The 10 Worst Franchise Slasher Sequels

Critics Vs. Slasher Movies

Let’s face it, slasher movies have not traditionally been received well by film critics. That goes double for sequels. Even the most successful franchises have had their share of duds. Here are the top ten worst franchise slasher sequels, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes scores.

A Few Notes About This List

Each horror franchise is limited to one installment each. It would be easy to fill an entire article with critically panned Halloween and Friday the 13th sequels, but that would be boring.

This list only features movies that received theatrical releases. It is also strictly limited to pure slashers, so no torture movies (Saw, Hostel) or supernatural dark fantasy fare (Hellraiser, Candyman) are included.

How difficult is it for Slasher Franchises to Bounce Back from Unsuccessful Installments?

The most popular slasher series have proven to be just as unkillable as their iconic villains. It says something about their appeal that they have been able to endure for so long.

However, there are a couple of revealing trends. In many cases, there was a gap of several years after these panned slasher sequels before another installment occurred. Also, some of these franchises went minor league afterward. They resorted to cheap direct-to-video fare as opposed to high profile theatrical releases.

The Top 10 Worst Franchise Slasher Sequels (According to Rotten Tomatoes)

10. Scream 3 (2000) – rotten tomatoes score: 41%

Scream is the most consistent slasher franchise in terms of positive critical reception. In fact, Scream 3 is the only “rotten” movie in the series. This installment takes the series on an ill-advised detour to Hollywood, where a new Stab film is being produced.

Scream 3 just feels off. The original script was rewritten and toned down due to a misguided backlash against violent movies that occurred after the Columbine school shooting. This was the first installment not to be written by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. The script misses his sharp wit.

Scream 3 also has an awful twist ending. I remember watching this movie on opening weekend and hearing lots of groans and snickers from the audience after the killer’s identity and motive were revealed. What a bitter disappointment, especially since this was originally supposed to be the last installment of the series.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 11 (Scream 4)

Scream 3 on Rotten Tomatoes

9. Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1984) – rotten tomatoes score: 22%

Granted, it’s a small sample size (just nine reviews) but it’s amazing that nearly a quarter of RT’s critics gave this movie a positive review. Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 has become a “so bad it’s good” classic over the years, like Troll 2 or The Room. And yes, this hilarious micro-budgeted farce received a (limited) theatrical release.

Eric Freeman’s wild performance as the villain (the brother of the killer from the first movie) has given this movie cult appeal. His facial expressions and crazed cackling are truly something to behold.

If the filmmakers were being honest, they would have named this movie Silent Night Deadly Night Part 1.5. About half of it is just recycled footage from the first film. The rest is cheesy ’80s low budget mayhem that must be seen to be believed.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 5 (Silent Night Deadly Night 3) (direct-to-video)

Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 on Rotten Tomatoes

8. Child’s Play 3 (1991) – rotten Tomatoes score: 19%

Child’s Play 3 was rushed into production and released just nine months after the previous installment. Unfortunately, this is painfully obvious when watching the movie. It’s one of the worst horror sequels of its era. Critics complained about its generic storyline and predictability.

Several years after the end of Child’s Play 2, perennial Chucky victim Andy Barclay (now played by Justin Whalin, replacing Alex Vincent) is a teenager living at a military academy. Chucky comes back to life, tracks him down, and the usual mayhem ensues. He also targets Andy’s young friend, Tyler (Jeremy Sylvers).

The time leap and new setting aren’t enough to set this movie apart. It’s pretty much the same old thing, and the series already felt like it was getting stale. The story plays out exactly as you’d expect. Every hoary military movie cliché gets trotted out as well.

Child Play 3‘s weak box office and critical reception led to a significant tone shift for the franchise. Starting with Bride of Chucky, the series pivoted to being a straight-up spoof filled with Scream-like references to other horror franchises. I liked the semi-serious tone of the early movies better, but maybe that’s just me.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 5 (Bride of Chucky)

Child’s Play 3 on Rotten Tomatoes

7. The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1994) – rotten tomatoes score: 16%

Okay, raise your hand if you knew that Matthew McConaughey played the villain in a Texas Chainsaw movie. You know what’s even weirder? Renee Zellweger, who would go on to star in numerous romantic comedies, is here too.

Other than the novelty of featuring two future celebrities, The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (also known as Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation) doesn’t have much to offer. It’s the fourth installment of the series, but lacks much of a connection to the others.

It has traces of the original film’s dark humor, but none of its terror. It also can’t match the carnival funhouse aesthetic of Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. This was the last chapter of the original TCM series. The next installment was the 2003 reboot.

The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre disregards the simplicity of the previous films in favor of a bizarre plot involving wacky conspiracy theories and secret societies. Suddenly, the family aren’t cannibals anymore. Now they’re part of the Illuminati, or something like that. If you can figure this movie out, you deserve a free chainsaw.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 9 (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake)

The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre on Rotten Tomatoes

6. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) – rotten tomatoes score: 14%

After a venerable eight movie run, Robert Englund retired from the role of Freddy Krueger following Freddy vs. Jason (2003). When Platinum Dunes decided to reboot the Nightmare series, a new actor was needed to bring Freddy back.

The thankless task of replacing a legend fell to Jackie Earl Haley, a skilled actor who failed as Freddy because he simply isn’t Robert Englund. It’s incredibly difficult for a franchise to replace its star actor and continue to achieve commercial and critical success. It worked out reasonably well for James Bond, but I’m hard-pressed to think of any other examples.

Critics found the film bland and lifeless, a soulless rehash that lacked the atmosphere and creativity of the original. To me, even the worst sequels in the original series have more entertainment value than this dreck. Well, except Freddy’s Dead.

The futility of replacing Englund has left the Nightmare series with an uncertain future. There has been internet speculation about Kevin Bacon taking on the role, but nothing has yet to materialize.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: This is the most recent installment.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Remake on Rotten Tomatoes

5. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) rotten tomatoes score: 11%

I personally would have pegged Friday 13th Part V: A New Beginning as the worst Friday movie, but the eighth installment narrowly surpasses it in terms of critical hate (A New Beginning clocks in at 18% on Rotten Tomatoes). For their eighth movie in ten years, the producers behind the creatively exhausted franchise decided to take Jason (Kane Hodder) to the Big Apple.

This was an intriguing idea in theory. Unfortunately, the film’s low budget kept NYC filming to a minimum. Most of the film takes place on a cruise ship, with Jason blandly hacking his way through Crystal Lake high school grads.

There are some fun moments once Jason finally gets to New York. His visits to Times Square and the subway are great. Unfortunately, the series sinks to a new low with an inexplicable, and frankly embarrassing, ending.

Jason Takes Manhattan‘s failure was a major turning point for the franchise. Paramount lost interest in making more installments and sold the franchise to New Line Cinema.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 4 (Jason Goes to Hell)

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan on Rotten Tomatoes

4. Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) rotten tomatoes score: 10%

Admittedly, including an Urban Legends movie in a list of major franchises is a stretch. The series did manage to achieve a glimmer of success and notoriety in the late ’90s/early ’00s, so I’m including it.

The concept of having a series based on real-life urban legends is sound. Having the killer wear a fencing costume is a cool idea as well (although they probably ripped this off from the 1981 slasher movie Graduation Day). Unfortunately, the franchise rarely lived up to its promise.

In this installment, a group of film school students are targeted one by one by a mysterious assailant. In a postmodern twist that’s typical of the era that this movie was made, the students are making a movie that is inspired by the events of the original Urban Legend.

Like many slasher sequels, Urban Legend: Final Cut is filled with shallow characters who only exist to inflate the movie’s body count. To me, this is a relatively average slasher movie. It’s not good by any means, but 10% seems harsh. There are plenty of worse slasher sequels out there.

Like many horror movies that have “final” in their title, this movie wasn’t actually the last in the series. It was followed by a non-theatrical cheapie five years later.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 5 (Urban Legends: Bloody Mary) (direct-to-video)

Urban Legends: Final Cut on Rotten Tomatoes

3. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) rotten tomatoes score: 8%

The original Halloween had a very simple premise. Unfortunately, the franchise was languishing in a narrative wasteland by this sixth installment. The producers were straining to come up new ideas to keep the series fresh.

This time, Michael Myers is involved with a Druid cult. He pursues the infant child of his teenage niece, Jamie. Michael is confronted yet again by elderly psychiatrist Sam Loomis, played by Donald Pleasence in his last performance.

Pleasence’s death meant that the film’s original ending, which set up a storyline for Loomis in a potential seventh film, had to be abandoned. Like many of Myers’s victims, this movie was hacked to pieces. It’s an incoherent mess and one of the worst slasher movies of the ’90s. Rotten Tomatoes lists this installment as the weakest Michael Myers movie, and I agree.

Interestingly, there is an alternate version called the Producer’s Cut that was released a few years ago. I haven’t seen it (shame on me, I know) but critics have called it an improvement in some aspects, compared to the theatrical version.

There has technically never been a sequel to this movie. The next installment, Halloween H20, is a direct sequel to Halloween II.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 3 (Halloween H20)

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers on Rotten Tomatoes

2. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) Rotten tomatoes score: 7%

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer brings back the surviving characters from the box office hit I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). After winning a trip to the Bahamas, they are once again stalked by The Fisherman, Ben Willis.

As slasher sequels go, this is about as bad as it gets. Critics derided the film for lacking any major scares or surprises. They were unimpressed by the dreary script, which is filled with predictable jump scares and red herrings.

As with Scream 3, I can recall watching I Still Know as a teenager when it first came out. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

Columbia Pictures blew a golden opportunity with this series. Imagine a parallel universe where they make a successful sequel and IKWYDLS becomes a long-running franchise, like Scream. They would have had a tough time coming up with new variations on the title, though.

Like Urban Legends, this series descended into direct-to-video hell after the tepid response to this installment. There was also a short-lived Amazon streaming series in 2021.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 8 (I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer) (direct-to-video)

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer on Rotten Tomatoes

1. Leprechaun 2 (1994) Rotten Tomatoes score: 6%

Leave it to a Leprechaun movie to top any list of bad slasher sequels. The original Leprechaun wasn’t good in the first place, but the sequels reached unprecedented levels of entertaining ineptitude.

This one has the leprechaun kidnapping a pretty young woman whom he wants to marry. To lep’s chagrin, she’s not interested in being with a dude who’s half her size. As usual, the leprechaun uses his magic powers and rhyming one-liners to dispatch pesky humans that stands in his way.

The saving grace of Leprechaun 2, and any Leprechaun movie, is Warwick Davis’s gleeful performance as the title character. Davis consistently delivers a strong effort, despite the inexperienced actors and amateurish production values that he has to work with.

Leprechaun 2 is, to date, the last Warwick Davis Leprechaun film to receive a theatrical release. But the series found new life on the ’90s VHS market. The next installments have him visiting Las Vegas, traveling to outer space and, most famously, hanging out in the ‘hood.

Years Until Next Installment Was Released: 1 (Leprechaun 3) (direct-to-video)

Leprechaun 2 on Rotten Tomatoes

franchises are never defined by one installment

Although these slasher sequels were panned by critics, they are still important parts of their franchise’s legacies. Their entertainment value is enhanced, at least a little, by being viewed as just one part of a longer story.

When we’re reading a novel, do we DNF after one bad chapter? Okay, sometimes we do. But most of the time, if the previous chapters have been good, we’re going to persist forward.

Characters like Ghostface, Jason, Chucky, and Michael Myers can be in poorly received movies and audiences will still turn out for the next one. That’s because these characters are iconic and have established fanbases.

That’s why series survive poorly received sequels. They are greater than the sum of their parts. The appeal of the overall franchise surpasses the quality of the individual installments.