10 More Horror Movie Sequels MASSIVELY Better Than The Original

Crafting a sequel to a beloved hit is no small feat, and this is especially true in the world of horror. The long-running genre is stuffed with countless sequels, reboots, and prequels, and its low-budget leanings mean that franchises are commonplace. 

Unfortunately, most of these would-be sagas quickly dilute the appeal of the stories that they were inspired by, leaving horror fans with few options when it comes to impressively crafted stories.

Filmmakers have to navigate the tricky balancing act of delivering a fresh and novel story while respecting what came before, and more often than not this tends to be unsuccessful. With that said, the bar for success is sometimes fairly low in the realm of horror. Because of this, a continuation of the inaugural story is likely to exceed its predecessor and, in some cases, be considered a good movie in its own right.

The reasons for this vary, from a change in the creative team to a larger budget to a better understanding of the story, tone, and characters. Whatever the case may be, these successful motion pictures prove that a horror movie sequel is not inherently a bad thing in the right hands.

Once beloved characters or IP enter the public domain, it means there can be multiple interpretations of these properties from a variety of creative voices. While the diversity in depicting these stories sounds great on paper, that's not always a guarantee, as was seen with 2023's Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.

Blending a beloved children's franchise with horror is a risky balancing act even for a passionate filmmaker, so it was unsurprising that a cynical approach to this endeavour birthed one of the worst films this decade has ever seen. Visually drab, bereft of effective humour, and saddled with awful dialogue, Rhys Frake-Waterfield's parvum opus did nothing special or had anything unique to say about placing the Disney darling in the world of horror.

But it made money, so a sequel - and the garish-sounding Poohniverse - was guaranteed. 

The 2024 follow-up, though still terrible, managed to clear the laughably low bar its predecessor set by having better production values that allowed for more impactful and creative kills, as well as genuinely palpable atmosphere - even if the writing and performances were still way off the mark.

If the Poohniverse is to continue, hopefully Frake-Waterfield and co. will craft a saga that will wash the taste of the first Blood and Honey feature out of the mouths of better-deserving audiences.