10 "Terrible" Movie Sequels That Are Actually Good
2. Psycho 2
If you find yourself conversing about the best horrors in cinema history, chances are that Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is going to come up at some point or another. A groundbreaking psychological horror, the film pushed boundaries and is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Facts that are well-known, indeed, but one that isn't as well-remembered is that it actually spawned three sequels.
While it's easy to see why the third and fourth films are all-but-forgotten to history, the second one makes a solid case for its own existence with a plot that actually feels like a natural continuation of the original story. It's set 22 years after the events of the first film, just as Norman Bates (once again played by the brilliant Anthony Perkins) is released from a mental institution and returns to Bates Motel.
The inherently '80s vibe results in it feeling less timeless than its iconic predecessor, but that's not necessarily a bad thing either as it ensures that Psycho II feels like more of a slasher, allowing it to establish its own unique identity. And Perkins is once again chillingly good.
It's not a perfect horror, but it functions well as a sequel to a film that could very well be just that... and that's more than enough reason to give it a watch.