Horror sequels don’t always get a good rap. In fact, more often than not, they are poorly received by critics and dismissed by the average, non-horror-obsessed moviegoer, and are thus celebrated only by fanatics. Perhaps the most prolific decade for needless, poorly conceived and worstly executed cash grab sequels was the 1980s, as that was the heyday of the slasher. Cheaply made follow-ups were so pervasive at this time that it's easy to write off the whole lot of them as bad and unworthy of one’s time. The fact is, however, that while few of the ‘80s horror sequels could outdo their predecessors, many of them actually are quite good when assessed on their own strong points. Additionally, a rare handful of them do manage to outshine their predecessors and have become classics in their own rights.
The following films are some of the best horror sequels of the ‘80s, and many of them are even better than their forerunners and represent all-time highlights of the horror genre.
16 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 is Tobe Hooper’s 1986 follow-up to his 1974 masterpiece. Perhaps recognizing that it would be impossible to one-up the gritty, atmospheric terror of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hooper decided to take the bigger-budget sequel in an entirely new direction. The result is a bizarre horror-comedy that sees the chainsaw-loving killer Leatherface and his wacky family relocating to an abandoned amusement park, and follows a DJ and a dogged sheriff’s attempts to put an end to their reign of terror. While Leatherface is as crazy as ever, and Bill Moseley turns in a memorable performance as his crazed brother Chop-Top, it is Dennis Hopper as the equally-deranged sheriff that steals the show and elevates the sequel to a camp classic.
15 Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
Hellbound: Hellraiser II is the ultra-gory sequel to Clive Barker’s Hellraiser that ratchets up the atmosphere, effects, and themes of the original. It is the quintessential example of the sequel that takes what worked in the first and dials it up to 11; everything in Hellraiser II is bigger, bloodier, and gooier than the first. While this approach polarized critics, with many condemning the film as a useless retread of the first, most horror addicts find the film’s stunning production design, nightmarish and nonsensical plotting, and inventive practical effects irresistible. While the proverb “less is more” can be very true in horror films, “more is more” applies to this particular movie – it is a maximalist, blood-soaked delight, and one of the best horror sequels of the decade.
14 Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
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Halloween III: Season of the Witch is the notorious Halloween threequel that attempted to steer the franchise away from its iconic villain Michael Myers. The film focuses instead on a maniacal mask maker who tries to murder millions of children on Halloween by conducting an ancient witchcraft ritual. Pretty weird stuff, but it works surprisingly well; the movie is an atmospheric thrill ride full of twists and turns, and more closely resembles Michael Crichton-esque sci-fi intrigue than a slasher. While this drastic change understandably angered many fans who were expecting another violent slasher, the film has gradually garnered a cult fan base that appreciates it on its own merits.
13 Phantasm II (1988)
Phantasm II is like the James Cameron version of the first Phantasm movie; gone is the dream-like weirdness of the original, and in its place is an explosive, bigger-budget spectacle. It’s a totally different approach that, while not surpassing the mysterious original, works exceedingly well. This horror-action classic follows the continued efforts of Mike (who is inexplicably and, for many fans, unforgivably recast) and Reggie to take down the evil, otherworldly mortician known as the Tall Man. The film is the slickest entry in the franchise, and one of the most enthralling horror-tinged adventures of the ‘80s.
12 Day of the Dead (1985)
Day of the Dead is George A. Romero’s extremely underrated sequel to Dawn of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead. While this film is not nearly as culturally significant as the previous entries in the series, it is undeniably one of the best zombie flicks of all time. It’s darker and more nihilistic than its predecessors, and features some of the grisliest creature effects ever committed to celluloid. Just as Night of the Living Dead was the undead creature feature that defined the ‘60s, and Dawn of the Dead set the splattery standard for the ‘70s, Day of the Dead is the ultimate ‘80s zombie movie that managed to raise the bar once again.
11 Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988)
Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers is the silly sequel to the shocking sleeper hit Sleepaway Camp that, while much cheesier than the original, is equally (if not more) entertaining. Pamela Springsteen turns in a wonderfully psychopathic performance as the puritanical killer Angela Baker, and the addition of some slapstick and a more lighthearted tone make the film a highly memorable entry in the greater slasher canon. As Arrow Films puts it, “Fun, gore, and a psychologically interesting anti-heroine who’s treated as more than just a punchline? Definitely better than the original.”
10 Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is one of the rare sequels that is better than the original. Whereas the first Prom Night is a fairly by-the-numbers slasher that packs few surprises, its clever sequel is anything but. The film melds the slasher genre with a supernatural possession plot, depicting a high school girl who becomes bewitched by a vengeful ghost. Like Halloween with shades of Carrie, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is one of the best and yet sorely under-seen slashers ever made, and a sequel that truly shines brighter than its predecessor.
9 The Curse II: The Bite (1989)
The Curse II: The Bite is the 1989 sequel-in-name-only follow-up to the 1987 film The Curse. As previously mentioned, the film essentially has nothing at all to do with the first Curse film, and was actually shot as a stand-alone movie and later rebranded as a sequel for marketing purposes. Gimmicks aside, this oft-forgotten Italian-American co-production is a violent, creature-filled, road trip movie extravaganza that deserves more recognition.
The Curse II: The Bite follows a man and a woman who drive through an irradiated nuclear test site that is populated by thousands of deadly snakes. One of the snakes bites the man, and he begins to gradually and grotesquely mutate into a bloodthirsty snake creature. With show-stopping effects by Screaming Mad George, The Curse II: The Bite is a gory delight and a “sequel” unlike any other.
8 Psycho II (1983)
Psycho II is the surprisingly solid sequel to the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece. It picks up over two decades after the original, and opens with psychotic killer Norman Bates being released from an asylum and returning to his motel. Soon, the supposedly rehabilitated Bates relapses into his usual murderous behavior. While it doesn’t have the deft direction of Hitchcock, it arguably doesn’t need it; the film is very different from the 1960 original, following more of the typical ‘80s slasher formula and spiking it with a dose of dark humor.
The inimitable Anthony Perkins returns as Bates, and does a terrific job bringing the sympathetic villain back to life. Psycho II, while undeniably different from its predecessor, is a fantastic sequel that is just as good when taken on its own merits.
7 Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives is the franchise-saving entry that brought the long-running slasher series back from the depths that the unsavory fifth entry had plunged it into. After Jason was killed in The Final Chapter and replaced by a lame copycat killer in the embarrassingly bad A New Beginning, Jason Lives came to the rescue with a resurrected zombie Jason and a new, light-hearted approach that breathed new life into the ailing franchise.
Tom McLoughlin directs with a confident flair, bedighting the once-tired formulaic slash ‘em up with a plethora of horror nerd in-jokes, colorful characters, and some of the most creative kills in the series.
6 Halloween II (1981)
Halloween II initially released to middling reviews, but has since been rightfully reappraised as a genre defining entry in the slasher canon. The film picks up right after the original film, and expands upon its lore and slasher violence, notably adding in the bloody stabbings that would quickly become the norm for slasher films to follow.
Say what you will about the silly tying together of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode as family members, the spooky hospital setting and a ton of effective scares make Halloween II an atmospheric and worthy follow-up to the John Carpenter classic.
5 Zombi 3 (1988)
Zombi 3 is the in-name-only sequel to Lucio Fulci’s disgustingly delightful Zombi 2 (which is the in-name-only sequel to Zombi, the Italian cut of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead), and one of the most unintentionally hilarious horror flicks you’ll ever see. This crazy Italian schlockfest is about a military experiment gone wrong that results in the zombification of the entire population of an island in the Philippines.
The film is a riotous good time, loaded with gore and set to a rocking soundtrack by the enigmatic Clue in the Crew, and a truly bonkers follow-up to one of the greatest zombie movies ever made.
4 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is arguably the best Elm Street sequel, as it is the only one that fully matches the unadulterated creative energy of the first. It follows a group of troubled teens in a psychiatric ward who are stalked by the dream-invading killer Freddy Krueger. The film in many ways represents the peak of the series, with the writing and Robert Englund’s performance of Krueger striking the perfect balance between scary and snarky, and Chuck Russell’s inventive direction weaving in just enough humor to compliment the terror.
As Game Rant explains, although it's impossible to top the first film, “Dream Warriors is a close second. It has compelling characters, mind-blowing nightmare effects, and walks the same fine cinematic line between reality and the dream world.”
3 Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Friday the 13th Part 2 is a near-perfect slasher movie. Another rare instance of the sequel being better than the original, Friday the 13th Part 2 took what the first film did and expanded upon it with more world-building, better characters, gorier deaths, and, most importantly, introduced the world to the hulking, near-mythic slasher legend Jason Voorhees.
While the killer had appeared previously as a last-second jump-scare in the first movie, Part 2 brought him to life in all his terrifying glory, albeit without the hockey mask that he would make famous in Part 3. While each and every entry in this long-running series has its merits, Part 2 laid the blueprint for the rest of them, as well as for the slasher genre in general.
2 Aliens (1986)
Aliens is not just one of the greatest horror sequels of the ‘80s, but one of the best sequels ever made from any genre. While Ridley Scott’s original is a pitch-perfect nightmare in outer space, James Cameron’s sequel goes a different route, melding horror with action cinema for the ultimate space marines versus alien bugs epic. With both suffocating suspense and exhilarating action, Aliens is an out-of-this-world blast that holds up remarkably well as one of the greatest science fiction-horror movies of all time.
1 Evil Dead II (1987)
For many horror fans, Evil Dead II represents the sweet spot of the Evil Dead films, as it found a good balance between the grueling terror of The Evil Dead and the goofy slapstick comedy of Army of Darkness. Part sequel and part soft, bigger-budget remake of the original film, Evil Dead II improved upon the classic in nearly every way, and established Sam Raimi as the inimitable artist that he is well-known as today. It is an essential horror sequel that every “part 2” wishes it could be.
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