It doesn’t take a genius to see the franchise potential of most good horror movie premises. Horror films give us entities we want more of – a memorable villain, an intriguing circumstance, a terrifying spirit, or a dangerous monster – and often give us more through sequels, remakes, and reboots. The most iconic horror movie villains all belong to franchises, be it Michael Myers or Leatherface. Watching characters like them continue their murder streaks with more innovation and dedication is something every horror movie buff looks forward to.
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However, turning horror films into franchises isn’t always a good idea. Some horror movie sequels should never have been made, and while other horror movie franchises bounced back after a disappointing second film, it’s for a good reason that many horror movie sequels get a lot of flack. Some of them receive undeservedly negative reviews, and the same can be said about prequels. While it’s often a great idea to embellish a backstory with a prequel, it can easily backfire. However, quite a few horror movie prequels are great and worth watching.
You are watching: 10 Best Horror Prequels Of All Time
10
Final Destination 5 (2011)
Directed By Steven Quale
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Final Destination 5
R
Horror
Mystery
7/10
10.0/10
Release Date
August 12, 2011
Runtime
91 minutes
Director
Steven Quale
Writers
Eric Heisserer
Producers
Craig Perry, Warren Zide
Cast
See All
-
Nicholas D’Agosto
Sam Lawton
-
Emma Bell
Molly Harper
Final Destination 5 follows a group of coworkers who narrowly escape a deadly suspension bridge collapse, thanks to one man’s premonition. Unbeknownst to them, they were never meant to survive, and they must confront their fate while attempting to outwit Death’s relentless pursuit.
Main Genre
Horror
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Until it was announced that a new entry was coming out in 2025, Final Destination 5 was the last entry in the franchise. With many memorable horror scenes that changed millennials’ lives as kids, the franchise shaped an entire generation’s taste in horror cinema. Its signature plot of a group of characters surviving a disaster and then being hunted by Death one by one is also present in Final Destination 5, which doesn’t reveal itself to be a prequel until the third act.
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The use of 3D doesn’t bode well for horror movies, and Final Destination 5 doesn’t look great either, but the innovative and brutal kills make up for the cheesy effects. It is notably better than a few of its preceding entries in the franchise, and as a rare good final entry in a horror franchise, it deserves the reputation it has of being one of the best horror prequels ever made.
9
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Directed By David F. Sandberg
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Annabelle: Creation
R
Horror
Mystery
Thriller
6/10
8.6/10
Release Date
August 11, 2017
Runtime
109 minutes
Director
David F. Sandberg
Writers
Gary Dauberman
Prequel(s)
Annabelle
Cast
See All
-
Anthony LaPaglia
-
Alicia Vela-Bailey
Annabelle: Creation is the sequel to the 2014 supernatural horror film centering around the demonic doll. Exploring the origins of Annabelle, Creation sees a family in mourning after their daughter dies tragically in an accident. Several years after the event, the family opens their doors to orphans, who become the targets of the mysterious doll – but the truth of Annabelle may be connected with their dearly departed daughter.
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Great acting is a common trait of the best horror films, including the famous Conjuring franchise, where Vera Farmiga delivers career-defining performances in all the entries. So, it’s no surprise that Annabelle: Creation, the prequel to the spin-off movie Annabelle, has memorable acting that complements the somber tone of the movie. It follows the creator of the creepy doll Annabelle and tells the story of how she was unleashed upon the world.
The creative concepts in the latter Conjuring movies made it seem like the franchise would benefit from deviating from its format of basing stories on real-life incidents, and Annabelle: Creation is the perfect example, as the story is practically original.
Jump scares often feel like cheap ways to induce fear in viewers, but Annabelle: Creation makes innovative use of jump scares without overusing them like a gimmick. It is significantly better than Annabelle, and perhaps the only good film in the Annabelle trilogy. With a unique setting and some much-needed backstory on the infamous titular doll, it’s certain to make a mark on viewers. Moreover, the return to psychological horror, similar to The Conjuring, is commendable as well.
8
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Directed By Michael Sarnoski
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A Quiet Place: Day One
PG-13
Drama
Horror
Sci-Fi
4/10
16
8.2/10
Release Date
June 28, 2024
Runtime
99 Minutes
Director
Michael Sarnoski
Writers
Michael Sarnoski
Franchise(s)
A Quiet Place
Cast
See All
-
Lupita Nyong’o
-
Joseph Quinn
A Quiet Place: Day One is a spin-off of the A Quiet Place franchise conceived by John Krasinski. The film is set at the beginning of the invasion as humanity scrambles to survive, before the events of the original film, with Lupita Nyong’O leading the cast, directed by Michael Sarnoski.
Main Genre
Horror
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Even though mainstream cinema is frustratingly filled with remakes, sequels, and reboots, most of which are soulless films, A Quiet Place: Day One is a rare gem of a horror prequel that’s innovative and memorable. A Quiet Place is one of the best horror movies released in the past 10 years, and it has great franchise potential, especially because of its unique setting and mechanics.
What stands out about A Quiet Place: Day One is that it might be a prequel, but it’s a standalone movie. It’s the only film in the franchise that John Krasinski wasn’t involved in, despite being the writer and director of both the previously released films. A Quiet Place: Day One taps into viewers’ curiosity and needs by providing the backstory to the practically post-apocalyptic world where the first film is set.
7
Saw X (2023)
Directed By Kevin Greutert
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Saw X
R
Horror
Mystery
Thriller
7/10
6.8/10
Release Date
September 27, 2023
Runtime
118 minutes
Director
Kevin Greutert
Writers
Josh Stolberg, Pete Goldfinger, James Wan, Leigh Whannell
Producers
Daniel J. Heffner, Gregg Hoffman, Jason Constantine, Mark Burg, Oren Koules, James Wan, Leigh Whannell, Ketura Kestin
Cast
See All
-
Tobin Bell
John Kramer
-
Shawnee Smith
Amanda Young
Saw X is set between Saw and Saw II, following John Kramer as he seeks an experimental cancer treatment in Mexico. Discovering a fraudulent operation targeting vulnerable individuals, Kramer resumes his role as the infamous serial killer, using his lethal ingenuity to exact revenge on the con artists.
Main Genre
Horror
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Saw 3D is perhaps the most forgettable and poorly constructed Saw movie, and so, it’s surprising that the director, Kevin Greutert, didn’t just make a good, but perhaps the best, Saw film ever! Despite its low expectations, the movie is good, and confirms the long-hypothesized opinion of many Saw fans – the way to save the franchise is to make a prequel, so Jigsaw can be a main character again.
Tobin Bell’s charming performance as Jigsaw is the biggest selling point.
Saw X takes the franchise back to a time when Jigsaw wasn’t just alive, but capable of significantly challenging physical feats. The traps are innovative as ever, and Tobin Bell’s charming performance as Jigsaw is the biggest selling point. His signature uncanny and unnerving screen presence is coupled with his crazed need to deliver retributive justice to remind us why he is one of the best horror movie villains ever.
6
Prometheus (2012)
Directed By Ridley Scott
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Prometheus
R
Sci-Fi
Horror
Action
Adventure
Drama
Mystery
9/10
165
8.2/10
Release Date
June 8, 2012
Runtime
124 Minutes
Director
Ridley Scott
Writers
Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof
Prequel(s)
Aliens, Alien, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Alien Vs Predator, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Cast
See All
-
Charlize Theron
-
Noomi Rapace
2012’s Prometheus is the fifth installment in the Alien franchise and was directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce, the film acts as a direct prequel to 1979’s Alien.
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Ridley Scott didn’t make a single movie in the longest of the franchises that his movies started until nearly three and a half decades after Alien first came out. It’s clearly a gift for the fans of the franchise, as after James Cameron’s sequel to Alien, there hadn’t been a good movie in the franchise until Prometheus, which moves away from the story of Ellen Ripley, a movie character who helped reshape genre expectations by being one of the first female action movie heroes.
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Scott’s direction for both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, the sequel he directed, is different from the approach in the rest of the Alien franchise. While the movies are related, neither of these two fits snugly into the franchise’s continuity, either. Prometheus also features ruminations on the meaning of humanity and other philosophical conundrums, including wanting to discover our origins.
5
The First Omen (2024)
Directed By Arkasha Stevenson
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The First Omen
R
Horror
8/10
7.2/10
Release Date
April 5, 2024
Runtime
119 Minutes
Director
Arkasha Stevenson
Writers
Ben Jacoby, Tim Smith, Arkasha Stevenson, Keith Thomas
Sequel(s)
The Omen
Cast
See All
-
Nell Tiger Free
-
Tawfeek Barhom
The First Omen is a horror film from director Arkasha Stevenson that acts as a prequel to the 1976 film The Omen. The film follows a young woman who goes to Rome to become a nun but begins to question her faith after encountering a terrifying darkness that aims to spawn an evil incarnate.
Main Genre
Horror
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It is a daring move to start a feature filmmaking career with a prequel to a horror movie from nearly half a century ago, but Arkasha Stevenson proves up to the task. None of the three sequels to The Omen could meet the standard set by it, and the movie franchise had practically ended in 1991 after The Omen IV: The Awakening received strongly negative reviews. Arkasha Stevenson’s The First Omen, however, proves that there is more potential in the franchise.
The cinematography, which captures the gorgeous setting from every imaginable angle, will have you falling in love with the location. However, the film doesn’t shy away from creating gory and disgusting moments that will leave audiences reeling, beautifully balancing the contrast thanks to the carefully paced screenplay. Nell Tiger Free, as the protagonist, deserves accolades for her performances, which are further buoyed by the supporting roles played by Bill Nighy, Ralph Ineson, and Charles Dance.
4
Red Dragon (2002)
Directed By Brett Ratner
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Red Dragon
R
Drama
Horror
Crime
Thriller
7.0/10
Release Date
October 4, 2002
Runtime
124 minutes
Director
Brett Ratner
Writers
Ted Tally
Prequel(s)
Hannibal Rising
Cast
See All
-
Harvey Keitel
-
Mary-Louise Parker
Red Dragon is the third film starring Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter but acts as a prequel to the award-winning Silence of the Lambs and 2001’s Hannibal. The film is an adaptation of Thomas Harris’ 1981 novel Red Dragon and centers on Will Graham (Edward Norton) as he hunts the unhinged serial killer Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes).
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The controlled chaos that Sir Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter represents was somewhat undercut in Hannibal, the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs, because of the hilarious moments that were supposed to be scary. However, the prequel film Red Dragon brings back the terrifying tone that makes Dr. Lecter an iconic horror movie presence. He’s not performing over-the-top violent deeds, and his legendary cold and polite presence as a cannibal will send chills down viewers’ spines.
Edward Norton and Ralph Fiennes star as the protagonist and antagonist of the film, respectively, and both deliver compelling performances that will leave you reeling, especially after their climactic altercation. While it’s not centered on Hannibal, he gets a significant amount of screen time and might be considered the primary villain as well. As a prequel, the movie gives us the golden opportunity to look into his life before he becomes a reclusive man trying to hide from the authorities in Italy.
3
Prey (2022)
Directed By Dan Trachtenberg
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Prey
R
Sci-Fi
Action
Horror
Drama
9.0/10
Release Date
August 5, 2022
Director
Dan Trachtenberg
Writers
Patrick Aison
Cast
-
Amber Midthunder
-
Dane DiLiegro
Main Genre
Sci-Fi
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While Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, changed Hollywood’s approach to the creature feature genre of horror movies, its sequels failed to live up to the hype. The franchise seemed to have lost all creative potential until Dan Trachtenberg took it on for a prequel. Prey, which follows the Predator alien during its first visit to Earth, revitalized people’s faith in the dying movie series.
Prey has an even higher critics’ score than Predator, making it a rare prequel that’s considered better than its original movie.
In many ways, the protagonist of Prey, a Comanche woman played by Amber Midthunder, is reminiscent of Ellen Ripley as she faces off against the alien to protect her tribe. Prey perfectly combines adrenaline-fueled action sequences with suspenseful scenes of horror and the science fiction element in the Predator’s design. The desperation of a technologically disadvantaged tribe in the 1700s facing a futuristic creature from outer space adds an unlikely thrill to the franchise that it could use more of.
2
Pearl (2022)
Directed By Ti West
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Pearl
R
Horror
4/10
7.6/10
Release Date
September 16, 2022
Runtime
102 minutes
Director
Ti West
Writers
Ti West, Mia Goth
Cast
See All
-
Mia Goth
-
David Corenswet
Pearl, a prequel to the film X, follows the story of a young woman named Pearl residing on a secluded farm during the early 20th century. Directed by Ti West, this psychological horror explores Pearl’s descent into madness, delving into her troubled psyche and the haunting circumstances that surround her. Starring Mia Goth, the film provides a chilling backdrop and a character study of ambition and isolation gone awry.
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Ti West’s X was the perfect callback to the classic era of slasher movies, with its old-school setting where the kills are reminiscent of the most iconic kills in the genre’s history. It features Mia Goth in a dual role, delivering one of the best A24 movie performances ever. She plays both the young final girl and the old woman who becomes the primary antagonist. While memorable, X isn’t a revolutionary movie beyond the smart casting choice of Mia Goth as both villain and hero. However, its prequel is a one-of-a-kind horror movie that expands on the villain’s backstory.
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Unlike most prequels, though, Pearl came out the same year as X, proving that Ti West’s story for Pearl has the standalone potential to earn positive reactions without relying on the popularity of its predecessor. Mia Goth’s portrayal of the titular Pearl’s descent into chaos is one of the greatest horror movie performances ever, and her character’s arc will go down in the hall of fame as one of the most disturbing explorations of psychopathy. She is a relatively sympathetic character in a misogynistic society who loses her grip on sanity and turns homicidal, giving us a memorable viewing experience.
1
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
Directed By David Lynch
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Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
R
Drama
Mystery
Horror
10.0/10
Release Date
June 3, 1992
Runtime
135 minutes
Director
David Lynch
Writers
Robert Engels
Producers
Francis Bouygues, Gregg Fienberg
Cast
See All
-
Ray Wise
Leland Palmer
-
Sheryl Lee
Laura Palmer
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a prequel to the television series Twin Peaks, exploring the last seven days of Laura Palmer’s life. Set in the towns of Deer Meadow and Twin Peaks, the film follows FBI Agent Dale Cooper’s investigation into dark visions and the mysterious disappearance of Agent Desmond.
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What the late filmmaker David Lynch’s greatest achievement as a director was, shall forever be the subject of debate. However, none can deny that among the strongest contenders is Twin Peaks, a beloved TV show that should never be rebooted. Only David Lynch can create the perfect mix of idiosyncratic surrealism, dark romance, dreamy drama, and intense suspense that the show is known for.
Despite unfortunately being a box office flop when it came out, the movie has been reassessed in recent years as one of Lynch’s best films.
With Lynch directing, it’s obvious to see how Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is perhaps the greatest horror movie prequel of all time. Despite unfortunately being a box office flop when it came out, the movie has been reassessed in recent years as one of Lynch’s best films. It’s just as confusing as the TV show, but Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me isn’t as viewer-friendly as the show, as Lynch brings his trademark filmmaking style that throws viewers into the gritty criminal underbelly of all his settings. The horror story is perfectly complemented by the distressing surrealism.
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment