11 Horror Sequels That Were Actually Better Than The Original

It does actually happen. Sometimes.

The Purge Election Year
Universal Pictures

Let's not beat around the bush: most of the time, horror sequels suck and conform to the law of diminishing returns; for example, in 2019 we've already endured the bitter disappointment of Happy Death Day 2U. So, are horror movie sequels ever a good thing? Do they ever surpass the original?

Actually, in rare cases, they genuinely do.

Horror sequels being better than the original feels like an impossibility much of the time, which is why it's so ridiculously, insanely satisfying when a horror sequel comes along and annihilates our expectations.

These following eleven horror sequels are some of the most pleasantly surprising horror films out there and if today's horror sequels follow the example of these films, perhaps terrible horror sequels will become a thing of the past. Fingers crossed...

11. The Collection

The Purge Election Year
LD Entertainment

The Collector was a bog-standard and forgettable torture-porn horror flick but it did have a great villain, so a continuation featuring more of him felt not only inevitable, but somewhat justified. It seemed that in a less confined and more interesting setting (in this case, the Collector's booby-trapped lair), the Collector could be the center of something pretty cool and sure enough, this sequel delivered on that front.

The Collection hits the ground running with an incredible set-piece in a nightclub (in which the Collector kills everyone inside with a series of horrific booby traps) and doesn't lose momentum after that. It's a pleasingly gritty and genuinely tense thriller that might not be among the decade's finest horror films, but is certainly a huge improvement over most torture-porn horror films. It definitely deserves credit for succeeding, given that it was a follow-up to such a mediocre film.

A very belated third film is apparently happening, according to lead actor Josh Stewart. As long as this sequel follows the example of the second film, not the first one, it should do just fine.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.