10 AMAZING Horror Sequels That Shouldn’t Have Worked

10. Friday The 13th Part VI - Jason Lives

Even though the original Friday the 13th was hugely successful, the early sequels rarely deviated from the formula, causing the property to quickly run out of steam. When Jason Voorhees was offed in the fourth outing, it seemed like the slasher saga was wrapping up. 

Although a fifth entry was released, it was reviled by the horror community since it didn't feature Jason, further compounding the argument that Friday the 13th should be laid to rest.

Instead, Tom McLoughlin co-wrote and directed Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, where the hockey masked maniac was brought back to life as an unstoppable zombie. On paper, throwing in supernatural elements six movies in could've come across as jarring and desperate.

Instead, this daring move resurrected the waning franchise. Rather than being another run-of-the-mill slasher villain, depicted Jason as an undead juggernaut gave him a more defining identity. The machete-wielding psycho was far more imposing, since there was no clear way of defeating him. Also, Jason's superhuman strength allowed him to maim, mutilate, and dismember in ways that were more brutal, memorable, and even funny.

Though Jason was intimidating prior to Friday the 13th Part VI, transforming him into an immortal ghoul made him iconic.