9 Horror Prequels That Don’t Suck

Lots of movies have sequels, but relatively few have prequels. Prequels are films that reveal the events that led up to the original motion picture, and they’re a tricky business, especially in the horror genre. Because as Annabelle proved, knowing more about the mysterious evils lurking in the shadows doesn’t make them scarier, it just makes them dull. Horror prequels have a tough job to do, staying scary even though the ending is a foregone conclusion, and answering questions that were quite probably better left unanswered.

Most horror prequels suck. Annabelle, obviously, but also The ThingAlien vs. PredatorHannibal RisingAmityville II: The Possession, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The BeginningThe Exorcist: The Beginning and its counterpart Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist are all disappointing enough to deserve a mention. But these missed opportunities just make the good horror prequels that much easier to appreciate. The list of good horror prequels is very short, but we’ve got them for you.

 

Related: The 11 Creepiest Creepy Doll Movies

 

So while you ponder the lameness of Annabelle and hope for the best from Dracula Untold, take a look at the 9 Horror Prequels That Don’t Suck, and marvel at the filmmakers who rose to the challenge of make a solid, or even great horror movie with their hands tied behind their back. These movies turned foregone conclusions into exciting, scary motion pictures in their own right.

 

Slideshow: 9 Horror Prequels That Don’t Suck

 


William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.

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