3 underrated horror sequels that deserve to be watched again

Horror is simply a genre dominated by sequels. If an original movie is moreover a mean success, it will astir apt get a sequel successful an effort to rate in. Unfortunately, galore of nan sequels stink. For each Child’s Play, there’s a Child’s Play 2. You get nan idea.

Not each sequels are bad, though. In fact, they tin complement and moreover amended connected nan original. For immoderate of nan biggest franchises successful horror, these 3 sequels helped grow their storytelling and stylistic possibilities. Underrated by critics and moreover immoderate fans, Halloween II, A Nightmare connected Elm Street 4, and Exorcist II: The Heretic (yes, you publication that past 1 right) are scary sequels that merit different watch and much attraction and emotion from their respective instrumentality bases.

Halloween II (1981)

Universal

Halloween II unjustly sewage a batch of negativity erstwhile it was released, chiefly for committing 2 unforgivable sins: it wasn’t nan original Halloween and it transformed Michael Myers from a random Boogeyman to a slayer pinch a motive consecutive retired of a daytime soap opera (he’s retired to get his long-lost sister). Time has been benignant to nan Rick Rosenthal-directed sequel, and moreover aft 40 years and almost a twelve caller entries, it’s astir apt still nan champion sequel successful nan Halloween franchise.

What makes Halloween II truthful effective is that it dares to proceed nan nighttime of panic that began successful nan first movie, pursuing Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis arsenic she recovers from being astir killed. And it doesn’t get capable in installments for expertly chronicling really nan mini municipality of Haddonfield slow unravels arsenic it tries to seizure an uncatchable killer. Halloween II ups nan gore content, and while galore critics sneered astatine this (both past and now), it’s really rather effective. Whereas Halloween functions much arsenic a thriller, Halloween II is unabashedly a slasher, and it still hasn’t been surpassed successful really it marries shameless unit pinch genuinely creepy suspense.

Halloween II is streaming connected Peacock.

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

Warner Bros.

Generally considered to beryllium one of nan worst movies of each time, Exorcist II: The Heretic isn’t wholly guiltless of being kinda bad. When compared to nan original Exorcist, which is still nan champion successful nan series, it’s a awesome comedown, pinch excessively overmuch clip spent focusing connected a stone-faced Linda Blair nether heavy hypnosis. The crippled doesn’t make overmuch consciousness either, and nan lead antheral star, Richard Burton, looks perpetually hungover, and almost sneers astatine nan bad speech he has to spout passim nan movie.

And yet, there’s a unusual beauty successful Exorcist II, a weird power that makes it wholly original and dissimilar immoderate different movie ever made. That’s mostly owed to nan director, John Boorman, and nan head of photography, William A Fraker, who capable nan surface pinch wild, sun-stained imagery that makes you judge successful nan divine. There’s a panic to this movie’s strange, sullied beauty, and it’s a show to behold.

Exorcist II: The Heretic is streaming connected Max.

A Nightmare connected Elm Street Part 4: The Dream Master (1988)

New Line

Of each nan Nightmare connected Elm Street movies, Part 3: Dream Warriors is usually singled retired arsenic nan champion and astir celebrated introduction (with bully reason), while Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge gets nan lion’s stock of captious reassessment for it’s hardly hidden queer subtext (which is interesting, but doesn’t redeem what’s ever been a lackluster scary sequel). My favourite Freddy movie has ever been Part 4: The Dream Master, arsenic it’s nan champion astatine showcasing what makes nan Nightmare connected Elm Street scary movies activity truthful good to statesman with: awesome female heroines (with Dream Master Alice kicking ass successful this movie), a supporting formed you really attraction about, off-the-wall joke (“Wanna suck face?”), and spectacular scary VFX.

Part 4 besides gets props for bringing backmost nan survivors from nan past installment and brazenly sidesplitting them disconnected 1 by one, thereby keeping nan assemblage second-guessing arsenic to what nan hellhole is going to hap next. Plus, nan kills successful this movie are immoderate of nan best, pinch nerdy Shelia getting French kissed to death, horny Joey getting killed by a literal bedewed dream-turned-nightmare, and jock Debbie getting turned into a elephantine cockroach and getting squished by Freddy. Is it scary? Not really, but it is somewhat demented, a small spot gross, and ever inventive.

A Nightmare connected Elm Street Part 4: The Dream Master is streaming connected Max.

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Jason is simply a writer, editor, and popular civilization enthusiast whose emotion for cinema, television, and inexpensive comic books has led him to…