It doesn’t take a genius to see the franchise potential of most goodhorrormovie 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.
However, turning horror films into franchises isn’t always a good idea. Somehorror movie sequels should never have been made, and while other horrormovie franchises bounced back after a disappointing second film, it’s for a good reason that manyhorror 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.
Final Destination 5
Cast
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.
Until it was announced that a new entry was coming out in 2025,Final Destination 5was the last entry in the franchise. With many memorablehorror 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 inFinal Destination 5, which doesn’t reveal itself to be a prequel until the third act.
The use of 3D doesn’t bode well for horror movies, andFinal Destination 5doesn’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 asa rare good final entry in a horror franchise, it deserves the reputation it has of being one of the best horror prequels ever made.
Annabelle: Creation
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.
Great acting is a common trait of the best horror films, including the famousConjuringfranchise, where Vera Farmiga delivers career-defining performances in all the entries. So, it’s no surprise thatAnnabelle: Creation, the prequel to the spin-off movieAnnabelle, 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 latterConjuringmovies made it seem like the franchise would benefit from deviating from its format of basing stories on real-life incidents, andAnnabelle: Creationis the perfect example, as the story is practically original.
Jump scares often feel like cheap ways to induce fear in viewers, butAnnabelle: Creationmakes innovative use of jump scares without overusing them like a gimmick. It is significantly better thanAnnabelle, andperhaps the only good film in theAnnabelletrilogy. 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 toThe Conjuring, is commendable as well.
A Quiet Place: Day One
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.
Even though mainstream cinema is frustratingly filled with remakes, sequels, and reboots, most of which are soulless films,A Quiet Place: Day Oneis a rare gem of a horror prequel that’s innovative and memorable.A Quiet Placeis one of thebest 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 aboutA Quiet Place: Day Oneis 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, despitebeing the writer and director of both the previously released films.A Quiet Place: Day Onetaps into viewers' curiosity and needs by providing the backstory to the practically post-apocalyptic world where the first film is set.
Saw X
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.
Saw 3Dis perhaps the most forgettable and poorly constructedSawmovie, and so, it’s surprising that the director, Kevin Greutert, didn’t just make a good, but perhaps the best,Sawfilm ever!Despite its low expectations, the movie is good, and confirms the long-hypothesized opinion of manySawfans – 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 Xtakes 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 toremind us why he is one of the best horror movie villainsever.
Prometheus
Prometheus, released in 2012, is a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. It follows a team of explorers as they uncover clues about humanity’s origins, embarking on a perilous interstellar expedition where they confront formidable challenges to secure the future of mankind.
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 afterAlienfirst came out. It’s clearly a gift for the fans of the franchise, as after James Cameron’s sequel toAlien, there hadn’t been a good movie in the franchise untilPrometheus, which moves away from the story of Ellen Ripley, amovie character who helped reshape genre expectationsby being one of the first female action movie heroes.
Scott’s direction for bothPrometheusandAlien: Covenant, the sequel he directed, is different from the approach in the rest of theAlienfranchise. While the movies are related, neither of these two fits snugly into the franchise’s continuity, either.Prometheusalso featuresruminations on the meaning of humanity and other philosophical conundrums, including wanting to discover our origins.
5The First Omen (2024)
Directed By Arkasha Stevenson
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 toThe Omencould meet the standard set by it, and the movie franchise had practically ended in 1991 afterThe Omen IV: The Awakeningreceived strongly negative reviews. Arkasha Stevenson’sThe 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.
Red Dragon
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).
The controlled chaos that Sir Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter represents was somewhat undercut inHannibal, the sequel toThe Silence of the Lambs, because of thehilarious moments that were supposed to be scary. However, the prequel filmRed Dragonbrings 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 mantrying to hide from the authorities in Italy.
WhilePredator, 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.
Preyhas an even higher critics' score thanPredator, making it a rare prequel that’s considered better than its original movie.
In many ways, the protagonist ofPrey, a Comanche woman played by Amber Midthunder, is reminiscent of Ellen Ripley as she faces off against the alien to protect her tribe.Preyperfectly combines adrenaline-fueled action sequences with suspenseful scenes of horror and the science fiction element in the Predator’s design. The desperation ofa technologically disadvantaged tribe in the 1700s facing a futuristic creature from outer spaceadds an unlikely thrill to the franchise that it could use more of.
Pearl
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.
Ti West’sXwas 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 ofthe best A24 movie performances ever. She plays both the young final girl and the old woman who becomes the primary antagonist. While memorable,Xisn’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.
Unlike most prequels, though,Pearlcame out the same year asX, proving that Ti West’s story forPearlhas 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 isa relatively sympathetic character in a misogynistic societywho loses her grip on sanity and turns homicidal, giving us a memorable viewing experience.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
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.
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 isTwin Peaks, abeloved 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 howTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Meis 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, butTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Meisn’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. Thehorrorstory is perfectly complemented by the distressing surrealism.
