Horror enthusiasts are all too familiar with the drill: an old franchise greenlights a sequel or reboot, hype is generated, anticipation builds—and then the eventual film fails to deliver. Whether they’re revisiting masked murderers or haunted mansions, some horror sequels and reboots disappoint by failing to live up to the unsettling genius that made the originals legends. Let’s take a look at some of the worst disappointing horror movie sequels and reboots that hyped chills but left fans cold.
1. Halloween Kills (2021)
Following the success of the 2018 Halloween reboot for reinventing the franchise to its basics, Halloween Kills had a golden chance to continue the momentum. It faltered instead. Jamie Lee Curtis’s Laurie Strode sits out most of the movie in a hospital bed, and the narrative gets into sloppy waters with gratuitous violence and a muddled message on mob hysteria. Although it cranked up the bloodshed, the movie didn’t have the restraint and suspense that made the original work so well, resulting in this chapter feeling like two steps forward and one back.
2. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
The initial two Conjuring movies were distinguished by their slow-build frights and compact narratives. The third installment, though, veers into courtroom thriller and supernatural conspiracy, abandoning the close, haunted-house horror that characterized the franchise. Even with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s still-present chemistry playing the Warrens, the movie indulges too much in franchise building and not enough in fright, making what could have been a chilling case into an overblown spectacle.
3. Candyman (2021)
Produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta, the Candyman reboot had a serious amount of potential. While the look was stunning and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gave a great lead performance, the film’s thematic approach felt confused. The reboot sacrificed some of the eerie vagueness of the original for a more literal take, missing some of the psychological richness that made the 1992 film so unsettling. Stylish and socially aware, certainly—but the scares and longevity didn’t quite live up to legend.
4. Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Spiral sought to reboot the Saw franchise as a hard-boiled crime thriller, with Chris Rock taking over in the lead and an emphasis on police corruption. The concept was original, but it didn’t quite live up. The traps were dialed back, the twist was way too telegraphed, and the tonal fluctuations—particularly between Rock’s comedic take and the rest of the movie’s dark tone—came across as dissonant. Rather than reviving the franchise with a bang, Spiral was a half-measure that left newcomers and fans alike disappointed.
5. Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021)
Years of quiet, and Paranormal Activity was back with a new tale, new people, and an entirely new structure. Alas, Next of Kin abandoned the found-footage approach that made the franchise cult and settled on something more conventional with mockumentary touches. Although it tried to blend supernatural mystery with folk horror, the outcome was a bland, atmosphere-sparse entry that didn’t merit reviving the franchise.
6. There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021)
Netflix’s take on Stephanie Perkins’ book had all the ingredients of a contemporary teen slasher murderer, secret pasts, social media plot twists, but none of the bite to make it truly stand out. Although the setup was compelling, the killings were soft, the pacing erratic, and the mystery too on-the-nose. For all its strong young cast, the movie couldn’t seem to find a consistent tone, settling instead as a disappointment rather than a genre rebuke.
7. Saw: The Final Chapter (2010)
Promised as the climax of the gore-soaked Saw series, The Final Chapter promised resolution—and delivered instead a muddled mess. The 3D gimmick was distracting rather than immersive, and the storytelling was weighed down by convoluted continuity and an onslaught of poorly handled twists. It wasn’t as creatively inventive as some of the earlier installments and felt instead like a tired exercise in keeping the franchise alive. It was a low point for a series that had once been innovative.
8. What Lies Below (2020)
This low-budget indie horror made waves online for its bizarre final twist—but that’s about all it had going for it. The premise—a teenager suspects her mother’s new boyfriend is something. Not human—had cult potential. But the film’s slow pacing, lackluster performances, and overly serious tone kept it from embracing the kind of camp that might have saved it. The wild ending is memorable, sure, but the road to get there isn’t worth the trip.
Not all horror reboots or sequels must top the original, but at the very least, itheymust pay respect to what made the tale good enough to retell in the first place. Whether by intelligent scares, interesting characters, or creative storytelling, the standard for horror has never been higher. As the audience becomes wiser, the filmmakers have the task of doing more than merely remaking scares. Here’s hoping the next generation of horror revivals takes note of these failures—and delivers on the chilling scares that fans came for.