10 Horror Movies You Probably Hated The First Time Round (But Loved The Second)
Have you grown fonder of these initially frustrating films?
Expectations play a huge role in how we eventually feel about something, and scary movies are no exception. After all, it’s quite discouraging to anticipate certain things from a horror film, only to discover that the trailers and other promotional hype misled you and the end product delivered on few – if any – of them.
Of course, it’s possible for the theatrical experience to be delightfully unpredictable because of how it was marketed, too. Even when no outside influences are involved, we can still hate a movie based solely on what we wanted versus ultimately what we got.
Just as it’s common to enjoy a feature the most when we first see it, though, it’s very likely that we’ll appreciate an initially maligned piece of cinema significantly more with repeated viewings.
The following ten entries here demonstrate precisely all of this, as while they were originally scorned by numerous genre lovers for one reason or another upon their initial release, we’re betting that over time, they – and you – grew to love them a lot more for what they are rather than what they’re not.
10. Halloween Ends
This is probably the best example of hate turning into love in recent memory, as countless franchise fans have encouragingly shifted their opinions since this finale to David Gordon Green’s reboot trilogy premiered last October.
To be fair – and like predecessors Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021) – it’s easy to find a lot of flaws throughout Halloween Ends.
Primarily, viewers were upset about three main elements: the prioritization of a brand-new character (Corey Cunningham); the lack of consistent and compelling final showdowns between villain Michael Myers and savior Laurie Strode; and the corresponding lessening of Myers’ screentime and scariness.
That said, many former naysayers have come to deeply enjoy and respect how different it is.
By emphasizing intentionally intimate psychological drama (directly influenced by Stephen King’s Christine) over routine slasher tropes, Halloween Ends felt much fresher and bolder. Plus, each of the four main characters – Laurie, Michael, Corey, and Laurie’s niece, Allyson Nelson – were developed in daringly interesting, if not entirely satisfying, ways.
Even the opening credits seemed to predict audiences’ inevitable change of heart, as it overtly mirrored the style of the comparatively atypical Halloween III: Season of the Witch (which has been similarly reassessed since its 1982 debut).