8 Horror Movie Sequels Everyone Thought Would Suck But Didn't

It is crazy to think that the 5th sequel in a long drawn out franchise would end up being one of the best entries, but that is exactly what Saw VI is.

Saw had become a shadow of the dirty, realistic horror it started out as with the films devolving into a series of death scenes devoid of tension. The plotlines had also become so convoluted it pushed the notion of suspension of disbelief to comedic levels.

When Saw V seemed to have killed the franchise stone dead, VI went back to basics with a more personal story and a focus on moral dilemmas, rather than just watching poor folk die in horrific ways for 90 minutes.

The infamous death traps are used far more effectively than before with each bringing something special to the table, be it a unique visual palette or emotional predicament.

An early showcase sees two men who must hold their breath or risk their chests being caved in slowly. The movie drops to eery silence for a time before one finally takes a breather, and a rush of adrenaline fills the screen.

Then a later trap involving people strapped to a carrousel is genuinely tense, as the hero must choose from his friends who to save. It's not high art, but the saw series was never a critical darling.

After 3 sequels that declined in quality to the point the franchise seemed unsalvagable, Saw VI injected some much-needed freshness into this corpse of a series from out of nowhere.