10 Horror Movie Sequels That Are Just As Good As The Original

While the first Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), starring Robert Englund as the seriously sadistic Freddy Krueger, was a verified horror hit, the next film in the franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), is widely considered a creative and commercial flop.

Regardless, the series chugged on, and, two years later, the third film in the series, Dream Warriors, offered audiences a surprisingly terrifying treat. Freddy Krueger’s third onscreen slaughterfest is regarded among fans and critics alike as one of the most refreshingly original films in the Nightmare on Elm Street series.

Set in a creepy psychiatric hospital, the film stars a surprisingly strong cast of child actors (including Patricia Arquette in her debut role), whose youth renders their inevitable, increasingly gory deaths even more tragic. Indeed, Dream Warriors features some of the most seriously creative and grisly deaths of the entire franchise.

One wannabe actress is plunged head-first into a television set, and, in probably the most gruesome scene of the series, one inmate is turned into a human puppet, with Freddy using their veins as makeshift strings.