When it comes to horror films, you'll find a lot more sequels and franchises than you will stand-alones - but that doesn't always mean they should exist. Cult classics like It Follows have always worked for being horror movies that flawlessly jampack all the story, characters and kills into one simple, two-hour-long film.

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But sometimes, movies just don't get the memo and wind up turning into out-of-control franchises of multiple films that eventually start losing everything that was special about the first.

'Ghostbusters'

Ghostbusters (1984)

Ghostbusters has always been a must-watch movie at Halloweentime, but you seldom see people watching the 1989 sequel Ghostbusters II, let alone all of this classic's remakes and continuations throughout the years.

As funny as it was, 2016's Ghostbusters was an unnecessary remake, while Ghostbusters: Afterlife received an even lower approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, despite starring two original Ghostbusters, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd.

'The Exorcist'

Possessed young girl Regan

It may merely be 19080s special effects, but The Exorcist remains a terrifying film to this day for the way it stars a possessed teenage girl who partakes in horrifying acts including floating above her bed, crawling backward down the stairs, and spinning her head around in a 360 degree turn.

The Exorcist has stayed such a classic since 1973, that it may come as a bittersweet surprise to those who enjoyed the film that this franchise consists of four more films, each receiving mixed reviews that never topped the original's.

'Halloweentown'

Halloweentown
Image via Disney

Granted, Halloweentown may not be a slasher full of guts and gore, but this Disney Channel Original Movie definitely had its scary moments. And while the 1998 DCOM will forever be a classic, it certainly didn't need three follow-up films.

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Sure, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge was an okay continuation and Halloweentown High was a cute take on Grandma Aggie continuing her teaching to Marnie in high school, but it's Return to Halloweentown where things got wonky when they replaced Kimberly J. Brown with Sara Paxton as the film's star.

'I Know What You Did Last Summer'

90s horror-I Know What You Did Last Summer

I Know What You Did Last Summer followed a group of teens who believe they've accidentally killed a fisherman, then get stalked by him and his desire for revenge. A good, thrilling horror with a memorable cast, this film didn't need to continue.

Despite the cliffhanger ending that consisted of fan-favorite final girl Julie receiving another infamous note in mirror fog and the killer bursting through the glass, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer only added unnecessary story to a film that concluded perfectly.

'Poltergeist'

Poltergeist 1982

Poltergeist is a 1982 supernatural horror following a family who gets visited by ghosts and sent a chill down every viewer's spine the second Carol Ann sat in front of the staticky television and announced, "They're here..."

In cases like Paranormal Activity and The Conjuring, some ghost movies do well with more than one film. But Poltergeist remains such a cult classic, most people don't even know it spawned a sequel titled Poltergeist II: The Other Side, let alone enjoyed it.

'Pet Sematary'

Cat is possessed with yellow eyes

Pet Sematary came out in 1989 and told the story of a father's grief that led him to dig up his son's corpse, rebury it in a cursed cemetery that brought a deceased cat back to life, then watch his toddler son come alive and be nothing like he was before.

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The creepy film could have easily remained the only film adaption of Stephen King's 1983 horror novel, but a lesser-known sequel came in 1992 that followed a similar story with new characters, a dead dog being buried and returning possessed and then a grieving son attempting to bring his deceased mother back to life.

'Child's Play'

Alex Vincent as Andy in bed with Chucky in Child's Play
Image via Universal Pictures

Sure, every film after 1988's Child's Play continued Chucky's story of mayhem and murder and gave fans beloved characters like Tiffany and Glen, but they were also all pretty unnecessary in the grand scheme of things.

Child's Play easily could have been a stand-alone and still kept Chucky as a fan-favorite killer. Each film in the franchise got considerably gorier, and the 2019 remake was an unsuccessful attempt at the pure horror Chucky exuberated in the original film.

'Psycho'

Iconic Horror Movies-Psycho
Image via Paramount Pictures

Psycho is a black-and-white cult classic that told the horrifying tale of Norman Bates' complicated relationship with his mother that led him to murder a young woman during the film's famous shower scene.

Psycho had everything it needed to be the perfect, scary, stand-alone horror film, which it remained until 1983. What this movie didn't need, however, was three 80s sequels, a 90s prequel, and a 1998 remake.

'Halloween'

Michael Myers with his butcher's knife at the top of the stairs in 'Halloween.'

The original 1978 Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis was a successful horror film that set high standards for slashers to come. But what no one expected was for this franchise to turn into a series of eight movies, two remakes and a reboot trilogy.

Halloween II was a sequel that, while not as thrilling as the first, still kept the chilling presence of Michael Myers as he continued his reign of terror on Halloween night. But Halloween III: Season of the Witch didn't even include the villain, and every film after that lacked the magic of the first, all coming to an end in 2022 with the lackluster Halloween Ends.

'Trick 'R Treat'

Sam in Trick r Treat

Trick 'r Treat is a 2007 horror that follows several Halloween night tales that eventually all come back to its star Sam. While not the biggest film in a genre filled with beloved slashers and classic monsters, this movie still remained a successful stand-alone for over a decade thanks to everyone's love of Sam.

But 2022 was when a sequel was announced, and only time will tell if this new movie will shoot its predecessor to a resurgence of success, or make fans wish it stayed the single Halloweentime classic it's become.

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