Audiences have a rocky relationship with the very concept of movie sequels, and it's understandable why. Throughout history, there have been plenty of underwhelming or flat-out disappointing sequels. For a sequel to be good, it has to - at the very least - equal the quality of what came before, or continue the original story in a meaningful way. Ideally, it will surpass the movie it follows, though if it comes after a movie that was already close to perfect, it stands to reason that that's not a requirement.

Naturally, numerous sequels don't live up to expectations, and even a solid follow-up may feel disappointing to some. Yet the best of the best aren't likely to disappoint at all, as the following titles demonstrate. Below are some of the greatest sequels in cinema history, with all being successful at complementing the movie(s) that came before while striking a perfect balance between familiarity and freshness in their approach to continuing a pre-existing story.

25 'Creed' (2015)

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The Rocky series has proven to be a surprisingly lengthy one, with the original film in 1976 being an underdog movie that told an underdog story, and went on to be a huge critical and commercial hit. The first Rocky had five sequels over the next 30 years, and was followed by the Creed series, which continued Rocky's story while centering on a new protagonist.

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The first Creed from 2015 takes what worked about the best Rocky movies and gives it a more modern, harder-hitting feel. It's also proven to be a great showcase for Michael B. Jordan in the starring role, with Creed 3 also allowing him to make a strong directorial debut. Still, Creed (2015) is about as good as it gets, and when viewed as a sequel (of sorts) for the Rocky series, it's honestly up there quality-wise with the original from 1976.

24 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989)

Indiana Jones with Henry Jones Sr. in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.'
Image via Paramount Pictures

If there's any criticism to be directed towards the largely great Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade it's that it feels a tad familiar to the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). It's understandable to an extent, because the Indiana Jones series did go into darker, more divisive territory with 1984's The Temple of Doom, and so maybe something a little safer was needed to conclude what was once considered a trilogy.

Still, it's the father-son dynamic between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery that thankfully allows The Last Crusade to feel distinct enough as a sequel. It's a buddy comedy of sorts along with a typically exciting action/adventure movie, and given the first movie was so good, having the third sometimes feel like the Indiana Jones equivalent of a Greatest Hits compilation isn't the worst thing in the world.

23 'Blade Runner 2049' (2017)

Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas in Blade Runner: 2049
Image via United International Pictures

35 years after the original movie was first released, Blade Runner 2049 did the impossible and made a genuinely worthy follow-up to one of the best sci-fi movies in history. It's set in the same world as the first some 30 years later, and centers on a new protagonist, K, who's on the search for the first film's main character, Deckard.

Director Denis Villeneuve and everyone else who worked on the film had their work cut out for them, as even a very good final product could look inferior when compared to an untouchable classic. But Blade Runner 2049 works by expanding the original film's world and having a story that doesn't retread the original, though at the same time, does serve as a film that looks, feels, and sounds distinctly Blade Runner.

22 'Logan' (2017)

A weary mutant walks around his limousine to confront adversaries as the sun sets.
Image via 20th Century Fox

Admittedly, Logan may prove to be something of an outlier within the fragmented world of X-Men movies. It likely depends on how Wolverine's appearance in Deadpool 3 goes, given Logan felt like a send-off to the version of that character as played by Hugh Jackman, but - thanks to Deadpool 3 - will no longer be Jackman's final time in the role.

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But for now, it's identifiable as a sequel/grand finale to the various other X-Men movies Jackman's Wolverine appeared in. It presents a bleak depiction of an alternate 2020s where mutants have largely gone extinct, and Wolverine finds himself on one last desperate mission to protect a young mutant from enemies pursuing her. It's violent, gritty, and very emotional, and though it might feel less conclusive in the wake of future movies, it still feels like a great "final" sequel for now.

21 'Paddington 2' (2017)

Paddington holding an orange and staring straight ahead in Paddington 2

Paddington 2 has become legendary for being one of the most surprisingly great sequels in recent memory. The original film from 2014 was no slouch by any means, but Paddington 2 built on what that one delivered and then some, being more engaging, emotional, and funny all at once.

It follows the titular character trying to track down a stolen gift he'd bought for his adoptive aunt, only to find himself framed and imprisoned for the theft. What follows is a heartfelt and entertaining family-friendly movie that's always a visual delight and consistently endearing, with the film setting a high bar for the third installment to clear.

20 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare' (1994)

Robert Englund and Tracy Middendorf in New Nightmare (1994)
Image via New Line Cinema

Like many long-running horror series, the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise has gone through some serious ups and downs. The original from 1984 is obviously a classic, with sequels that range from daring but divisive (Freddy's Revenge) to genuinely very good (Dream Warriors) to not very good at all (The Final Nightmare).

The best of the sequels, however, might well be 1994's New Nightmare, which shines thanks to it being written and directed by the series creator, Wes Craven. It takes a meta approach to the franchise's tropes, being about the original movie's star (Heather Langenkamp, playing herself) being tormented by a new, "real-life" version of Freddy Krueger. It sounds silly, but Craven makes it work, ensuring New Nightmare is entertaining, creative, and a wonderfully unusual sequel.

19 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (2004)

Harry and a Hippogriff from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Harry Potter movie series is an overall surprisingly consistent one, and the rare series where few would say it peaked with the first film. The first two entries were certainly solid, but thanks to the original story getting a little more intense and interesting as the books went along, future films had even better material to work with.

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The third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, isn't the most narratively intense or dark, but it might well stand as the best overall Harry Potter movie. Director Alfonso Cuarón brought his unique visual style to the film, making it beautiful, creative, and one with an even more immersive world than other movies in the series. It's aged fantastically, and as far as the movie series is concerned, it serves as an overall high point.

18 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)

The sun sweeps in as veteran fighter pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell stands before his aircraft in 'Top Gun: Maverick'.
Image via Paramount Pictures

The sequel to 1986's Top Gun ended up being one of the biggest movies of the 2020s so far. It looked back on the original with rose-tinted glasses and delivered a movie that was overall quite similar, but at the same time, hit the various notes and beats of the 1986 movie with more accuracy, confidence, and excitement.

The first Top Gun isn't an amazing film by any means, but Maverick still had a hefty task ahead of it when it came to recapturing Top Gun's spirit and not angering its numerous fans. To paraphrase The Suicide Squad (2021), it does exactly what the original did, but better.

17 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' (1982)

Wrath of Khan - 1982

When it came to bringing Star Trek to the big screen, the original movie from 1979 was a solid attempt, yet probably didn't have much appeal to audiences who weren't already fans of the show. When its 1982 sequel came around, there was a noticeable attempt to make things bigger, more action-packed, and more accessible, and it paid off.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan holds up as one of the great sci-fi movies of the 1980s, and not necessarily one that you have to be a big Star Trek fan to enjoy. It gives the cast of the original show their most dangerous and high-stakes mission yet, and delivers genuine spectacle without undoing the heart of the original show, or dumbing things down detrimentally.

16 'Evil Dead II' (1987)

Bruce Campbell as Ash in Evil Dead 2, holding a chainsaw and a shotgun.
Image via De Laurentiis Entertainment Group.

It's hard to pick a favorite Evil Dead movie, especially when narrowed down to the original three movies directed by Sam Raimi. The first is one of the most iconic low-budget horror movies of all time, the second re-does/remixes the first with more confident direction and tons more humor, and then the third movie - Army of Darkness - ends up being a slapstick fantasy movie, ditching just about all the horror elements from the other two.

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For the film that best represents the franchise's strengths, the title for best entry would likely go to Evil Dead II. As a sequel to the first, it delivers much of what was great there, only with a helping of great humor that was then explored further in the third movie. For showcasing both the terrifying and the comedic sides of Evil Dead, the second film stands as an all-time classic sequel.

15 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)

Thanos looking intently with mountains in the background in 'Avengers: Infinity War'
Image via Marvel Studios

There are plenty of great sequels within the MCU, as demonstrated by films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Thor: Ragnarok, which both outdo their predecessors. Yet the greatest sequel in the franchise so far is probably the third overall Avengers movie, Infinity War.

As a film, it's an embarrassment of riches, with a focus on Thanos, the greatest MCU villain so far, and appearances from just about every iconic character introduced in the MCU's first three phases. It serves as a sequel of sorts to multiple series' within the MCU, which does give it an advantage, but for comic book thrills, action, humor, and emotion, it's a hard one to top.

14 'Star Wars: Episode VIII -The Last Jedi' (2017)

The Last Jedi
Image via Lucasfilm

The Star Wars sequel trilogy has proven divisive, and it's understandable why. 2015's The Force Awakens thrilled audiences upon release thanks to feeling like a throwback to "classic" Star Wars, but received some criticism for being too similar to the original film from 1977. And then 2019's The Rise of Skywalker was overall very messy, and made it plain to see that there hadn't been a great overarching plan in place for this particular trilogy.

Between those two movies was The Last Jedi, and whether you want to count it as a sequel to the original trilogy or The Force Awakens, it holds up. It was a daring film that didn't appeal to everyone, sure, but it attempted to do interesting and emotional things with the world of Star Wars and the characters - both old and new - who inhabit it. It was subversive, provocative, thrilling, and - though not without flaws - arguably the greatest Star Wars movie released since 1980.

13 'Goldfinger' (1964)

James Bond (Sean Connery) stand with his Aston Martin DB5 in a countryside driveway.
Image via United Artists

Dr. No (1962) kicked off the James Bond film series in style, establishing Sean Connery in the role that would largely define his career for the next several decades. Yet it was exceeded in quality by its second sequel, Goldfinger, which also improved upon 1963's From Russia with Love (itself a movie many would say was more exciting than Dr. No).

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Goldfinger ups the stakes compared to what came before by featuring a villain who wants to raid Fort Knox, in turn destroying the world's economy. It delivers all the expected James Bond thrills and action sequences in a way that was smoother and more thrilling than what came before, and has since endured as a series highlight that's proven difficult to exceed.

12 'The Bride of Frankenstein' (1935)

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Universal churned out numerous horror movies throughout the 1930s and 1940s, in turn creating what was arguably the first-ever cinematic universe. The sequels the studio produced were often fun, though they rarely topped the originals. However, The Bride of Frankenstein ended up proving to be an exception to this rule.

1931's Frankenstein was already a classic, but The Bride of Frankenstein improves upon it by having a more ambitious and complex story, featuring some odd but entertaining meta elements (original Frankenstein author Mary Shelley is a character here), and having two monsters instead of one. The titular bride isn't in it much, but steals the show in the film's climax, and has helped this 1935 sequel attain legendary status.

11 'Spider-Man 2' (2004)

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2002's Spider-Man was a monumental comic book movie, and along with X-Men in 2000, helped pave the way for future high-budget, mass-appeal superhero movies; the genre has since gone on to define much of early 21st-century pop culture. Yet Spider-Man had an even better sequel in 2004, with the not-so-creatively named Spider-Man 2.

Thankfully, everything else about Spider-Man 2 is creative, fresh, exciting, and unbelievably entertaining. It pushes Peter Parker even further as a character, and excels at capturing the comedy/tragedy of trying to get by in your 20s while also delivering plenty of exciting action. The villain is great, and Spider-Man 2 also skillfully sets up a third movie which was admittedly uneven and messy... but also quite a bit of fun.

10 'Dawn of the Dead' (1978)

A horde of zombies coming at the camera in Dawn of the Dead
Image via United Film Distribution Company

Though the Zack Snyder remake from 2004 is pretty good, zombie movies as a whole don't get much better than the original Dawn of the Dead from 1978. It serves as a loose sequel to 1968's Night of the Living Dead, following a different set of characters who hole up in a shopping mall this time, instead of a single house as seen in the original film.

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Director George A. Romero made use of this expanded scope, allowing the mall setting to be a playground of sorts for all sorts of funny, tense, and action-packed sequences. It's a movie that balances fun and horror seamlessly, and contains a good deal of social commentary surrounding consumerism to boot. It's a horror classic, and still proves a blast to watch 45 years on from release.

9 'Before Sunset' (2004)

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in 'Before Sunset'
Image via Warner Independent Pictures

The Before Trilogy is one of the best and most ambitious in cinema history. Each film takes place over a very short amount of time, yet collectively, the three films span almost 20 years, with the first film being released in 1995 and the last being released in 2013.

Before Sunset is the second film of the trilogy, and deals with lead characters Céline and Jesse having a chance meeting between when they first met in 1995 and their commencement of a long-term relationship explored in 2013's final film. The movie is essentially two people talking about the past nine years of their lives for 80 minutes while walking around Paris. Though it sounds simple, it's surprisingly enthralling, and is overall perfectly written and acted.

8 'Aliens' (1986)

Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley with a flamethrower in 'Aliens'
Image via 20th Century

1986 was a great year for film, with Aliens arguably being the best of what it had to offer. It follows the sole survivor of the first film, Ripley, as she gets caught up in another mission, this time with a group of marines who are far better equipped to deal with hostile aliens... yet in this sequel, there end up being overwhelming numbers to deal with.

1979's Alien was more of a horror/sci-fi movie, and Aliens benefits from a new approach: it's essentially a sci-fi/action movie that still has plenty of scary and thrilling moments. It stands as one of many movies that prove James Cameron really knows how to make a crowd-pleasing blockbuster, and it also features what's likely the best performance of Sigourney Weaver's legendary career.

7 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015)

The set design of Mad Max: Fury Road
Image via Roadshow Entertainment

The Mad Max series began way back in 1979, and during the 1980s, that original film got two sequels which upped the scope of the series' post-apocalyptic world and the quantity of action. The series disappeared from theaters for 30 years before making one of the greatest cinematic comebacks of all time in 2015 with Mad Max: Fury Road.

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It might qualify as the most high-octane and explosive road movie of all time, with a narrative that's largely made up of one extended chase sequence across a barren desert. It's a non-stop blast, and among the greatest action movies of all time. To call it the best Mad Max movie of all time is essentially a no-brainer, even though the first three movies are admittedly all quite good.

6 'The Dark Knight' (2008)

Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight
Image Via Warner Bros

While Spider-Man helped usher in a new wave of superhero movies on a blockbuster scale, 2005's Batman Begins was one of the earliest examples of how the genre could work with a darker, grittier overall feel. It's not so mature that it would only appeal to adults, but it did feel more mature than many comic book movies that had come before it.

Yet in 2008, it was surpassed (in intensity and quality) by The Dark Knight, which might currently stand as the greatest superhero movie of all time. It gave audiences a Joker for the ages with Heath Ledger, and is overall an amazingly made, fast-paced crime thriller that also has plenty of action. It's a great movie, and it's now easy to see how Batman Begins walked so The Dark Knight could run.