10 Horror Movie Sequels That Broke All The Rules
3. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)
2014's The Town That Dreaded Sundown was a sneaky little film that relied on misleading marketing. Announced as a remake of the 1976 cult classic of the same name, genre fans were rather shocked to discover it is sequel... of sorts.
The movie takes us to the town of Texarkana where a sack-clad killer again stalks lovers lanes searching for victims. Has The Phantom Killer returned? Or is it a sick fan, obsessed with the town's legacy and the movie it inspired?
What makes this 2014 film stand out is it isn't a remake at all... The Town That Dreaded Sundown goes super-meta and focuses on the lives of those in Texarkana following years of unwanted publicity generated by the 1976 movie.
Residents are shown to resent the film, fearing it will one day bring bloodshed upon their town once more. The writing is genius here, tying in the cult following the 1976 film has, while still being incredibly respectful to the horrific true events of 1940s Texarkana.
The string of new murders are also interesting, as we meet a wide-range of colorful characters that seemingly haven't learned from the locals warnings of a "boogeyman" still prowling the prairies.
Basing a film around the effects of real life events is always tricky, but here Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum do it with grace and respect in a truly unique movie.