Really great Horror Prequels can be a difficult thing to pull off, because audiences know where the story will end, and that can often take away from the tension of one’s story. However, some incredible prequels used these factors to their advantage to emphasize the expectations of the viewers and richly develop the knowledge of the mythology of the franchise. Occasionally, some horror prequels have even outdone their predecessors and become releases that can showcase a new direction for the series, adding new depth, characterization and context to its cinematic world.
Like the best horror sequels, prequel movies were an opportunity to expand on previously established events, but this time, look back and answer questions that have long been in the minds of viewers. Horror prequels can act as origin stories for a franchise world, such as movies like A Quiet Place: Day One Or The first cleaningWhile other prequels flesh out mysterious characters’ backstories like Rosemary baby Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7a. Whatever the goal, when achieved well, A horror prequel can be a worthy addition to its source material.
10
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Directed by Michael Sarnoski
When the audiences were first introduced to the apocalyptic existence, humanity lived under in a quiet placeThe world has already been destroyed by sharp-hearing, deadly aliens. With most of humanity already wiped out, it’s only natural that viewers would be curious to see how it all started and what the initial invasion looked like. This is exactly what was presented in A Quiet Place: Day OneA horror prequel that answers longstanding questions about the dystopian world’s origins.
with Lupita Nyong’o as the pessimistic and terminally ill cancer patient Sam, A Quiet Place: Day One Track your experiences as a survivor after a meteor-like object hit Earth and kick-started the invasion. As a story grounded in its humanity, watching those who survived the initial killings discover the hardships of their new world made for nail-biting viewing. While anyone who has seen the other A quiet place Films knows that there is no happy ending for Sam or the rest of the population, it is still fascinating to see where it all began.
9
The First Omen (2024)
Directed by Arkasha Stevenson
Since the first movie was released in 1976, The omen Franchise was a mixed bag packed with disposable sequels, forgettable TV series and a lackluster reboot. With that in mind, it’s not exactly over-the-top praise to say that The first omen Was the best release in the series since the original. It was a prequel that showed there was still some life left in the demonic franchise, and while some aspects seemed to contradict previously established lore, it was a genuinely effective directorial debut from Arkasha Stevenson.
With a 1970s Rome setting, The first omen An American nun discovers an evil conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist in a Catholic orphanage. With a dark and sinister aesthetic, The first omen Pays homage to the original film through callbacks and referential shots that can only serve to remind viewers of better days. But, what made The first man Worth the audience’s time was Nell Tiger Free as the suitably hysterical nun Margaret in a compelling performance that contrasted well with Bill Nighy and Charles Dance’s priestly characters.
8
Pearl (2022)
Mia God as Pearl
With the release of X In 2022, director Ty West started a brand new horror franchise that was quickly followed the same year with the prequel PearlAn origin story that added to and improved upon the original’s premise. At the center of the first movie was Mia Goth, playing the dual roles of the teenage aspiring adult film star Maxine Minks and the elderly farm owner Pearl. While X Vitrine Pearl and her husband attempt to kill Maxine and her adult film crew, Pearl was an origin story for his Hassidal villain.
Pearl Shows how God’s character’s desire to become a movie star leads to violence in her family’s homestead in Texas in 1918. With an incredible, grandiose performance, Pearl S Success rested firmly on God’s commitment to the roleWhat changed, on the great tremors that caused X So effective. It is clear that Pearl was made because the artistry of its story demanded it and not as an afterthought trying to cash in on a recognizable IP like so many other horror prequels.
7
The First Purge (2018)
Directed by Gerard McMurray
As the first movie in The cleaning Franchise not directed by James DeMonaco, there was a fear that the prequel series might lack the satirical bite of the previous installment. Set in a dystopian universe where once a year, every crime, including murder, becomes legal for 12 hours, since the original entry, audiences have clamored for more information about the political origins of this practice and how a society could become so barbaric . With many similarities to real-life political issues, witnessed as rising unemployment, rising inflation and a housing crisis led to The first cleaning was fascinating.
McMurray has a tough job on his hands directing The first cleaningHow was it for him to answer questions viewers have been asking since 2013. As an interesting allegory related to US. it. Politics and especially the Trump administration, The first cleaning Could have delved further into his satirical political commentary But still appeared as a worthy prequel to the popular franchise. The first cleaning Became a warning about not straying too far from the social contract by showcasing how the New Founding Fathers of America tapped into contemporary economic, social and political anxieties.
6
Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
Directed by Mick Garris
The made-for-television fourth entry in the Psycho Series may not live up to the high expectations of Alfred Hitchcock’s original, but for those interested in the psychology of ​​Norman Bates, it is a fascinating underrated release. With Anthony Perkins reprising his role as Norman, Psycho IV: The beginning was both a sequel and a prequel that used flashbacks to showcase the future serial killer’s unconventional childhood during the 1940s and 1950s. Many of the same ideas explored in Psycho IV were later repurposed in the television series Bates MotelWhich similarly outlines how Norman became a killer.
While Psycho IV Gained a reputation as a disposable entry in a franchise that never needed sequels, it’s far better than it’s ever been given credit for as it explores the traumatizing effects of Norman’s mother’s schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. By giving context to the strange, psychosexual relationship he had with his mother and the cross-dressing she subjected him to, the lonely, deranged and tormented man Norman became even more tragic. It may not please everyone, but for lovers of Perkins performance and extended Psycho Wow, this was a hidden gem.
5
Final Destination 5 (2011)
Directed by Steven Quale
While Final destination 5 At first seeming like any other sequel in the long-running series, it was slowly revealed that it was actually a prequel to the first entry. When the final scene saw Sam (Nicolas D’Agosto) and Molly (Emma Bell) die in the Flight 180 crash, it brought the franchise’s timeline full circle and back to where it all began. This clever twist retroactively adds new dimensions to the original and means viewers can go back to the first movie with a renewed sense of the original victims of the crash.
As a heist prequel, Final destination 5 Was unique, because the audience did not expect it to relate to the original in any way. However, by showing that there were passengers present on the Flight 180 crash who had already escaped death’s grasp, it added an extra layer of horror to the idea that, no matter what, once the victims were marked for death, their death was Inevitably. final destination was a particularly bleak franchise How the existential nightmare of death unfolded made it even more terrifying.
4
Prey (2022)
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg
The Predator Franchise has blended action, horror and science fiction concepts over the course of several sequels and even the spin-off series Alien vs. Predator. However, it didn’t matter how many times the Yautja were brought back, nothing could compare to the original Arnold Schwarzenegger film, and it was the franchise that was doomed to mediocrity. That was until the release of preyA fascinating prequel set in the year 1719, which, for the first time since the original, felt like it had something truly unique to offer.
After so many false starts, director Dan Trachtenberg cracked the code of the Predator Franchise and offered an adrenaline-pumping experience complete with characters viewers really care about. With Amber Midthunder as Naru, a young Comanche warrior who protects her tribe against a predator, prey Brought to mind the bravery of Ellen Ripley of the Alien Franchise. As a prequel that opened the door for a whole new era in the franchise, prey Was a must-watch position for those who have lost faith in the Predator series a long time ago.
3
Apartment 7A (2024)
Directed by Natalie Erika James
At first hearing that it was a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby, Viewers would be forgiven for thinking it explored the origins of Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse’s relationship and how he became involved with a Satanic demon-worshipping cult. however, Apartment 7a Went in a different direction and instead told the story of Terry Gionofrio (Julie Garner), a minor character from early in the original story whom the Woodhouses found dead from an apparent suicide. Julie jumped out of the elderly Castevet’s apartment from the seventh floorAnd her story was one that was always shrouded in mystery.
Apartment 7a Cleared up any confusion about her character and depicted Julie, and not Rosemary, as the initially planned mother of the Spawn of Satan. Similar to Rosemary’s baby, Apartment 7a Exploring themes of paranoia, women’s liberation, Catholicism and the occult, as Garner recovers much of the terrifying innocence seen in Mia Farrow in the 1968 original. While Apartment 7a It doesn’t quite live up to the anxious paranoia of the original, but it’s a worthy prequel that answered long-standing questions surrounding Terry Gionoffrio.
2
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Directed by David F. Sandberg
The Conjuring Universe began depicting the cases of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren before spawning a spin-off prequel series focusing on the creepy porcelain doll Annabelle. The dreaded doll also originated from a real-life story of an allegedly haunted children’s toy. However, the first Annabelle The film wasn’t too scary, and mostly consisted of some cheap jump scares. This made the incredible accomplishment of Annabelle: Creation All the more impressive, as it vastly outsold its predecessor and sent The Conjuring Universe past the $1 billion mark at the box office ( via Forbes.)
Annabelle: Creation was one of those rare prequels that was significantly better than the movie that inspired it, as it stayed closer to the old-school psychological scares that made the original Conjuring Works so well. The foreboding silence of Annabelle’s angry stare mixed with the knowledge that an attack was inevitably made Annabelle: Creation A heart-racing lesson in suspense. Although it did not break down any boundaries when it came to the franchise, it showcase Annabelle Viability as its own series.
1
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Directed by Mike Flanagan
The master of horror, Mike Flanagan, the man behind movies like Quiet And Dr. Sleep, As well as Netflix horror series such as The Haunting of Hill Houseshowed his skill for crafting the perfect prequel with Ouija: Origin of Evil. Set before the events of 2014 OuijaThe story moves to 1967 Los Angeles, where a widowed mother and her daughter’s séance scam becomes real after they invite an evil presence into their home. With better pacing, more character development and authentic scares, Ouija: Origin of Evil Improved on its predecessor in every conceivable way.
with elements of The Exorcist mixed with Ghost, Ouija: Origin of Evil Was as heartwarming as it was terrifying in its investigation of the supernatural. Beautiful cinematography paired with nail-biting suspense made this captivating horror far better than anyone expected it to be. With a resume full of horror hits like Mike Flanagan, the only complaint is that he hasn’t made more prequels to existing franchises, because it takes a true visionary to pull them off at this level.
Source: Forbes