10 Horror Franchises Where The First Movie Is NOT The Best
9. Terrifier
The best instalment: Terrifier 2
Where did Terrifier 2 even come from?
It was a years-in-the-making sequel to a mediocre, largely forgotten slasher film that came out of nowhere to become one of the most notorious, hyped-up horror flicks of the 2020s so far, and then last year's Terrifier 3 (which is almost as good as its predecessor) became the highest-grossing unrated film ever. Slay!
Like many films on this list, Terrifier 2 represents a satisfying example of a creator listening to feedback and improving. In response to the (completely justified) criticisms that the first film was thinly-written, franchise creator Damian Leone wrote a much longer and more plot-heavy sequel that does a far better job with characterisation.
The only particularly memorable thing in the first film was the gore, and with Terrifier 2 Leone didn't just push the envelope, he shredded it. This sequel is filled with violence so completely deranged that this movie is an endurance test for even the hardest horror enthusiasts, thus cementing this as an extreme shock-fest for the ages and allowing Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), who was fairly forgettable in his first outing, to become a new horror icon for the ages.
It is overlong, exhausting and still has its story issues, but Terrifier 2 remains a thoroughly impressive low-budget horror flick overall. It deserves credit for succeeding against all the odds, for having characters that audiences will care about and for being one of the few films out there to make gore genuinely scary.