Lock in for Terror on Tubi with this curated list of the best horror sequels currently available to stream.
Welcome to Dread Central Presents Terror on Tubi. Every month, I’ll be your horror curator, spotlighting a themed list of some of the best, freshest horror titles currently available to stream on the platform. This month, we’ll be taking a look at horror sequels over the years.
I know– sequels often get a bad rap, but as someone who loves horror, I’ll never scoff at more of what I enjoyed the first go-round. Here are my picks for five different horror sequels across the decades, worth checking out for the first time or revisiting. If they scared you once, I promise they’ll do it again.
Exorcist II: The Heretic
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
I think every horror fan needs to see John Boorman’s Exorcist II: The Heretic. Plenty has been said about this sequel to William Friedkin’s classic, and even if you’re only loosely familiar with the genre, you know its reputation: it is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made. Now, I don’t think that’s the case. It’s certainly not the strongest sequel in the franchise (that honor will forever belong to The Exorcist III), but it’s also more than a mere horror curio. Linda Blair remains remarkable, and there’s some pretty fascinating mythos unspooled here that augment the broader series. However you ultimately land, this is one you should see for yourself, critical reception be damned.
3 From Hell
Courtesy of Lionsgate
Rob Zombie has a pretty loyal following among horror fans, though it’s worth noting he has just as many detractors. It has little to do with his inimitable, trailer park style (which is exceptional, by the way), and more to do with just how gruesome and unpleasant his movies tend to be. So, if House of 1,000 Corpses or The Devil’s Rejects weren’t your vibe, nothing in Zombie’s long-gestating trilogy capper, 3 From Hell, is going to change your mind. If you were a fan, however, yeah, Zombie wraps his Firefly trilogy in just about the best way he could. It’s as gruesome, classic-rock as you’d expect, and in retrospect, a poignant tribute to the late, great Sid Haig.
The Hills Have Eyes II
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Alexandre Aja’s The Hills Have Eyes is one of the greatest horror remakes of all time. There’s no denying that. While marginally successful at the domestic box office, it was also aggressively, unapologetically nihilistic and cruel, so not exactly a mainstream favorite. You might be surprised to hear, then, that much like Craven’s original, the remake also got a sequel in the form of The Hills Have Eyes II a year later. Martin Weisz’s follow-up, in the best way, is like if Resident Evil crashed headfirst into desert mutants. It’s loud. It’s garish. And, well, it’s a helluva time if you’re willing to concede to its manic wavelength.
Ringu 2
Courtesy of Toho
Hideo Nakata’s Ringu is one of the scariest movies ever made. The analog horror show is unrelenting in its oppressive atmosphere and serious, enduring scares (it did, after all, set the stage for an entire century’s worth of J-horror). Pursuant to a common sentiment on this list, no, a sequel was never going to capture quite the same terror, largely because, by definition, a sequel is more of the familiar, and Ringu thrived on the unknown. Consider us lucky, then, that Nakata (unlike with his English-language sequel) opted instead to do whatever the hell he wanted with Ringu 2. There’s all kinds of supernatural psycho-babble here, poolside exorcisms, and more. It’s a kitchen sink sequel that cemented Sadako’s status as the horror icon she is today.
Slumber Party Massacre II
Courtesy of New Concorde
When I was in high school, I binged the entire Slumber Party and Sorority House Massacre series (including the spinoff Hard to Die). I love them, quite frankly, and I love them precisely because they’re so out of the ordinary. Franchise fans can easily tell you just how bizarre the series gets, with sequels shifting lore precedents around and reinterpreting killers and their motivations. And, really, it’s never weirder than when a punk rock killer chases Wings alum Crystal Bernard around inSlumber Party Massacre II. He’s armed with a killer guitar, and the whole film plays out like some kind of nightmarish dreamscape you can’t wake up from. On one hand, it’s glorious, beautiful camp. On the other, it’s actually a pretty chilling and disorienting take on the slasher formula we’ve never really seen since.
What are you most excited to watch on Terror on Tubi this month? Let us know in the comments below, and stay scary.
