10 Horror Movie Sequels That DITCHED The Horror
3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Try though some might to tell you otherwise, The Terminator is absolutely a horror film - a pulse-quickening sci-fi action flick in which a murderous cyborg chases down the literal mother of humanity's future like a slasher movie villain.
From its scuzzy low-budget style - creepy stop-motion animation and all - to the unnerving, star-making presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the title role, The Terminator is an unrelentingly unnerving experience.
But just as James Cameron did for the Alien franchise he too did for his own creation, as Terminator 2: Judgment Day shifted into pure sci-fi action territory, trading the low-fi eeriness of its predecessor for mega-budget set-pieces, jaw-dropping visual effects, and a surprisingly emotional story about what it means to be human (and machine).
Of all the genre shifts on this list, T2 is surely the most successful, given that it grossed $520 million worldwide compared to The Terminator's $78.3 million, and near-instantly cemented itself as one of the greatest action films of all time.