The Top 10 Horror Franchise Fourths (According to Me)
Horror franchise fourths are rarely the best of their respective series (although some are!) and they often experience diminishing returns, both commercially and otherwise, compared to their predecessors.
If a franchise has made it to a fourth installment, it’s already achieved something that many would-be franchises never attain. A series has to have earned a decent following to make it this far. Of course, it can be tough to make a quality installment this late into a series.
The higher the number of sequels go, the more challenging it becomes to find quality films. That said, I managed to find ten that I consider worthy of being ranked among the best horror part 4 movies.
I previously ranked my favorite part two’s and part three’s. Here are my top ten horror franchise fourths.
10. Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)
The fourth Phantasm distinguishes itself by delving into the origins of The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), as his archrival Mike is taken on a bizarre journey across various time periods and dimensions. Oblivion is ultra low budget, even by this series’ standards, and the runtime is padded with flashbacks from the previous movies.
You know a series is getting old when it starts becoming nostalgic. At least the flashbacks don’t make up half the movie, like in Silent Night Deadly Night 2.
Despite its flaws, the enhanced mythology and Scrimm’s performance make this worth watching.
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9. Saw IV (2007)
Like Phantasm IV, Saw IV covers the antagonist’s backstory and helps explain his origins. This one was the first to relegate Jigsaw to flashbacks and have copycat killers continue the Kramer legacy.
It’s a step down from the first three films, which featured a living John Kramer, but it’s better than most of the installments that succeeded it. Jigsaw is humanized more than in previous installments. and his motivations become clearer. But it feels more like a supplement than a movie that’s equal to its predecessors.
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8. Bride of Chucky (1998)
Bride of Chucky took the series into a new direction after the negative reception for Child’s Play 3. Starting with Bride, the series leaned heavily into comedy and satire, with lots of in-jokes and references to other horror franchises.
I prefer the first two installments over this, but I admire that director Ronny Yu was able to revitalize the series with this imaginative entry, which took advantage of the improved special effects that were available by the late ’90s. Chucky looks so much better than he did in the early movies.
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7. Evil Dead (2013)
What’s that, you say? Evil Dead 2013 is a remake, not a sequel, and doesn’t belong here? Not true. According to director Fede Alvarez, this film is essentially Evil Dead part 4. Sure, it uses the original movie’s name, but so did Halloween (2018) and Scream (2022).
Evil Dead ’13 is actually one of my least favorite movies in the series, but that’s no great shame in a franchise that has (knock on wood) never had a truly bad installment. To me, the story is too much of a rehash of the far more visceral (and funny) original.
Still, the gleefully insane violence and wild gore make Evil Dead an entertaining addition to the series. Jane Levy is standout as Mia, the movie’s troubled final girl.
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6. Scream 4 (2011)
Scream 4 is a weird outlier in this franchise. It’s stuck between the original trilogy of 1996-2000 and the 2020s revival of 2022-2026. It is also by far the lowest-grossing installment of the series. Audiences in 2011 weren’t ready for another Scream yet. Remakes and found footage were all the rage at the time.
This movie has gained more respect over the years, and it deserves it. It returns the series to Woodsboro and features fun performances by Jill Roberts and Hayden Panettiere. Roberts has always been apt at playing both an innocent naive victim and a bitchy mean girl. The returning trio of Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courtney Cox are fun to see again after a decade-long absence.
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5. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Halloween 4 restores the Michael Myers storyline and is a sequel to Halloween II, set a decade after the events of the first two films. This is the first installment that Danielle Harris appeared in.
The Return of Michael Myers is a straightforward, back to basics sequel. It has some good ambience, especially in the opening title sequence, which treats us to some fun ’80s Halloween decoration spookiness.
Harris is great for her age. Some of her dialogue is corny and awful, but that’s not her fault. Ellie Cornell is so cute and endearing. You can’t help but root for her to protect Jamie.
The main flaw here: Michael’s mask is the worst of the franchise. It makes him look like a deranged mime. But compared to parts 5 and 6, this movie is practically a masterpiece.
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4. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
It’s not as good as Dream Warriors, but the fourth Nightmare is no slouch. It’s vastly better than the fifth and sixth installments that followed it. This installment is when Freddy starts to get a little too cartoonish with the wise cracks. He was a pop culture icon by this point and there was no way to make him scary again.
Still, the characters are surprisingly well drawn for an ’80s slasher flick, especially Alice (Lisa Wilcox) who is one of the most underrated final girls in the slasher pantheon. She has (gasp!) real character development throughout the film.
Inventive set pieces and wild practical special effects keep the series from getting stale just yet.
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3. Victor Crowley (2017)
The fourth Hatchet movie is easily the most polished and best-looking of the series. Victor Crowley is somehow both the funniest and the most disturbing franchise entry.
Felissa Rose is a great addition to a series that already boasts a strong lineup of horror legends. Her thick New York accent is a fun juxtaposition to the Cajun setting. And holy cow, her death scene is insane! It’s one of the most wild and over the top kills I’ve ever seen in a slasher flick.
I’m not a huge fan of this franchise overall, but Victor Crowley really surprised me. It’s easily my favorite of the series.
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2. V/H/S ’94 (2021)
Like Bride of Chucky, V/H/S ’94 revived a franchise several years after the third installment received an overwhelmingly negative reception. Its success paved the way for the series to become a perennial franchise. This one brings back the eerie atmosphere of the first movie. The segments are consistently creative and creepy.
Favorite segment: “Storm Drain.” A cute, snarky reporter and her cameraman are investigating the legend of the Rat Man, a crypid creature that supposedly lurks in the local sewer.
After making the unfortunate decision to journey deep inside the bowels of the sewer system, the duo learns the terrifying truth about the legend. Another stand out is “The Empty Wake”, an ultra creepy segment set in a funeral home. It’s about a corpse in a coffin that simply won’t stay still.
What can I say, I’m a sucker for ’90s nostalgia!
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1. Friday the 13th – The Final Chapter (1984)
This movie’s title is one of the biggest lies of all time, but that doesn’t prevent it from topping my list of the best horror franchise fourths.
The Final Chapter combines the best elements of the previous three films and truly establishes the iconic Jason character that we all know today. He is absolutely brutal in this installment. Part 4 also introduces Tommy Jarvis, played by Corey Feldman, who becomes one of Jason’s major adversaries.
This has an epic gory finale that was originally supposed to end Jason’s reign of terror forever. While it wasn’t really the end of the series, it does mark the end of an era for Friday the 13th.
To me, and I think to many fans, the series has never quite been the same after this installment. The creepy weirdness of the early movies was replaced with dark comedy and silly over the top storylines like Jason going to New York City and hell and outer space.
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