Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Scream VI, which is releasing the year after the previous Scream, we’re counting down our favorite sequels that released a year after their predecessors! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
It’s rare for a sequel to be just as iconic as its predecessor, but Scream 2 is. It was an instant success, raking in even more money than Scream at the box office. With a star-studded cast, a plot that makes fun of itself, and the return of beloved characters, it’s easy to understand why. Two years after the tragic Woodsboro murders, Sydney (Neve Campbell) finds herself running away from another killer disguised as Ghostface. Things are more interesting this time around, since the original killing spree inspired a movie series called Stab. The movie-within-a-movie adds more mystery to the plot, since fans donning Ghostface garb make it more difficult to solve these crimes. There are some fun callbacks to the original movie — the audience knows the rules to survive a horror movie, thanks to Scream — but now, Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) informs us how to survive a sequel. Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dewey Riley’s (David Arquette) will-they-won’t-they romance continues with more tension. And like the original, just when you think you’ve figured out whodunit, you’re thrown another twist. Just like Randy’s horror sequel rules state, Scream 2 has a bigger body count, and way more elaborate death scenes. It’s a fun, campy movie that’s perfect to watch no matter what the occasion. (Diana Gebbia)
There is a popular idea out there that the initial Pirates of the Caribbean sequels aren’t good. This is not only offensive to me as an unabashed lover of Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, but it’s also plain wrong. At World’s End takes all the swashbuckling fun and fantasy of the first two movies, and turns them up to 11? 13? 28? 28 is probably right. My favorite part about the Pirates sequels (those directed by Gore Verbinski) is that they’re unabashedly themselves. They go off-the-walls bonkers with some of their world building and ridiculousness, but every single member of the cast and crew buys in completely. At World’s End is a whole lot of fun, and it ends on such a satisfying emotional note. It puts a cap on one of my favorite movie trilogies of all time. (Robert Bouffard)
Back to the Future Part III was one of the first threequels ever shot back-to-back with its predecessor, Back to the Future Part II, and with only a three-week break in principal photography between the two films, Part III traveled into theaters only six months after Part II, in May 1990. While not as commercially successful as the previous entry in the trilogy, Back to the Future Part III returns to the roots of the original with character-driven storytelling, culminating in enjoyable payoffs to arcs originally established five years prior in Back to the Future. The film is a western through and through, brilliantly bookended with science fiction, that sees “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd) take the reins as the lead this time with Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) as his support, a reversal of the first entry in the series. Part III allowed director Robert Zemeckis to deliver a stark contrast to Part II’s marketing hook of Hill Valley’s futuristic setting and altered timelines, with a quieter, more emotionally poignant narrative revolving around Doc and his future/past true love, Clara (Mary Steenburgen). Their love beautifully unfolds as a deeper, richer story than that of Marty and Jennifer as established across the first two films, and Back to the Future Part III ultimately sticks the landing, succeeding as a bittersweet goodbye to characters and a DeLorean that we love, and a wholly satisfying conclusion to Marty and Doc’s adventures across the space-time continuum. (Jonathan Fedee)
It has been a decade since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire‘s release, so it may be easy to forget how culturally impactful these films were. Especially the first two, The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which were released in back-to-back years. You hear people whistling in the streets, and saw people making the mockingjay salute with their hands; it was everywhere… and it was earned. These movies were impactful in a big way, none more than Catching Fire, which, for my money, was the best of the franchise. It expanded the world building of the original, upped the stakes in a believable and exciting way, and delivered a fresh and action-packed experience, while still delivering prominent socio-political commentary in a dystopian world. Jennifer Lawrence continued her famous role as Katniss Everdeen with a strong outing, supporting stalwarts like Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland continued to do justice to the series, and newcomers Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeffrey Wright added extra punch. The Quarter Quell action is exciting, the drama is more intense… everything about this clicks. Not only is this a sequel to a film from the previous year, but it is a sequel that improved upon the original in almost every way. (Heath Lynch)
The Harry Potter franchise closed as it opened in its release schedule, as only the first two and final two films based on the original book series came out in successive years. With apologies to Chamber of Secrets, we’re going to talk about how the eight-film run concluded in The Deathly Hallows: Part 2. With the filming of the series’ finale happening simultaneously, both films based on Deathly Hallows were able to come out in quicker succession than the middle entries. While other franchises have taken this example to lengthen their box office receipts, it felt earned when Potter pioneered it — though I’m sure those involved weren’t complaining about rolling around in the extra cash. The result was more than worth it. It gave fans that had their childhood defined by the Potterverse send Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest off with an epic Battle of Hogwarts worthy of closing out a decade of magic on the big screen. (Jake Bourgeois)
Director Quentin Tarantino is a huge fan of cinema, and no films show that off better than the Kill Bill films. While the initial film is influenced by East Asian cinema, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 definitely takes several queues from the western genre. The Bride (Uma Thurman) continues her ravenous, bloody quest for revenge on the remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, including her former lover/mentor, Bill (David Carradine). The films initially were meant to be one large film, but the studio didn’t think that viewers would be keen on sitting through a three-plus-hour film, so it was decided to split them into two parts. This works well since the aforementioned contrasting influences of both films shine through more. While Vol. 1 is heavy on the martial arts action, Vol. 2 chooses to take things a bit slower and has some great scenes and dialogue that build up the relationships of the remaining members of the Assassination Squad. Though not as fast paced Vol. 1 the film isn’t without an amazing action set piece that takes place within Bud’s (Michael Madsen) trailer between The Bride and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah). They utilize every inch of the trailer in their knockout, drag-out fight that has the brutality to back the hatred that these two have for one another. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 will thrill those who are deeply in love with cinema, especially if you are a fan of westerns. (Joe Vargas)
Here it is: the highpoint of the MCU, what Marvel had been building toward for over a decade, with over 20 movies, (and honestly, probably the point in which the MCU should have ended, in hindsight), Avengers: Endgame! Coming one year after Avengers: Infinity War rocked us to our cores and shattered many of our hearts (seriously, there were so many tears in those theater auditoriums), we saw the triumphant return of our favorite staple of heroes to the big screen, in a big way. Sure, you can absolutely say that there are many better quality movies in the MCU. No doubt. But subjectively, dang it’s hard to argue against this being the best of the bunch just because it’s the crescendo of films leading to this point. There were so many storylines, characters, emotions, and a bunch of nostalgia built into this grand epic, and it seemingly worked on every level. Whether it’s Cap picking up Mjölnir, going back in time to the original Avengers, or Falcon saying, “On your left,” and having the entire force of the MCU showing up in droves through portals in the sky, this movie delivers. After more than a decade of loyalty, we assembled, and Endgame gave us the ultimate fan service MCU film, just one year after Infinity War, that will forever remain as one of the greatest theater experiences of all time. (Heath Lynch)
Daaaa Daaaa….WAH WAAH WAH! Is there anyone on the planet that can’t name that legendary John Barry tune before Shirley Bassey has a chance to belt out the opening line? Fresh off the hollowed-out, hidden heels (or rather, poison-tipped shoe knives) of From Russia With Love, James Bond’s next appearance in Goldfinger may be his most iconic. Sean Connery’s third go-around in the MI6-issued suit (complete with attached bird decoy), is certainly his best! Connery, now clearly comfortable in what will become his most famous role, brings a lightheartedness, charm, and wit superior to all future 00s. This installment of the franchise also brings us a plethora of not only spy movie mainstays (thanks, Q!), but pop culture myths (Shirley Eaton recently celebrated her 84th birthday), future action tropes, and the most famous of the double entendre-named Bond Girls. This sequel truly checks every box on the espionage checklist: deadly lasers, ejector seats, fast cars, listening devices, a devious villain with a steel blade trimmed bowler hat, overly complicated means of murder, giant full wall and floor maps plotting world domination schemes, a horse in a hotel and plenty of distractingly beautiful women (even if they’re SPECTRE agents in the ‘60s, we don’t use women as human shields, James!). If for some reason you happened to have missed it in the last 59 years, Shirley, it’s time to pay homage to the best of Bond, Goldfinger. (Patrice Downing)
When I first saw For a Few Dollars More, I didn’t know it was a sequel to A Fistful of Dollars. I just saw The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and wanted more of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood in my life. And if it wasn’t for the fact that The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an absolute masterpiece and one of the best films (not just westerns; you read it correctly) ever made, this would have easily taken the cake as the best western ever made. Everything Sergio Leone became known for — long shots, stunning cinematography, not much dialogue, and collaborating with his childhood friend, Ennio Morricone — you will find it here. And if you enjoy “spaghetti westerns,” but have somehow missed this one (or A Fistful of Dollars), you need to do yourself a favor and check them out. It’s been a while for me, so I am due for a rewatch, and honestly, I can’t wait to watch all three of these films again. Also, Leone doesn’t get nearly enough credit for all the brilliant films he made over his fairly short (he died at the age of 60) life. I am sorry, but no American western comes even close to these films, especially all having that legendary score by Morricone. (Luke Burian)
Has anyone else argued with someone that The Lord of the Rings is really just one movie broken into three parts? Generally, this story is just one saga chopped into pieces. There would have been hard arguments out there if they just released one big, nine-plus hour film. With such a flowing story with one specific narrative, The Two Towers feels like an extension of The Fellowship of the Ring. We find Frodo and Sam heading off to Mordor as a new duo. Merry and Pippin are whisked away by a gang of Uruk-hai, with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli giving chase. We are dropped right back into the action and get to witness yet another fantasy masterpiece at play. The Battle of Helm’s Deep is one of the greatest battle scenes ever put to film, and Peter Jackson’s directing brings it to life in the most amazing way. This is a hard sell, as it is really just the second act of an overarching story, but The Two Towers is an impressive piece of cinema nonetheless. (Shane Conto)
High School Musical 2
Growing up in the mid-2000s there were few film franchises that garnered more discussion at the elementary school lunch table than High School Musical. Full of relationship drama, catchy pop songs, and teenage heartthrobs, the Disney Channel had produced the perfect series to capture the attention of America’s youth, and the best entry by far is the second installment, High School Musical 2. Set at a luxurious country club during summer break, High School Musical 2 is a rare sequel that improves on the original in every way. Not only do we get further development of Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella’s (Vanessa Hudgens) relationship, but they also flesh out many of the side characters as well. The soundtrack has some genuinely good songs on it, and the script, while certainly cheesy at times, is much better than you would expect for a made-for-television Disney Channel original movies. I’m not going to bother to pretend that an adult watching this for the first time in 2023 would be adding it to their list of favorite films, but as someone who was in its target audience when it first premiered, it holds a soft spot in my heart. (Jake Hjort)
Saw 2
There is no other film on this list that encompasses the immediate sequel like Saw 2. The Saw franchise has done this six times! It became a Halloween staple until Paranormal Activity took over this October mainstay in 2009. I believe the Saw franchise had such strong staying power every year because of this film. Saw 2 knew what it had to do in order to keep fans invested. The beauty of the first movie was the traps and the bonkers scenarios that went along with them. So like any good horror sequel, we upped the count of the traps, the victims, and oh yes, there was blood. This is also the movie that really began to flesh out Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw and cemented him as a horror legend. I think there are real conversations to be had with putting him on the Mount Rushmore of best killers, and it all started here. (Scott Batchelor)
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Sharing a similar empathy and love for animals makes me predisposed to be a sucker for these movies, but I’d be all in even without that. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is peak ‘90s Jim Carrey absurdity. He is unhinged in the best way, making for constant laughter throughout, which is good because the aforementioned empathy means the laughter is needed after the opening scene with the raccoon. While the story and supporting cast are not quite up to the lofty standards of the original, the scope and the humor are both heightened to great results. Carrey’s kinetic physicality is impossible to look away from. Otherwise-standard moments of setup and exposition are made delightful by his movement. It’s surprising how well this comedy holds up. The Slinky, the rhino, the guano, the reckless off-road Chitty Chitty Bang Bang singalong, and modeling the human scarf are just a small sampling of the noteworthy comedic moments which are unloaded at a feverish pace. If you haven’t watched it since your childhood, you are also in for discovering an added layer of adult humor that went over your head the first time around. After being one of the rare franchises to feature a sequel the following year, Ace Ventura should jump on the trend of legacy sequels deep into the future. (Jason Mack)
Wayne’s World 2
Wayne’s World is already one of the best Saturday Night Live sketches-turned-movies ever, and it is one of my favorite comedies. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey are dynamite together. When I heard there was a sequel coming out, I was excited because any opportunity to watch more Wayne’s World was alright in my eyes. Sequels have a tendency to go two paths: go big or stay with a contained story. Wayne’s World 2 blows up by putting on a huge music festival, aptly named Waynestock. If you’re looking for a trippy sequel with wonderful characters, some cross-genre jokes, and a lot of great pop culture references, check out Wayne’s World 2.(Mike Hilty)