19 Underrated Horror Sequels That Deserve More Respect

Horror movies have a long history of producing sequels. Seems like audiences just can't get enough of a good monster, and every horror fan can name at least a few of the best sequels. Evil Dead II, Aliens, Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Scream 2, the list of sequels that managed to build upon and even outpace the original is long and impressive. Add to all that, from the late '70s on, slashers have been a staple of mainstream cinema. And, as with any genre of film (if not even more so), when a movie is successful it breeds continuation.

And then there are the other sequels. Keep in mind, some of the more famous horror franchises are 8 or 9 entries deep at this point, if not more, and they can't all be winners. Yet, while there are truly terrible sequels out there, these don't deserve the label even if they are also ascribed it.

19 Jaws 2 (1978)

jaws 2

Release Date

June 16, 1978

Director

Jeannot Szwarc

Cast

Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Joseph Mascolo, Jeffrey Kramer, Collin Wilcox Paxton

Rating

PG

Main Genre

Horror

Roy Scheider notoriously didn't want to come back for Jaws 2, but a contract made it happen, and thank goodness for that. The average moviegoer doesn't ever need to watch the third and fourth installments, but the first two are must-views. Naturally, the original Jaws isn't just the best of its series, it has an arguable right to the title of 'Best Movie of All Time.' But Jaws 2 continues to do much of what made the original film work so well.

The shark is seen a bit more (and, admittedly, looks way cheaper, though the burn is a nice touch), but otherwise there's still much attention being paid to tension-building. Furthermore, everything related to Brody (firing at a school of fish as tourists scream, getting the photo developed, getting fired) works and is just as entertaining as the third act's slasher film with a shark vibe. The audience had already seen the shark, so Jaws 2 faced an uphill battle in being as scary as Jaws, but it does make the effort; for instance, the scene with the dead orca.

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18 Damien: Omen II (1978)

Damien: Omen II

Release Date

June 9, 1978

Director

Don Taylor, Mike Hodges

Cast

William Holden, Lee Grant, Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Robert Foxworth, Nicholas Pryor, Lew Ayres

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

With a much higher body count, Damien: Omen II can often feel like a slashery step down from the intelligent original. And, admittedly, it is a step-down.

But, there's no better way to make a sequel to a movie that doesn't really warrant one than Damien. Creative (including in its kills) and led by William Holden and Lee Grant, the creators of Damien: Omen II made a lot of good decisions en route to its release. This even if it's nowhere near as brilliant, thoughtful, or surprising as the original.

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17 Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Release Date

October 22, 1982

Director

Tommy Lee Wallace

Cast

Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Dan O'Herlihy, Michael Currie, Ralph Strait, Jadeen Barbor

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a minor horror classic with no relation to Michael Myers outside the holiday in the title (and a televised ad for the original film, an early example of meta in a mainstream movie). Yet, it's still part of the IP, and in that Halloween III is a majorly underrated part.

Admittedly, Season of the Witch has had its profile expanded in recent years, but it's not enough. Tommy Lee Wallace's film is an inventive and intermittently legitimately frightening oddball movie with charm to spare. Not to mention, it was and remains the great Tom Atkins' best role.

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16 A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

After Wes Craven's seminal A Nightmare on Elm Street, the slasher subgenre found itself with some new life injected. But, with such an inventive concept, it can be tough to know where to go.

In the case of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, the tactics were to toy with the universe logic a bit more (there's a reason Freddy hasn't popped up in any more non-dream pool parties since this film, though the scene works), become a gay allegory, and try to give Freddy some more personality. For the most part, it works like a charm. Freddy's Revenge isn't the scariest installment of the franchise, but it certainly has that '80s slasher charm and an absolutely killer opening.

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15 Creepshow 2 (1987)

Creepshow 2

Release Date

May 1, 1987

Director

Michael Gornick

Cast

Domenick John, Tom Savini, George Kennedy, Philip Dore, Kaltey Napoleon, Maltby Napoleon

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

The original Creepshow was the ultimate merging of director George A. Romero and author Stephen King's sensibilities. Each of its five stories is terrific, though to varying degrees.

Creepshow 2, with its noticeably lower budget and scant three stories, is a step down. But, it's good that it exists, because now audiences can watch it right after the original. And, much to Creepshow 2's credit, they can do so because the sequel feels very much in line with the original. Is the creativity at the same level? No. But, each of the film's three stories have their merits, especially "The Raft."

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14 Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

1988's Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is one of the franchise's best installments. But its box office gross made it clear that audiences were more interested in Freddy Krueger at that point than Michael Myers.

So, when Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myersrolled around, audience interest had dwindled significantly and it more or less came and went from theaters. But, for all its faults and inadequacies when compared to its immediate predecessor, there's much to like about Halloween 5. It carries the unique Fall vibe of the series, gives Danielle Harris some more screen time as Jamie Lloyd, and brings back Doctor Loomis.

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13 Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

Rob Hedden's Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan had a lot of ambition going in, but cuts along the way resulted in a film that many consider one of the worst of all time. But it's also a hoot, and one of the best midnight tipsy movies out there.

Jason Takes Manhattan made for the eighth movie in a franchise born out of nothing more than the audience's desire to see some bloodletting. It had been a long road but, even with an installment where Jason basically takes on Stephen King's Carrie, it was mostly a case of repetition.

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12 The Fly II (1989)

The Fly II

Release Date

February 10, 1989

Director

Chris Walas

Cast

Eric Stoltz, Daphne Zuniga, Lee Richardson, John Getz, Frank C. Turner, Ann Marie Lee

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

Did David Cronenberg's reimagining of The Fly really need a sequel? Not at all, it's a concise narrative with a perfect ending for each character.

But, as far as unnecessary sequels go, The Fly IIis suitably creepy, gooey, and the third act benefits from some strong practical creature effects. And, before that monster runs the show, the viewer still has some nice chemistry between Eric Stoltz and Daphne Zuniga to keep them entertained.

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11 Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

New Line Cinema

With a great teaser trailer, it's a wonder Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III grossed the least of any Texas Chainsaw movie up to that point. Perhaps it was New Line Cinema's battles with the MPAA to avoid an X rating (not that the movie is even that grotesque) or audiences' general boredom with slashers but, even with a decent release in 1,107 theaters, Leatherface failed to make a mark.

But it's a film loaded with ambiance, solid pacing, and a young Viggo Mortensen in a major role as a member of the Sawyer clan. It's not high art, but the Texas Chainsaw franchise has sunk much lower than Leatherface.

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10 Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Release Date

June 15, 1990

Director

Joe Dante

Cast

Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Prosky, Robert Picardo, Christopher Lee

Rating

PG-13

Main Genre

Comedy

The original Gremlins carried both the classic Spielberg vibe and a distinct horror vibe. Gremlins 2: The New Batch swaps out the latter half of that combo for Looney Tunes-type goofing but the rest remains the same.

To call Gremlins 2: The New Batch a horror film would be to mislabel it. The first one is, the second one's an absurdist comedy. And maybe it's in this massive change that The New Batch found itself in some trouble at the box office. But, while fans found themselves let down at the time, the passing of years has been very kind to the Gremlins sequel. The more rote sequels to famous IPs get churned out, the more something like The New Batch and its swinging for the fences looks worthwhile.

Rent it on Apple TV, Amazon, and Vudu

9 The Exorcist III (1990)

Exorcist 3

Release Date

August 17, 1990

Director

William Peter Blatty

Cast

George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller, Nicol Williamson, Scott Wilson

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

The author of The Exorcist (and the screenwriter of William Friedkin's classic) took the reins himself when it came time to adapt Legion. There are two versions of The Exorcist III, and both are impressively almost as frightening as the original film.

The Exorcist III is far more a standard police procedural than the original film. And, considering the central mystery involves a patient getting out of their room at a mental health institute to slaughter others, the procedural is an interesting one. Toss in sterling work from George C. Scott and Brad Dourif (who gets much more time to shine in the director's cut), and The Exorcist III is one of the best horror films of the early '90s.

Stream it on Prime Video, AMC+, and Peacock

8 Predator 2 (1990)

Predator 2

Release Date

November 20, 1990

Director

Stephen Hopkins

Cast

Kevin Peter Hall, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, Maria Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton

Rating

R

Main Genre

Action

The final underrated horror sequel of 1990, Stephen Hopkins' Predator 2, is every bit the genre blender the John McTiernan original classic was if not more so. Hopkins was one year off his American film debut with A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, which unlike Predator 2 actually deserves much of its ire.

Predator 2, however, is just very different from Predator. Hopkins' film is objectively inferior to McTiernan's classic, but considering they couldn't do the jungle thing again without it seeming rote, putting the Yautja in the middle of a gangland war was an interesting alternative. The scare factor is decreased with the creature being in such a denseley populated area, but Predator is just as much an action IP as it is a horror one. Predator 2 works, besides Adam Baldwin's wooden performance.

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7 Child's Play 3 (1991)

Universal Pictures

Child's Play 3 may not make a lot of sense (why does the opening scene take place in the Good Guy head office? Why not?), but it's a lot of fun. After the solid one-two punch of Child's Play and Child's Play 2 (which is arguably superior to the first installment), it became obvious that the Chucky and Andy Barclay dynamic was working, but how to change it up?

Child's Play 3's answer was to send him to a military academy. And, while this does raise a lot of questions (why on Earth is there live ammunition stocked at an academy?), it makes for an interesting change in locale.

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6 Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)

Paramount Pictures Studios

After Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II, the IP needed a bit of a shift. Those two ended up feeling very much like two parts of a whole (though the original, of course, works quite well on its own), especially with their focus on Ashley Laurence's Kirsty Cotton.

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earthscraps Kirsty (though Laurence does make a cameo appearance via a videotaped news segment) for a reporter, a skeevy nightclub owner, and a lot more Pinhead. There's also much focus on the demon's origins. In other words, when he was less a demon and more a man.

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5 Alien³ (1992)

Alien 3

Release Date

May 22, 1992

Director

David Fincher

Cast

Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Paul McGann, Brian Glover, Ralph Brown

Rating

R

Main Genre

Action

Alien³ may have made director David Fincher want to quit Hollywood before he even really got started, but there's much about it that works. This is especially true of the Assembly Cut.

Is the third film as ridiculously strong as Alien or Aliens? No. But, it's not even a weak film, much less a so-called bad one. Alien: Resurrection, with its soulless nature and utter ruining of Ellen Ripley, is the bad one.

Stream it on Hulu and Starz

4 Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday

Release Date

August 13, 1993

Director

Adam Marcus

Cast

Kane Hodder, John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, Steven Williams, Steven Culp, Erin Gray

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

1993's Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday marked the end of a brief hiatus for Jason Voorhees, but it ended up doing even worse at the box office than Jason Takes Manhattan. But, to be fair, Adam Marcus' film was an incredibly bizarre way to try and breathe life back into the franchise.

It's both very different from every other Friday the 13th film and the final installment to be tonally in line. Never before was body-swapping even hinted at in the franchise, nor was the importance of the Voorhees bloodline, but visually Jason Goes to Hell feels like it's a member of the Paramount years. Does it even work as a Friday the 13th film? Not entirely, but if viewed as its own thing within a pre-existing universe, Jason Goes to Hell can be a bizarre ride with Jason hamburgers and a guy talking about girls simulating sex with a donut.

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3 Scream 3 (2000)

Scream 3

Release Date

February 3, 2000

Director

Wes Craven

Cast

Liev Schreiber, Beth Toussaint, Roger Jackson, Kelly Rutherford, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

Compromised by the public's reaction to the Columbine school shooting, Scream 3 hit theaters in a far more comedic form than initially intended. And, compared to the first two films, fans were right to be disappointed.

And, to this day, Scream 3 is still a little disappointing (but, Scream 4 and the 2022 rebirth of the franchise have helped diminish that disappointment). There's little doubt that it's the weakest of its trilogy, and without a script from Kevin Williamson it's operating at a major disadvantage. But Courtney Cox and David Arquette get plenty of time to shine and Parker Posey's Jennifer Jolie is one of the best characters to ever grace the franchise. Scream 3's biggest issue is that it lacks bite, but being the worst installment of the Scream franchise doesn't exactly make for an outright poor film.

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2 Land of the Dead (2005)

Land of the Dead

Release Date

June 24, 2005

Director

George A. Romero

Cast

Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento, Robert Joy, Eugene Clark

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

George A. Romero ended up helming six Dead movies before his passing, but the first four are the only ones worth anyone's time. In the end, the fourth film, Land of the Dead, feels like a gift to fans, mostly because of Day of the Dead, it really seemed as though the franchise was dead.

But, contrary to the IP's content, there was still life very much in it. The film finds a lot of fun stuff and interesting plot turns for John Leguizamo (having a blast), Asia Argento, Simon Baker, Robert Joy (great in his role), and Dennis Hopper to do and go through. As a whole, it's not quite as strong as the original trilogy, but for those who find it superior to Day of the Dead, the argument is valid.

Stream it on Peacock and Starz

1 Doctor Sleep (2019)

Doctor Sleep

Release Date

October 30, 2019

Director

Mike Flanagan

Cast

Rebecca Ferguson, Ewan McGregor, Zahn McClarnon, Chelsea Talmadge, Carl Lumbly, Alexandra Essoe

Rating

R

Main Genre

Horror

Mike Flanagan's Doctor Sleepunfortunately did not continue the resurgence of interests in Stephen King adaptations, exiting theaters just as quickly as it entered them. But, as far as adapting the Master of Horror's work, Doctor Sleep is even better than The Shining.

Is Doctor Sleep as compelling or frightening a movie as The Shining? Not quite, but it's an impressive film all the same. Ewan McGregor, Cliff Curtis, and Rebecca Ferguson are all outstanding in their respective roles, and the experience is also bolstered by strong writing and expert cinematography.

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