The Hollywood sequel can be a poisoned chalice. For every stellar follow-up that improves on the original – films such as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Toy Story 2, or Paddington 2, there are countless that fail to live up to the original.
But what about those sequels that never got the love they deserved? Many of cinema’s most beloved film franchises contain within them a black sheep of the family – underrated sequels that might not match the series’ emphatic highs, but are nonetheless worth of more attention.
Far too many sequels have been overlooked as an unfortunate consequence of trying to follow a genuine classic.
Many of the most unduly ignored sequels have taken stories to bolder, more dynamic areas, arguably resulting in richer, more textured narratives for their respective series.
With that in mind, here are 17 of the most underrated film sequels ever made…
17. Scream (2022)
A strong argument can be made that the genre-savvy Scream series is one of the most consistent horror franchises going. However, we’ve opted for the fifth film in the series, the plainly titled Scream (2022). Although it might not have the thrills of Scream 2 or the inventiveness of Scream 3, the fifth instalment smartly switched its focus to act as a critique of Hollywood reboots and the toxic fan culture that can exist around certain films. While still delivering on the jump scares that made the original Scream (1996) such a hit, the film also gives a glimpse into the stars of tomorrow, with an impressive cast that includes Jack Quaid, Jenna Ortega and future Oscar winner Mikey Madison.
16. Escape from LA (1996)
You’ll see a consistent theme on this list: a sequel that satirises the original, was maligned upon release – but has since found a cult following. Escape from LA, John Carpenter’s wacky follow-up to the nihilistic Escape from New York (1981) is a prime example of that. While you might not get Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken repeating iconic lines such as “The president is dead! Somebody’s had him for dinner,” you do get to see him and Peter Fonda chase Steve Buscemi while surfing, which is something that everyone should witness at least once in their lives.
15. Grease 2 (1982)
Trying to make a follow-up to one of the most popular musicals of all time while replacing its two inimitable stars (in John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John) meant that Grease 2 was almost set up for a failure from the word “go”. While it never matched the legacy of its predecessor, there is no doubt that this is still a very funny and camp musical comedy, with some catchy tunes: if it was released in another era, it could’ve become more than just a cult classic. Despite being messy on the surface, Grease 2 is far more interesting than the often problematic original, subverting gender dynamics between leads Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield in a way that still holds up today.
14. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
If you are a horror fanatic, you know exactly what you are getting with a Halloween film. Michael Myers returns, seemingly from the dead, kills a bunch of teenagers, and is completely unstoppable until Jamie Lee Curtis manages to defeat him. That wasn’t the case with Halloween III, which completely tore up the rule book to focus on a type of witchcraft that is transmitted through television. The film has an unfair reputation due to the lack of Michael Myers, but if you ignore that, it’s actually a lot of fun and you’ll have the theme tune stuck in your head for days.
13. American Pie 2 (2001)
Seen through modern eyes, the American Pie films have plenty of extremely objectionable elements, but it would be churlish to ignore the cultural resonance this series had in the early 2000s. As well as being a breezy summer hangout movie, with a multitude of crude sex jokes, this 2001 sequel taps into ideas that are relatable and substantial: the fear of growing up, the bittersweet nature of change, and the importance of friendship.
12. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is one of the most important and influential horror movies of all time, and essentially redefined the genre for decades to come. For the sequel, Tobe Hooper (who also directed the original) completely flipped the tone on its head. The unnerving atmosphere of the first film was replaced with a perverse sense of humour and a sneering thumb-to-the-nose when it comes to the excess of the 1980s.
11. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Perhaps more than any other Matrix film before it, The Matrix Resurrections is practically exploding with so many ideas that you could forgive a viewer for descending into “bullet time” just to get their head around them. Matrix Resurrections isn’t as bombastic as the three previous films – but is all the better for it. This is a more human and emotional film, about love and the connections to the people that mean the most to us. Just don’t ask us to explain what happened…
10. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
There exists a mass of people who argue that The Dark Knight Rises is a terrible movie and among the worst things that director Christopher Nolan has ever made. This is wrong. While it was never going to ascend to the lofty heights of The Dark Knight (2008), this is a sequel of verve and invention. You’d be lying if you’ve never attempted to impersonate Tom Hardy’s Bane and his multitude of very quotable lines. Plot holes aside, the emotional impact of the final five minutes should be considered a high watermark for any Batman film.
9. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)
Anyone hoping for the same bleak character study that Harvey Keitel delivered in the original Bad Lieutenant (1992) should have quickly realised that wasn’t going to happen in the sequel, especially when Nicolas Cage started having visions of iguanas on his coffee table. “What are these f***ing iguans doing on my coffee table?!” is one of many great lines uttered in this often absurd black comedy from director Werner Herzog, who manages to infuse the film with the unique mysticism of New Orleans and America’s deep south.
8. Back to the Future Part 3 (1990)
The brilliantly executed finale of Back to the Future Part 2, where Marty McFly learns he has to go to the wild west to rescue Doc Brown, set up what should have been a perfect conclusion to this otherwise flawless trilogy. However, switching the tone from a sci-fi comedy to what is essentially a Western proved too jarring a vibe shift for some, giving it the reputation of the being the trilogy’s weakest entry. With that aside, there are lots of callbacks for fans to appreciate and the ending train heist might be the most impressive spectacle in the entire trilogy. Thomas F Wilson also gives his best performance across the franchise, playing the snarling Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, a violently charismatic ancestor of Biff, the original’s high school bully.
7. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Whereas the original Gremlins was a creepy piece of social commentary that blended comedy, horror, and the trappings of suburban Christmas, the sequel, released six years later, felt like a satirical jab at Hollywood sequels overall. Although the mischievous nature of the Gremlins remained, the new film felt like an episode of Looney Tunes, complete with madcap reimaginings of the creatures themselves, which varied from a spider gremlin to a vegetable gremlin(!?). It might not have made much sense, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t have a smile on their face by the time the brainy gremlin ends the film with a rendition of “New York, New York”.
6. Psycho 2 (1983)
On paper, making a sequel to possibly the most famous horror film ever made, more than two decades after its release, sounds like sacrilege. Despite the enormous shadow looming over it, Psycho 2, directed by Richard Franklin, is as layered and complex as Alfred Hitchcock’s original, avoiding the lazy cliches which dominated slasher movies of the era. Anthony Perkins is superb as a reformed Norman Bates, who is trying to do good but is still haunted by the demons of his bloody past. Not only does Psycho 2 honour the suspense of its inspiration, but tragically expands its mythos to create something quietly, profoundly haunting.
5. The Godfather Part III (1990)
How do you sequelise not just one, but two of the best movies ever made? That was the task for Francis Ford Coppola, who had already struck gold when he managed to pull off the first sequel to The Godfather with gusto. Making the third film more than 15 years after the second can’t have helped matters either, but The Godfather Part III is nowhere near as bad as its reputation would suggest. Seriously, how can a film with the iconic line “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” possibly be bad?
4. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
A list of undervalued sequels wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the Planet of the Apes sequels of the 1970s. Between 1970 and 1973, no fewer than four Planet of the Apes movies were released, with vastly varying degrees of quality. Some were bonkers (1970s Beneath the Planet of the Apes), others downright shoddy (1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes). Nestled in between all these films is the surprisingly smart and articulate Escape from the Planet of the Apes, which takes a more humanistic approach to the story, combining elements of both racial and religious conflicts as it transports two of the hyper-intelligent simians to modern-day Earth. 1972’s Conquest of the Planet of the Apes ups the stakes with a grittier take on these themes but the explosive ending to Escape stands out as one of the more devastating moments in the entire Apes franchise
3. Rocky IV (1985)
In the first Rocky film, Sylvester Stallone’s plucky boxer fights against the odds in a match where he is the considerable underdog. By the fourth film, he is still the underdog; he’s not just fighting for his pride this time, but seemingly for the soul of the US as he battles Russia’s unstoppable Ivan Drago. Rocky IV is nowhere near as serious as the first three films, but there is something undeniably fascinating about this. From the outlandish power rock of the soundtrack to the completely over-the-top evilness of the Soviets, there is a lurid maximalism at play here that is a complete joy.
2. French Connection 2 (1975)
The sad death of Gene Hackman prompted many film fans to revisit the great actor’s impressive body of work, which includes classics such as Unforgiven (1992), The Conversation (1974) and Hoosiers (1986). One film that should’ve been featured in more tributes is French Connection II, the criminally underseen sequel to the 1972 Best Picture winner. Compared to the first film, which plays out as a gritty deep dive into New York’s drug underworld, the sequel is an intense character study of Hackman’s Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle. Director John Frankenheimer brings a darker, more psychological tone than Friedkin’s kinetic first film, but it’s still unflinching and raw, resulting in one of Hackman’s best performances.
1. Return to Oz (1985)
If you thought The Wizard of Oz could have been improved by leaning into the horror elements a bit more, then do I have good news for you… Return to Oz isn’t so much of a sequel to the classic Judy Garland musical as a fundamental reimagining of the world of Oz. Here, the colourful fantasy world is rendered as a hellscape, occupied by demonic gangs and an evil princess who can literally change her head. “We’re not in Kansas anymore” doesn’t cover the half of it.
