeps horror hounds coming back time and time again to their favorite franchises: a chance to see the beloved monsters from the past return to their former glory.

While some later horror sequels are only good in comparison to their less-than-successful predecessors, others are legitimately great movies in their own right. Though exceptionally rare, some of the best horror sequels even manage to surpᴀss the first movie in the series.

10

Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)

The Leprechaun Jumps The Shark In The Best Way

After three movies that tried way too hard to take the concept of a killer Leprechaun seriously, Leprechaun 4: In Space threw everything out the window and gleefully jumped the shark. The direct-to-video film sees the return of Warwick Davis in the тιтle role, and it’s jam-packed with science fiction spoofs and references.

Leprechaun 4 is not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s the first movie in the series that isn’t groan-inducing in its earnestness. The original Leprechaun was a charming and goofy horror flick, but its first two sequels were dull and uninspired. The fourth film took a big swing and is actually quite hilarious.

9

Saw X (2023)

The Aughts Franchise Found Its Second Wind

After nearly 20 years of Saw movies, it seemed as if that ship had finally sailed. However, 2023’s Saw X arrived and managed to exceed expectations with an interesting story and genuinely intriguing traps. The franchise had grown stale by about the third movie, but the tenth film in the series is arguably the best follow-up to date.

Instead of trying to retcon something, the movie is set between the first and second Saw movies, which allows for the character of Jigsaw to feature prominently. What could have easily been a cynical cash-grab, actually turned out to be a genuinely frightening movie with an airтιԍнт script and strong performances from the franchise stalwarts.

8

Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Rise (2023)

A New Direction For The Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Series

The Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ franchise is a rare specimen in the world of horror, and every installment in the series is a great movie. 2022’s Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Rise was the first big test though, because it introduced new characters that have no connection to Ash or the legendary cabin in the woods.

Lee Cronin’s sequel takes place in a Los Angeles apartment building, and finds new ways to terrify and shock. The added layer of the relationship between the possessed mother and her kids made the movie even more nightmarish, and Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Rise built off the classic imagery while adding new wrinkles to the ᴅᴇᴀᴅite lore.

7

Land Of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ (2005)

The Often Overlooked Romero Zombie Flick

George Romero will always be known as the filmmaker that revolutionized the zombie movie forever, but his 2005 film Land of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is often overlooked. The fourth film in the Romero zombie canon, it’s set further along in the timeline where the last remaining humans have formed feudal societies based on unfair class distinctions.

Land of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is more about the human characters than it is about the zombies, though it doesn’t skimp on those either. They have begun to evolve, which makes them a bigger threat than the shuffling unᴅᴇᴀᴅ seen in previous movies. It’s not as good as the first three, but Land of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is still a clever movie.

6

Cult Of Chucky (2017)

A New Era For The Killer Doll

Unlike other horror franchises which are pᴀssed from creator to creator, the Child’s Play series has been spearheaded by Don Mancini since the beginning. Cult of Chucky is the direct sequel to Curse of Chucky and is the seventh movie in the franchise overall. Like its immediate predecessor, Cult returned to the horror aspects of Chucky.

The direct-to-video movie features another stunning performance from Fiona Dourif, and it introduces many concepts that would be further expanded in the short-lived TV series a few years later. By the seventh film, it would seem as if the Chuckster would be out of ideas, but Cult charted an entirely new course for the franchise.

5

Scream 4 (2011)

A Shockingly Good Follow-Up To The Irreverent Slasher Series

After three movies in rapid succession in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Scream franchise went on a decade-long hiatus. However, when it returned for Scream 4, the slasher series was much improved. The fourth film was the last to be helmed by Wes Craven, and brought the classic characters back alongside new ones as well.

Introducing the series to the social media age, Scream 4 had more to say than its immediate predecessor. It managed to surprise with a fun twist, and set the stage for more sequels to come a decade later. The fifth and sixth movies in the series are certainly fun slashers, but lack the same bite as the fourth film.

4

Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)

Hellraiser 5 Has No Business Being This Good

There’s no denying that Clive Barker’s Hellraiser series is perhaps the most used and abused franchise in horror history, but the fifth installment is a surprising gem. Except for Hellraiser 2, none of the sequels could match the quality of the original. However, Hellraiser: Inferno comes the closest to capturing the mood.

Returning the Cenobites to their rightful place as unknowable enтιтies instead of maniacal villains, Inferno is a mystery story that exemplifies the nightmarish concepts behind the original film. The effects are shockingly good for a direct-to-video movie, and except for some clunky dialogue, it’s the best Hellraiser installment outside the first two.

3

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

A Halloween Sequel That Actually Isn’t Terrible

Clunky тιтle aside, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later was the slasher sequel that fans had been clamoring for, and it largely delivered. Jamie Lee Curtis returned as Laurie Strode, and it introduced a bevy of new youngsters for Michael Myers to hack and slash his way through at a prestigious private school.

Tossing out the unnecessary and complicated lore from the previous three sequels, H20 returns the franchise to its roots with straight-forward slasher action. Laurie’s character is a bit more realistic and down-to-earth than her counterpart in the newest Halloween trilogy, though she isn’t bland either. The seventh Halloween movie isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s certainly an enjoyable ride.

2

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

The “Final” Nightmare On Elm Street Movie Got It Right

A few years after the sixth film declared itself to be The Final Nightmare, Wes Craven returned to direct the seventh installment in his A Nightmare on Elm Street series. Completely recontexualizing the series, New Nightmare follows actor Heather Langenkamp, playing herself as she finds she’s suddenly tormented by Freddy Krueger in the real world.

Craven’s other 90’s gem, Scream, also deconstructed the idea of horror movies and their fandom, and New Nightmare was like the test run. Though it isn’t nearly as scary as the first Freddy movie, the concept is fresh, and the redesigned Kruger is appropriately harrowing.

1

Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Part 6 Finally Makes Jason An Unᴅᴇᴀᴅ Monster

Besides the original film, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is arguably the only good movie in the entire slasher movie franchise. After a handful of lackluster sequels that continued to stretch the suspension of disbelief, Part VI finally bit the bullet and made Jason the unᴅᴇᴀᴅ killing machine he was always meant to be.

Instead of going for scares, Jason Lives ups the campiness and has a playful mood. The sixth movie also does something no other Friday the 13th film had dared to do, and that was actually having kids at the summer camp. Horror movies need to be self-aware once they’ve reached their umpteenth sequel, and Jason Lives understood that perfectly.