From genre-defining cult classics released early in the century to bona fide mainstream sensations of recent years, horror has evolved to be a landmark genre of 21st century cinema. The emergence of some of the best horror filmmakers the genre has seen and a more emphatic focus on powerful and meaningful stories has combined with new-age effects to make modern horror not only terrifying, but a meaningful viewing experience.
This greatness hasn’t just resulted in some awe-inspiring, original ideas though, but in a number of outstanding horror sequels as well. From immediate follow-ups likeA Quiet Place Part IIto legacy sequels like 2018’sHalloween, and even ongoing franchises with films likeThe Nun 2, the 21st century has been rife with great horror sequels for genre lovers to enjoy.
10’Final Destination 5' (2011)
While undeniably “B” grade, theFinal Destinationfranchise became a massively successful horror franchise of the early 2000s. Each film focuses on characters who survive near-death experiences only to be hunted down by Death which strikes them down in shockingly violent and increasingly absurdist ways.
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Final Destination 5follows a man on a corporate retreat who escapes the deadly collapse of a suspension bridge only to find that Death will not be so easily denied. It ran as a fun, pulpy sequel which gave audiences a great twist as, just when it looked like the characters would survive, it revealed they have boarded Volée Airlines Flight 180 and that the film is actually a prequel leading up to the very first movie in the franchise.
9’The Devil’s Rejects' (2005)
Rob Zombie’s filmography as a whole has achieved a cult status among hardcore horror lovers due to its intense gore and sadistic violence. While it makes for polarizing reception, one film which was at least praised for its filmmaking wasThe Devil’s Rejects, the follow-up film to his much-maligned black comedy horror filmHouse of 1000 Corpses.
The sequel continues to follow the murderous Firefly family as they carry on their killing spree while a vengeful Sheriff closes in on them. Granted, it’s not to everyone’s taste, but as an all-out horror spectacle with sickening visuals and a haunting, nightmarish atmosphere, it worked exceptionally well as a horror flick with an innate ability to crawl under the audience’s skin.
8’Scream 4' (2011)
A revisionist hit of B-grade slasher charm,Screamwas an instant cult classic when released in 1996 and spawned two sequels in the late 90s. The saga has been recently continued with 2022’sScreamand the ensuingScream VIre-establishing the brand as a staple piece of modern horror, but in between the original run and the recent reboot wasScream 4.
The finalScreammovie directed byWes Craven, it follows Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as she nears the end of her book tour and revisits her hometown, prompting a return of the Ghostface killer. While it lacked the sharp polish of the more recentScreammovies, it did excel as a thrilling slasher flick which brought back the original cast and boasted an appropriately pointed critique on celebrity culture.
7’Candyman' (2021)
While a true cult classic, the originalCandymanmovie was just too late to break into the mainstream consciousness in the same manner that other slasher series did so effortlessly in the early 80s. The shame in that is the 1992 original was a great, nuanced slasher hit which, through its urban myth premise, was actively engaging with the idea of horror as a genre while reflecting on poignant societal issues.
As the fourth film in the franchise – and the first since 1999 – 2021’sCandymanfollows an artist intrigued by the macabre legend surroundingChicago’s Cabrini-Green housing projectsand is haunted by the truth of his discovery. With a screenplay co-written byJordan Peele, the revisionist sequel excelled as a slasher thriller, but as a socio-politically charged view on modern racial issues as well.
6'28 Weeks Later' (2007)
28 Days Laterbecame a surprise smash hit for the genre as an intelligent and subversive, though no less terrifying, dose of zombie horror as it tracked a rage virus running rampant in England. In some ways,28 Weeks Laterpresented as a revert back to genre norms, following the American army’s attempts to rebuild the nation only for a second outbreak to occur.
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With the original creators inDanny Boyle,Alex Garland, and producerAndrew Macdonaldall contributing to the sequel, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that it was as good as it was. Ongoing public interest in the two films has seenpossibility of another sequelgain momentum.
5'10 Cloverfield Lane' (2016)
A spiritual sequel/universe expansion of the hit found-footage flickCloverfield,10 Cloverfield Lanehas become a cult classic thanks to its blending of alien invasion thrills with psychological horror. It follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as she wakes up in an underground bunker with two men who claim the outside world has been overrun, and the outside air is now unbreathable.
A striking directorial debut fromDan Trachtenberg, the movie was a tight, smart scare flick which used its confined tension to brilliant effect. Its endeavor to keep throwing questions at the audience right up until the final shot should have helped seeCloverfieldbecome the next big title in franchise horror.
4’Halloween' (2018)
Halloweenis one of the most iconic titles in horror, as the pioneering slasher movie especially for franchise horror. However, while there have been countless sequels and spin-offs – some even earning cult status among the fan base – there had not been one which could truly honorJohn Carpenter’s definitive 1978 original until the 2018 legacy sequel.
WithJamie Lee Curtisreprising her role as Laurie Strode,Halloweenfollows the iconic final girl as she braces to face Michael Myers in a showdownforty years after he first tried to kill her. It stripped the story and ever-expanding mythos of the franchise right back to its simplest roots, offering an arresting slasher spectacle which was rousing for long-timeHalloweenlovers and new fans alike.
3’The Conjuring 2' (2016)
As a genuinely scary ghost movie with a gripping story to boot,The Conjuringwas one of horror’s most important hits of the century. Its sequel proved to be a noteworthy film as well, following Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) as they trek to England to investigate a poltergeist tormenting the Hodgson family.
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Viewed by many to be an improvement on its predecessor,The Conjuring 2ran with a scintillating ghost story and some truly terrifying scares. In addition to cementingThe Conjuringfranchise as a staple of modern horror, it also introduced a number of iconic paranormal villains to the fold as well.
2’Doctor Sleep' (2019)
While horror is back in vogue, another cinematic trend which had emerged throughout the 21st century has been the “legesequel”, follow-up movies made decades after their predecessors hit screens. By far one of the most underrated of those films wasDoctor Sleep, a successor toThe Shiningbased onStephen King’s book and directed by horror masterMike Flanagan.
Following Dan Torrance (Ewen McGregor) as an adult, it focuses on his relationship with a young girl with similar abilities as she is pursued by a gang of cannibalistic travelers who feed on shine to gain immortality. Entirely different in scope to its 1980 predecessor,Doctor Sleepwas an admirable sequel to a genre-defining icon which managed to respectStanley Kubrick’s film and King’s book in equal measure.
1’A Quiet Place Part II' (2020)
John Krasinski’sA Quiet Placecreated such a phenomenon that a sequel was practically inevitable. Thankfully, the follow-up film was just as good as the first, following on from where it left off with a now widowed Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and her children striving to share their knowledge of the monsters’ weakness with other survivors.
The introduction of Emmett (Cillian Murphy) and the splitting of the survivors allowed for the film to run with two adjacent stories which enabled it to keep the survivalist terror of the first film while branching out into a more thrilling horror-adventure as well. In essence, it was a perfect sequel from a technical standpoint and was another landmark success for the horror genre.
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