10 Horror Movie Sequels That Saved The Franchise

Originally written as an X-Files instalment, the Final Destination series were a noughties horror phenomenon which fell victim to the gradually worsening returns that so often plague the horror genre.

Each film followed a new group of thinly-sketched teens who narrowly avoided death via some catastrophe (plane crash, freeway pile-up, rollercoaster malfunction), only for death to pick them off one-by-one via some seriously convoluted Rube Goldberg-style demises.

Most of the series' appeal came from these sometimes hilariously elaborate, sometimes hilariously simple death scenes, but by the time the fourth film arrived in cinemas in 2009 the formula was more than a little tired. The series low point came with this instalment, the misleading-ly monikered The Final Destination.

However, 2011 saw the release of Final Destination 5, a genuinely thrilling 3D enhanced instalment which was a marked improvement on its predecessors. This final (hoho) instalment featured creative kills and an unforgettable killer twist which tied together the entire franchise continuity, as well as offering a satisfying slice of gory comedy horror. The film deservedly won over both critics and audiences, bringing in the second highest gross of the series.