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Horror movie sequels can be hit-or-miss, but the best of them truly shine. While we wait to see how Smile 2 stacks up, here's a roundup of the best horror movie sequels of all time, as determined by Rotten Tomatoes.
15. Scream VI (2023)
Tomatometer: 76%
Popcornmeter: 91%
Synopsis: Following the latest Ghostface killings, the four survivors leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.
Critics Consensus: Certain aspects of horror's most murderously meta franchise may be going stale, but a change of setting and some inventive set pieces help keep Scream VI reasonably sharp.
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Courteney Cox
Directed By: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet
14. Doctor Sleep (2019)
Tomatometer: 79%
Popcornmeter: 89%
Synopsis: Struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for a peaceful existence soon becomes shattered when he meets Abra, a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the "shine." Together, they form an unlikely alliance to battle the True Knot, a cult whose members try to feed off the shine of innocents to become immortal.
Critics Consensus: Doctor Sleep forsakes the elemental terror of The Shining for a more contemplative sequel that balances poignant themes against spine-tingling chills.
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran
Directed By: Mike Flanagan
13. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Tomatometer: 80%
Popcornmeter: 81%
Synopsis: In 1977, paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren come out of a self-imposed sabbatical to travel to Enfield, a borough in north London. There, they meet Peggy Hodgson, an overwhelmed single mother of four who tells the couple that something evil is in her home. Ed and Lorraine believe her story when the youngest daughter starts to show signs of demonic possession. As the Warrens try to help the besieged girl, they become the next targets of the malicious spirit.
Critics Consensus: The Conjuring 2 can't help but lose a bit of its predecessor's chilly sting through familiarity, but what remains is still a superior ghost story told with spine-tingling skill.
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Madison Wolfe
Directed By: James Wan
12. Alien: Romulus (2024)
Tomatometer: 80%
Popcornmeter: 85%
Synopsis: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Critics Consensus: Honoring its nightmarish predecessors while chestbursting at the seams with new frights of its own, Romulus injects some fresh acid blood into one of cinema's great horror franchises.
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux
Directed By: Fede Alvarez
11. Saw X (2023)
Tomatometer: 80%
Popcornmeter: 89%
Synopsis: John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most chilling installment of the SAW franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw's most personal game. Set between the events of SAW I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer -- only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, John returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through a series of ingenious and terrifying traps.
Critics Consensus: Led by a franchise-best performance from Tobin Bell, Saw X reinvigorates the series with an installment that has a surprising amount of heart to go with all the gore.
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnøve Macody Lund
Directed By: Kevin Greutert
10. Scream 2 (1997)
Tomatometer: 81%
Popcornmeter: 58%
Synopsis: Sydney (Neve Campbell) and tabloid reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) survived the events of the first "Scream," but their nightmare isn't over. When two college students are murdered at a sneak preview of "Stab," a movie based on the events from the first film, it's clear a copycat killer is on the loose. Sydney and Gail, as well as fellow survivors Deputy Dewey (David Arquette) and Randy (Jamie Kennedy) have to find out who is behind this new murder spree, before they all end up dead.
Critics Consensus: As with the first film, Scream 2 is a gleeful takedown of scary movie conventions that manages to poke fun at terrible horror sequels without falling victim to the same fate.
Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar
Directed By: Wes Craven
9. Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Tomatometer: 84%
Popcornmeter: 76%
Synopsis: In the fifth Evil Dead film, a road-weary Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids on her own in a cramped L.A apartment. The sisters' reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie's building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.
Critics Consensus: Offering just about everything longtime fans could hope for while still managing to carry the franchise forward, Evil Dead Rise is all kinds of groovy.
Starring: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland
Directed By: Lee Cronin
8. Day of the Dead (1985)
Tomatometer: 87%
Popcornmeter: 75%
Synopsis: The living dead regroup above while humans (Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato) sweat it out below in a Florida missile silo.
Critics Consensus: Day of the Dead may arguably be the least haunting entry in George A. Romero's undead trilogy, but it will give audiences' plenty to chew on with its shocking gore and scathing view of society.
Starring: Lori Cardille, Terence Alexander, Joseph Pilato
Directed By: George A. Romero
7. Evil Dead II (1987)
Tomatometer: 88%
Popcornmeter: 89%
Synopsis: The second of three films in the Evil Dead series is part horror, part comedy, with Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) once again battling horrifying demons at a secluded cabin in the woods. After discovering an audiotape left by a college professor that contains voices reading from the Book of the Dead, Ash's girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) becomes possessed by evil spirits that are awakened by the voices on the tape. Ash soon discovers there is no escaping the woods.
Critics Consensus: Less a continuation than an outright reimagining, Sam Raimi transforms his horror tale into a comedy of terrors -- and arguably even improves on the original formula.
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks
Directed By: Sam Raimi
6. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Tomatometer: 90%
Popcornmeter: 79%
Synopsis: After surviving a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up to find herself in an underground bunker with two men. Howard (John Goodman) tells her that a massive chemical attack has rendered the air unbreathable, and their only hope of survival is to remain inside. Despite the comforts of home, Howard's controlling and menacing nature makes Michelle want to escape. After taking matters into her own hands, the young woman finally discovers the truth about the outside world.
Critics Consensus: Smart, solidly crafted, and palpably tense, 10 Cloverfield Lane makes the most of its confined setting and outstanding cast -- and suggests a new frontier for franchise filmmaking.
Starring: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr.
Directed By: Dan Trachtenberg
4. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Tomatometer: 91%
Popcornmeter: 80%
Synopsis: When foreman Frank (James Karen) shows new employee Freddy (Thom Mathews) a secret military experiment in a supply warehouse, the two klutzes accidentally release a gas that reanimates corpses into flesh-eating zombies. As the epidemic spreads throughout Louisville, Ky., and the creatures satisfy their hunger in gory and outlandish ways, Frank and Freddy fight to survive with the help of their boss (Clu Gulager) and a mysterious mortician (Don Calfa).
Critics Consensus: A punk take on the zombie genre, The Return of the Living Dead injects a healthy dose of '80s silliness to the flesh-consuming.
Starring: Clu Gulager, James Karen, Don Calfa, Thom Mathews
Directed By: Dan O'Bannon
5. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Tomatometer: 91%
Popcornmeter: 90%
Synopsis: As hordes of zombies swarm over the U.S., the terrified populace tries everything in their power to escape the attack of the undead, but neither cities nor the countryside prove safe. In Pennsylvania, radio-station employee Stephen (David Emge) and his girlfriend, Francine (Gaylen Ross), escape in the station helicopter, accompanied by two renegade SWAT members, Roger and Pete. The group retreats to the haven of an enclosed shopping center to make what could be humanity's last stand
Critics Consensus: One of the most compelling and entertaining zombie films ever, Dawn of the Dead perfectly blends pure horror and gore with social commentary on material society.
Starring: David Emge, Ken Force, Gaylen Ross
Directed By: George A. Romero
3. A Quiet Place Part II (2021)
Tomatometer: 91%
Popcornmeter: 92%
Synopsis: Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
Critics Consensus: A nerve-wracking continuation of its predecessor, A Quiet Place Part II expands the terrifying world of the franchise without losing track of its heart.
Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds
Directed By: John Krasinski
2. Aliens (1986)
Tomatometer: 94%
Popcornmeter: 94%
Synopsis: After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a nine year old girl named Newt (Carrie Henn). But even these battle-hardened marines with all the latest weaponry are no match for the hundreds of aliens that have invaded the colony.
Critics Consensus: While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn
Directed By: James Cameron
1. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Tomatometer: 98%
Popcornmeter: 87%
Synopsis: After recovering from injuries sustained in the mob attack upon himself and his creation, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) falls under the control of his former mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who insists the now-chastened doctor resume his experiments in creating new life. Meanwhile, the Monster (Boris Karloff) remains on the run from those who wish to destroy him without understanding that his intentions are generally good despite his lack of socialization and self-control.
Critics Consensus: An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.
Starring: Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive
Directed By: James Whale
