“Sequel” is a word that puts people in one of two categories: those who wait on hand and foot for even the smallest clip to release, and those who full-on sign petitions to ban that director from ever making movies again. You either love sequels or hate them. Me — I think it depends. For the most part, I feel that sequels are “number 2” for a reason, but don’t get me wrong, there are gems too.
Halloween (2018)
I’m really taking a risk here starting with the unpopular opinion of Halloween’s “reboot” being a fantastic movie. The hype was some of the most intense I had ever witnessed, and the more news that came out about people reprising their original roles, the more intense it got. But when the movie finally came out, it was more “Huh, ok…” than “OMG Amazing!”
I was of the latter type. The 1978 classic is one of my favorites, and I was super excited to see a continuation of the murderous Michael Myers four decades later — and it delivers. Jamie Lee Curtis, now an older adult, faces her demons as she battles extreme PTSD, lack of support from her adult daughter and teen granddaughter, and The Shape himself. Disregarding the events of Halloween 2-10, Halloween 2018 tells the story of what happens when a serial killer escapes and seeks vengeance once again. Myers is still the unstoppable force we’ve come to know and love, as seen in his trick or treating killing spree.
I tend to consume a lot of serial killer media, and the way Jamie acts toward any mention of the 1978 murders reminds me of just how real that fear can be, even decades after the fact (and it’s a much better representation of trauma than H20). So while there may have been parts that rubbed series fans the wrong way, it’s still an exciting, realistic addition to the Halloween family as a whole. Is it as good as John Carpenter’s original? Of course not, no. But Is it a good sequel? I say yes!
Friday the 13th: Part II (1981)
Let’s talk about another crazed madman while still on the slasher subject: Jason Voorhees. We know him as the famous Camp Crystal Lake killer from the Friday the 13th franchise, but he wasn’t always hunting teens; mother Pamela Voorhees took that role in the original (no, the ending doesn’t count because final girl Alice lives to Part 2), and Part V: A New Beginning was played by a copycat killer.
Though we know Jason as the scary guy in a hockey mask, the sequel features a bag-headed Voorhees as he stalks a group of counselors in the woods. It may not be the most memorable of the series, especially with him traveling to Manhattan and outer space in later additions, but the potato-sack Voorhees has some girth to him. He’s just as creative with his kills as the rest of the films and hasn’t yet let the fame of the hockey mask get to his head. At this point, Jason can still be seen as a person and killable, but he’s quick to show you that the new set of camp counselors is no match.
The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence (2011)
100% medically inaccurate.
The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence
The Human Centipede II is all the poop and gore the original was slated to be. The meta Full Sequence takes the “human centipede” to new levels, multiplying both people and puke-inducing scenes tenfold.
While the second installment lacks the “class” of the first, it’s still a formidable entry in the Sequels category. The Human Centipede II rivals great firsts like Hostel, Saw, and even Cannibal Holocaust. But it’s story isn’t lost in the splatter; here we have a man who takes these grotesque stories (First Sequence) and brings them into real life. We’re not only acknowledging the existence of torture porn and splatter films, but we’re acknowledging that some people in the real world enjoy gore so much that they are willing to partake themselves. The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence is not really a movie I like to watch more than once, and it’s not something I would recommend to a casual horror consumer, but it’s a great example of modern exploitation and pokes fun at itself at every step.
Final Destination 2 (2003)
What Jaws did for sharks and summer beach vacations, Final Destination 2 did for logging trucks. It’s pretty much an unwritten rule that you don’t drive behind a truck carrying “loose” items like logs or long metal rods. You might end up in a convoluted Rube Goldberg-esque death cycle.
Out of all the movies in the series, Final Destination 2’s death sequence, a major highway pileup, is probably the most-likely way a person in the real world could die (compared to a plane explosion, roller coaster derailment, rouge NASCAR tire, and bridge collapse). It makes it even more scary that we see logging trucks like these every day. It’s easy to imagine one of those logs rolling off right into your windshield.
I must admit that this second installment isn’t my favorite of the series — it’s a bit slow and has that weird “blue” 2000s horror feel — but I do appreciate the work put into the film. Not only did Final Destination 2 give us an expansion on how Death works, it gave us a new slew of things to be afraid of (if we weren’t already). Mundane items we use every day are still a threat, even those intended to save our lives.
Creepshow II (1987)
Who doesn’t love anthologies? Creepshow II continues its brilliantly- written series with more short stories by some of our favorite horror icons: Stephen King and George Romero.
Featuring three stories and wrap-around interludes with The Creep in live-action and cartoon form, Creepshow II gives us a vengeful Native American wooden statue, a murderous oil slick, and a hitch-hiker ghost from Hell. All three stories and the wrap-around are wonderfully 80s; they have an older flavor to them, but still deliver on the spooks. It’s almost like seeing a visual of urban legends mixed in with old wives’ tales about morality. Respect your elders and heritage. Always obey signs, they’re there for a reason. Take responsibility for your actions. They’re entertaining and informative all in one! Although Creepshow II doesn’t offer much new in the realm of anthologies, it remains a classic in that category just the same.
The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
The biggest complaint about The Purge was it’s amazing (and eerily beginning to be an actual thing) idea of a country-wide free-for-all night of crime, but what we really got was another home invasion movie. For such a big idea, it was unfortunate to be limited to one family’s house. Then The Purge: Anarchy came along.
Seemingly normal citizens suddenly turn into violent monsters come Purge time. The moment our main characters get stuck in the middle of the city, we hear the sirens, and it’s like a second Halloween: intense and fucking badass montages of different groups from different walks of life in their Purge attire, roaming the streets… hunting. This is what we wanted to see in the first film.
I would say that all of the Purge movies have this underlying (but obvious) message about money and a resistance against an untrustworthy government and compassion and whatever else, but Anarchy is where it unfortunately starts to hit the audience over the head with it a bit. But if social commentary isn’t your thing, don’t let that sway you from watching. The Purge: Anarchy is still a thrilling movie that makes you think in a wider scope than the first. Sure, you could probably survive in your own home, but how would you fare if you were stuck in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles?
Number 2 doesn’t always have to be number 2. They’re rarely better than the first, and can often be bad, but a lot of times they can lead to better things.
Know a Sequel that’s better than the first? Leave a comment and let us know!
