While there are plenty of horror films that come and go without making much of an impact, there are also those that audiences want more and more of. A special horror movie can come along and change the genre in exciting new ways or introduce a terrifying villain that helps kick off a brand-new franchise.
Some franchises are even lucky enough to make it past a few sequels. These rare horror series continue to live on for decades with sequels, remakes, and reboots, and sometimes even TV shows — and they are still scaring fans to this very day.
Insidious (4 Films)
After Paranormal Activity hit theaters in 2009, audiences began craving more and more paranormal horror. The following year, Insidious hit theaters, focusing on a family who move into a haunted house. The original film was hard to define. it was scary, but also kind of whimsical, with moments that were both somewhat humorous, yet unsettling.
This dreamlike combination of cinematic styles led to a film that felt fresh and current, resulting in a massive box office haul compared to its minimal budget. Insidious would receive three sequels, with a fifth film on the way, though production has yet to begin.
Evil Dead (4 Films)
The Evil Dead franchise began with a trilogy from Sam Raimi in the 1980s that starred Bruce Campbell as Ash, a teenager who goes on a normal camping trip with his girlfriend and friends but stumbles upon an evil entity that crashes their party and possesses everyone.
The original trilogy was a delightful homage to B-movie horror flicks, complete with practical effects and epically campy one-liners, but the 2013 movie was a more serious and realistically violent movie that was also successful. In addition to the four movies, the franchise also spawned a TV series in which Bruce Campbell reprises his role.
Scream (4 Films)
The Scream franchise currently has four movies, with the fifth installment releasing in January of 2022. The movies subverted the horror genre by being more meta and having their characters aware of typical movie tropes while, while also remaining extremely scary and suspenseful.
Scream is an engaging horror series that began in 1996 and has stayed strong, holding up as a popular franchise that is still a favorite for audiences to this day.
The Purge (5 Films)
The Purge began as an intriguing idea in 2013 and took place in a world where, for 12 hours a year, all crime is legal — including murder. The first movie followed a family hunkering down on Purge Day, only to have to fight for their lives after they let a stranger come inside.
The subsequent movies (and TV series) follow various scenarios and different people on Purge Day, from politicians stuck outside to lower-class families having to fight against each other and teams of killers hired by the rich to control the population. The most recent entry, The Forever Purge, was heavily inspired by modern-day America and features the conflicts of racism, nationalism, and militias, all during an extremely lethal Purge Day.
Final Destination (5 Films)
The Final Destination franchise has five movies to its name, with a sixth in the works. The first movie follows a high school teen who has a premonition of a plane exploding before a school trip to Paris. After his vision, he convinces his friends to get off the plane with him.
The teens narrowly avoid death…only to be hunted down and killed in elaborate accidents as punishment for initially cheating death. The franchise has been able to build into multiple movies, novels, and comic books, all of which have become famous for their elaborate kills.
The Grudge (6 Films)
The Grudge started with the Japanese movie Ju-On and has two Japanese sequels and four American movie remakes, making a total of six movies in the franchise. They’re creepy movies filled with jump-scares and terrifying lore that has been continued throughout the series.
The Grudge centers on entities haunting particular houses after violent deaths have occurred. The movies began in 2002 and have continued to the most recent installment in 2020.
Night Of The Living Dead (6 Films)
Zombie movies always seem to be a draw for horror fans, and the popularity of the genre is largely thanks to George A. Romero. The groundbreaking filmmaker helped bring zombies to the mainstream and keep them there.
The franchise kicked off with the iconic Night of the Living Dead in 1968 and Romero made his last film in the franchise with Diary of the Dead in 2007. Throughout the series, Romero was able to use zombie films as a way of commenting on social issues like racism, consumerism, and animal rights. As of now, there are six existing films in the immediate franchise, and two more — Road of the Dead and Rise of the Living Dead — on the way.
The Exorcist (6 Films)
When The Exorcist was released in 1973, it launched a cultural and religious firestorm. Famously, reports soon began sweeping the nation of audience members vomiting in theaters, running out of screenings, passing out, and even suffering from heart attacks.
To this day, The Exorcist is still cited as one of the scariest movies ever made, so it’s no wonder why it spawned five sequels, as well as TV series. A reboot of the original is also on the way, expected to release sometime in 2022.
Paranormal Activity (7 Films)
The Blair Witch Project might have shown the potential of found-footage horror films, but Paranormal Activity turned the subgenre into a trend. The first film was released in 2007 and followed a couple investigating strange occurrences in their home.
The franchise went on hiatus in 2015 after The Ghost Dimension, but has since been relaunched on Paramount+ with Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin. The streamer has announced that another film in the series is currently in pre-production and should be released sometime in 2022 or 2023.
The Amityville Horror (7 Films)
The Amityville Horror is a ridiculously complex franchise to track. The entire series began after media reports started pouring out of Amityville, New York about a family who had fled their home after living in it for less than a month. From there, the media frenzy led to Jay Anson’s 1977 book, which served as the basis for the 1979 film. Two sequels were later released in theaters, as well as the 2005 remake and 2017’s Amityville: The Awakening.
However, a few 90s releases are usually considered canon as well, including NBC’s made-for-TV movie Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes and Amityville 1992: It’s About Time, which was straight-to-video in America, but did receive a theatrical release in the Philippines. If every movie containing the word “Amityville” was counted, the list would include over 25 films.
Wrong Turn (7 Films)
Upon release, Wrong Turn was a modest success. It earned money, had a good cast, and (for a horror movie), the reviews weren’t bad. However, for horror fans, the film was an instant breakout hit. Wrong Turn combined aspects of a slasher film with that of a survival thriller and added in cannibalistic inbreds that made Deliverance look like a Disney movie. Because of the ravenous fanbase, five DVD sequels followed, many of which also screened at horror film festivals.
In 2021, a reboot simply titled Wrong Turn had a one-night-only screening in January and received positive reviews from horror critics. It has since been made available for streaming, and rumors are swirling of potential sequels.
Leprechaun (8 Films)
One of horror’s weirdest franchises is Leprechaun. The original 1993 film followed a homicidal Leprechaun who seeks revenge after his gold has been stolen. The movie was notable for being the first major role for Jennifer Aniston (who would star in Friends just one year later).
Since 1993, Leprechaun has gone to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, the hood, and even outer space. Despite all odds, the franchise has become a beloved part of horror history, with fans fully embracing the films’ campy nature and totally bizarre premises.
Child’s Play (8 Films)
It’s strange to think that a film about a killer doll was able to spawn so many sequels. However, the creepy and darkly humorous Chucky proved to be an iconic horror villain who would stand the test of time.
The first film followed a killer who has his soul transferred into a doll and seeks to take control of a human body. While the first few sequels followed pretty much the same premise, the movies eventually took on a comedic element and embraced its wild side. Then, there was a soft reboot with Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky, both of which received favorable reviews for their return to a darker tone. The franchise finally got the inevitable reboot in 2019, and even a TV series.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (8 Films)
Leatherface is another horror movie villain that has earned his place in the genre’s hall of fame. He was introduced in the classic and influential film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Since then, he and his murderous family have been the subject of several films.
The series began to take an absurd turn as the films went on, turning into a truly surreal horror franchise. Eventually, a remake in 2003 gave it a gritty and brutal new feel, which continued for several prequels and reboots. A new Texas Chainsaw movie is in the works, scheduled for a 2022 release.
The Conjuring Universe (8 Films)
Nowadays, The Conjuring has turned into a complete cinematic universe, with every film having its root in some “true” tale of paranormal activity. The franchise started with The Conjuring in 2013, which introduced the world to Ed and Lorraine Warren, two of history’s most famous ghost hunters.
The series has continued not only with sequels but also spin-offs, which explore various other hauntings and monsters, such as The Nun and Annabelle. With the continued success of the films, it seems like there will still be more to come for years. As of now, there are eight films and two more — a sequel to The Nun and a movie based on The Crooked Man from The Conjuring 2 — are on the way.
Alien (8 Films)
Right around the time that Star Wars was making science fiction fun for everyone, Ridley Scott was making space terrifying. Alien was an intense thriller about a space shuttle crew who become the targets of a deadly alien creature known as the xenomorph.
After the brilliant first film, James Cameron took over for the sequel, turning it into a sci-fi action-adventure, leading to rave reviews. To date, the franchise hasn’t been able to return to the heights of those first two films. However, the series has taken some wild turns, such as the Alien vs. Predator combo, the philosophical nature of Prometheus, and the love-it-or-hate-it polarization of Alien 3.
Saw (9 Films)
Saw started with a low-budget short film set almost entirely in one location. This was followed by the indie full-length first movie which introduced Jigsaw, a killer who puts people into elaborate traps where they have to overcome their demons to escape.
Jigsaw became a modern horror icon and for several years there was a new Saw film coming out every year. The movies were intricately woven together which led to many fans abandoning the franchise after it became too convoluted. The Saw series was continued/rebooted with Spiral, starring Chris Rock, an anthology piece set within the Saw universe. It’s also been announced that “Saw X” has been greenlit, though it’s unclear if it will be a traditional Saw movie, or another anthology piece to follow Spiral.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (9 Films)
Few horror movie villains are as effective and creative as Freddy Krueger. Wes Craven’s original film in the series introduced the world to Freddy, a murdered child abuser who now attacks his victims in their dreams.
As the sequels went on, Freddy changed from the terrifying ghoul to a wisecracking joker who was hard to take seriously. Wes Craven returned to the franchise with a very meta reboot called New Nightmare before Freddy faced off with Jason Vorhees in Freddy vs. Jason. Finally, the franchise seemed to hit its end with a poorly-received remake in 2010.
Hellraiser (10 Films)
Though Hellraiser is still seen as a cult classic, it has an intense level of popularity amongst horror fans, with Pinhead being one of the most recognizable horror villains in the genre. The original 1987 film was written and directed by filmmaker Clive Barker and was adapted from his short story The Hellbound Heart. The film centers around Cenobites, a group of interdimensional beings who intertwine the feelings of pleasure and pain.
The original inspiration for the film came from Barker’s youth, where he was a hustler, as well as his time spent in BDSM bars, where he witnessed patrons combining pleasure and pain for sexual gratification. Since the original film, the series took on a life of its own (to mostly negative reviews), but Hulu is rebooting the franchise in 2022, with Barker on as producer to help rebuild the lost lore of the franchise.
Halloween (11 Films)
While the slasher movie subgenre had been around in spirit before Halloween, the term “slasher” didn’t become widely used after Halloween. John Carpenter and Debra Hill helped make the subgenre a phenomenon with this classic horror film. The first introduced the iconic Michael Myers, a masked killer who silently stalks the town of Haddonfield on Halloween night.
The franchise has since continued for decades, further exploring Michael’s past, adding in multiple relatives, and building unnecessary mythology. The franchise was remade by Rob Zombie in 2007 before the original timeline was revisited with Halloween in 2018, which saw the return of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. A direct sequel, Halloween Kills, was released in October 2021, and a third is currently in production.
