It’s not unusual to see a sequel to a movie that got solid reviews, made a profit at the box office, and still has more story to tell with its characters. If plenty of people turned up to a movie and enjoyed it, it’s only logical that they’d give up more of their money and time to see a follow-up. Often, that’s exactly what happens. A sequel might make a little less money, or be less enthusiastically received because it’s either too repetitive or just not as good, but people will tend to remember it existed.
At least that’s what usually happens. A movie like The Godfather Part III might not be as beloved as Part I and Part II, but at least people still remember that it came out. Some movies, on the other hand, have been largely forgotten to time, or at least pale in comparison to their predecessors in pop culture exposure. It may even be surprising to learn of their existence. While they’re not all terrible by default, it is hard to deny that the following left behind any kind of legacy comparable with their originals.
'French Connection II' (1975)
The French Connection was released in 1971 and is significant for winning five Oscars, featuring one of the great Gene Hackman’s best performances, and helping establish director William Friedkin as one of the best of his time. It still holds up well as a gritty, satisfying crime thriller, and its big car chase set piece remains one of the greatest of all time.
It’s surprising, then, that four years after its release, it got a sequel that managed to secure Hackman again and followed on from the plot of the first, yet has been forgotten to time. The fact it didn’t secure so much as a single Oscar nomination compared to its predecessor’s successful awards haul likely has something to do with that.
'American Psycho 2' (2002)
Released direct to video just two years after the first American Psycho, this is hardly a worthy sequel and was likely rushed out quickly to capitalize on the original's popularity.
The plot hardly even relates to the first, and the one way it does relate is, ironically, the only way American Psycho 2 might be remembered. The film opens with a young version of Mila Kunis’ character murdering Patrick Bateman! Besides that – and being an odd footnote in Mila Kunis’ career – American Psycho 2 lacks staying power, and has nothing close to the cult status that the first film continues to enjoy.
'The Two Jakes' (1990)
The Two Jakes is a sequel to the classic neo-noir Chinatown from 1974, though you might not know it from the title. Nevertheless, Jack Nicholson reprises his role (and even takes over directing duties), and Robert Towne, the screenwriter for the first, also wrote it.
Despite that, The Two Jakes is all but forgotten, failing to attract the critical acclaim of the first and receiving nothing by way of awards recognition, too. With a well-contained story and a powerful finale in the first, it’s worth asking who even wanted a sequel to Chinatown 16 years later.
'S. Darko' (2009)
A strange sequel to Donnie Darko in that it focuses on Donnie’s younger sister, Samantha, a minor character from the first who’s the only one to carry over here. Jake Gyllenhaal, whose performance in the first is still one of his best, is nowhere to be seen, and neither are any of the other cast members.
S. Darko didn’t seem to have many people who wanted it to exist, and for its emptiness, history has understandably forgotten it. While viewers of the original might like to debate how much of the film was real or imagined by the title character, viewers of its sequel — 13 years on from its release — might like to debate whether the film itself was real or imagined.
'Blues Brothers 2000' (1998)
Making a sequel to the classic comedy/musical/action movie The Blues Brothers without the late John Belushi was always going to be a risk. However, there was perhaps more effort here than some of the more blatant cash-grab sequels, as John Landis returned to direct, Dan Aykroyd came back to star and write, and the great John Goodman was added to the cast, not to play Belushi’s character, but to fill the void left by the star’s passing.
Whatever efforts went into it didn’t pay off, unfortunately. Blues Brothers 2000 has lacked the impact of the original’s classic status, which continues to be loved and appreciated to this very day (especially for the amazing car chase and crash sequences, which have never been matched in terms of scale).
'Mean Girls 2' (2011)
It’s hard to say anything very enthusiastic about Mean Girls 2. With no original cast members, writers, or the director returning, all signs point to this sequel — released seven years after the first — being a bit of a cash-grab.
More than anything, Mean Girls 2 is the worst kind of sequel: it’s a sequel in name only. It feels like it could be any old teen comedy that’s been given the Mean Girls title to ensure it was watched by a few extra sets of eyeballs, and it’s not hard to understand why that kind of movie tends to get forgotten quickly.
'The Rage: Carrie 2' (1999)
Released over two decades after the original Brian De Palma directed adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel, The Rage: Carrie 2 essentially tells the same core premise again (outcast girl has telekinetic powers, bullies get what’s coming to them), just with different character names and actors.
The titling is maybe the most interesting part about the otherwise forgotten The Rage: Carrie 2, in that you’d expect a sequel to advertise it was a sequel first and foremost, in its title. Was it originally called The Rage, and had the “Carrie 2” part tacked on to give it more attention? It wouldn’t be too surprising.
'An American Werewolf in Paris' (1997)
An American Werewolf in London retains its reputation, some 40 years later, for being one of the best werewolf movies of all time. An American Werewolf in Paris most certainly doesn’t share that honor.
To look on the bright side, at least they changed up the setting. It’s nice that it’s not just London that has to deal with American werewolves, and the change of scenery is appreciated. But other than that, it’s just a relatively cheap horror movie that doesn’t have much to offer or add to the first.
'Lost Boys: The Tribe' (2008)
It appears that the least likely to be remembered sequels are those that follow cult movies some years after the fact. Lost Boys: The Tribe is exactly that.
Its connection to the original 1980s horror-comedy is pretty loose, bringing back Corey Feldman, as far as the cast is concerned, but not much else. They at least secured Kiefer Sutherland’s half-brother to play a similar role here to what Kiefer did in the original so… yay? Lost Boys: The Tribe being ignored doesn't seem to have ended the franchise, though, given how a remake of the original is currently in the works.
'The Sting II' (1983)
It’s genuinely shocking that a sequel to The Sting even exists. The first is fondly remembered for being another successful pair up with Paul Newman and Robert Redford, after their fantastic chemistry in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, as well as its twisty plot, memorable music, and the fact it won seven Oscars.
To its credit, The Sting II scored a nomination for its music score, but nothing else. Newman and Redford didn’t return, and while David S. Ward (the writer of the original) did, that didn’t seem to be enough. The Sting II’s existence is truly confusing. The original is beloved and well-liked, sure, and arguably, audiences may have wanted more. But it feels nice and self-contained, and trying to do it again without the iconic duo of Newman and Redford is just baffling. Time has marched on without The Sting II. While there’s technically evidence it existed, it may as well not have.