15 Unbelievably Hideous Horror Movie Sequels

You'd think Saw V would have killed the franchise...

Saw V Strahm
Lionsgate

What is the genre of film with the biggest franchises? The answer is horror, with numerous horror franchises running at around 10 entries. But is this a good thing? Definitely not.

Sadly, it seems that every good horror film has at least one underwhelming sequel to its name and such sequels almost always conform to the law of diminishing returns. Sure, there are big exceptions, such as Evil Dead 2, Dawn of the Dead and Aliens among others, but those are a minority. In general, horror sequels suck.

The worst thing about horror sequels is that they spoil the original, since they continue the story so badly. A great recent example of this is Happy Death Day 2U, which undermined the original with a weak continuation that over-explained everything.

At the moment, horror is experiencing a revival with great films such as Get Out and It Follows. In order to continue this current winning streak, one important rule should be followed: don't do sequels. Seriously, just leave a great film alone and don't ruin its legacy.

Need any evidence as to why horror sequels are usually a bad idea? Just check out these following monstrosities. They're always a good sign...

15. Alien: Resurrection

Saw V Strahm
Fox

Sure, Prometheus and Alien: Covenent were pretty weak, but they're certainly not the worst in this wildly inconsistent franchise, which has entirely failed to match the highs of Alien or Aliens. The real low-point is this confused, un-scary and enormously irritating mess which can never figure out what to do with itself.

In fairness, it boasts some memorable gore moments, the performances are fine and it has a couple of interesting themes, but as a narrative, it just doesn't work at all and lacks dramatic weight or genuine tension. It also gets even sillier than the two prequel films, which is really saying something.

Alien: Resurrection speeds through many-tension free chase sequences before concluding with a bizarre finale involving an alien hybrid, thus adding up to a painfully unsatisfying viewing and a sad blot upon Alien's legacy.

In the film's famous basketball scene, Sigourney Weaver actually did the impressive basketball trick shot without special effects. And it's a sad comment that that's the most interesting thing about this movie.

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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.