Remake. Biopic. Based on a true story. Starring Bruce Willis. These are all red flags when it comes to movies, but there may be no bigger red flag than the word “sequel.” Everyone knows it; even film producers and executives, though that’s never stopped them from bringing iconic monsters, aliens, killers, ghosts, and corpses back to life.

Occasionally, however, a horror series can produce a sequel that mines new territory, pushes its mythology to new places, and finds something new to say. They may be rare, but they are out there. You just have to know where to look…

Dawn of the Dead:

How do you follow up one of the most powerful, influential, and socially relevant horror films of all time? You add more: more scale, more gore, more character, more commentary, more humor, and certainly more zombies. Even though it was made on a shoestring budget, Romero managed to up the ante in this massive, ultra-violent bloodbath.

Set against the backdrop of empty cafeterias and clothing stores, four humans do their best Rambo-impressions as they mow down hundreds of zombies. Maybe the second installment isn’t as realistic as the first, but Dawn isn’t about realism. It’s about cranking up the volume to 11 and letting it rip.

Bride of Frankenstein:

Some of the Universal classics seem a bit underwhelming these days (sorry, Dracula) but such is not the case with James Whale’s 1935 sequel, which is every bit as haunting, beautiful, and hilarious as a blind date. As fate would have it, Frankenstein is set up with another monster. Too bad she shoots him down, a cold shoulder that doesn’t bode well for all involved.

Anyone who has been rejected can relate to Frankenstein’s reaction, and Whale gives Karloff all the material he needs to piece together a relatable monster. Friendship? Check. Loneliness? Check. Love interest? Check. All the elements are there to make The Bride of Frankenstein a humanistic masterpiece. All that’s missing are a few good scares.

Evil Dead 2:

Less is more? Pshhht. Tell that to Sam Raimi. The king of carnage, Raimi found perverse pleasure in throwing more monsters at the screen than there are hipsters in Brooklyn.

Don’t believe me? Check out Evil Dead 2. The film is constantly one-upping itself, starting with Ash lopping off the head of his possessed girlfriend and ending with Ash jamming a chainsaw into his arm. It’s sensory overload, in a good way.

The Silence of the Lambs:

Some would argue that it’s not a sequel. I would argue that it certainly is, at least in part, and that part dates back to Manhunter. Hannibal Lecter first appeared in Mann’s directorial debut, but he just didn’t have the same appeal as he did in the sequel. And how could he?

Anthony Hopkins gave us the best serial killer of all time. Period. He chews up the screen in every scene, montage, and monologue. He squints and stares and says stuff like, “I’m having an old friend for dinner.” He’s the reason we watch Silence of the Lambs, and the reason it’s on our list.

Paranormal Activity 3:

Scoff if you like (I can’t hear you), but I consider this one a low-budget masterpiece, one that not only revitalized a popular franchise but still stands as a masterclass on how to wring tension out of very limited resources. Much like The Blair Witch Project, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman threw everything they had (financial and otherwise) into a found footage concept that they knew would work–and boy did it.

The filmmaking team executes a number of ingenious gags; the oscillating fan keeps you on edge every time, and the nanny cam feels like a stroke of genius. Plus, it has one of the best endings of 2011. Who knew death could be so cold?

Aliens:

Although generally listed in the science-fiction section, Ridley Scott’s follow-up to Alien easily qualifies as one of the most effective horror films of the 20th-century. The original is scary in its own right, but this version crams all sorts of creepy details into every scene, all but oozes with a sense of cool, and boasts a heroine who can definitely beat you in a fight. These factors, in addition to a fantastic ensemble, make it a must-watch.

Inferno:

You could spend an entire weekend picking through Dario Argento’s early work (Suspiria, Demons, Deep Red) but this slice of Giallo horror is one of the director’s finest. A follow-up to Suspiria, it’s yet another movie that is almost impossible to describe.

Dreamlike, incoherent, insanely beautiful, and absurdly strange, Inferno is about the Mother of Darkness, a witch who runs an apartment building in New York. Dozens of people enter the building, but few ever leave. There are cats, mice, snakes, shattered windows, blood-red hallways, and blood-soaked basements. Hey, it could be worse…it could be in New Jersey.

28 Weeks Later:

28 Days Later exploded onto the horror scene in 2002 and instantly found fans all over the world–and then we got a sequel that was, somehow, just as good. Set in the immediate aftermath of the original, 28 Weeks Later starts with Britain trying to get back on its feet and ends with the world on its knees. It’s the kind of pandemic film that would have been great three years ago but feels a little much now.