10 Smartest Decisions Made In Horror Movie Sequels
These characters all made big brain moves in these horror film sequels.
If there's one thing horror movie characters are known for, it's being on the stupid side.
An abandoned house, you say? Let's break into it in the middle of the night! A Ouija board? Let's play with it! A book of ancient spells that says "Don't read this under any circumstances ever?" Well, you get the idea.
This is why it's so surprising when a character in a horror actually does something halfway intelligent, like escaping a villain's trap or turning their own strengths against them. Believe it or not, there are enough examples of this to make a list, even when just focusing on horror sequels.
At times, horror sequels can be guilty of resting on their laurels, coasting on the success of the original without innovating at all. It's nice, then, that some follow-up films actually take the time to come up with clever scenarios that show their characters are worth cheering for, as opposed to the cannon fodder they usually end up being.
The only problem with this is now moviegoers will get their hopes up that other characters will follow in these footsteps. Unfortunately, the chances of that are embarrassingly low.
10. Heading For The Mall - Dawn Of The Dead
Though it doesn't feature any of the same characters from George A. Romero's 1968 Night of the Living Dead, 1978's Dawn of the Dead is considered a spiritual sequel, as well as being the second in a large series of "of the Dead" films made by the horror maestro.
In the wake of a zombie apocalypse, four survivors team up to find a safe haven. Whilst flying around in their commandeered helicopter, the group spot the perfect place to hide out: an abandoned shopping mall.
In terms of zombie refuges, it doesn't get much better than this. Large building with a fortified entrance? Check. Good supply of food, drink, and other necessities? Check. Chance to run round all the stores you weren't allowed in as a kid? That's a check right there.
Holing up in the mall was a genius idea that has been copied many times in subsequent zombie fiction and one that keeps the group safe for a majority of the film. Sure, it all backfires on them when a group of bikers break in, but before that, things were going swell.