15 Horror Movie Trilogies That Truly Kill It (2024)

'A Nightmare on Elm Street' Original Trilogy

Original trilogy: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

Rarely does the third part of a series outshine the original movie, but for many Elm Street fans, that is exactly the case with the third installment, Dream Warriors.

Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street is a powerful and important entry in the horror movie scene, giving us a bold new concept as well as a new boogeyman to fear. The second entry is a lot of fun, and has recently been embraced by the LBGTQ+ community due to the queer subtext of its story.

However, it's the third chapter, Dream Warriors, that truly spotlights Freddy Krueger's (Robert Englund) sarcastic, sad*stic side by highlighting the creativity of his kills - while also offering a bit of backstory. It also brings back final girl Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) from the first film and has Oscar-winner Patricia Arquette as Freddy's new dream girl.

Dream Warriors would become the standard for later Elm Streets to follow.

Want more? Check out: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994), and Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

The 'Final Destination' Trilogy

Original trilogy: Final Destination (2000), Final Destination 2 (2003), and Final Destination 3 (2006)

The film series that convinced an entire generation of drivers to never, ever get behind a logging truck on the freeway.

The Final Destination trilogy is a delightfully dreadful run of flicks for people who love their gruesome deaths with a little variety.Each film features the same formula, but offers its own peculiar set of dastardly demises so entertaining that it is difficult to not smile at the sheer camp of it.

The formula is simple: A group of teens narrowly escape Death's grasp by avoiding a situation (plane crash, car accident, rollercoaster mishap), but Death will not be ignored. One by one, Death hunts down each person that managed to circumvent their fate by killing them in a series of bizarre and morbid "accidents." This includes death by tanning bed, pool drain, decapitation via elevator, falling pane of glass... the list goes on.

For those who love a good amount of camp in their horror, the Final Destination is one to binge again and again.

Want more? Check out: The Final Destination (2009) and Final Destination 5 (2011)

The 'Scream' Trilogy

Original trilogy: Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), and Scream 3 (2000)

Wes Craven reinvented the slasher film with his 1996 megahit Scream. From the first 10 minutes to the twist ending, the Master of Horror once again turned the horror genre on its head with this fresh and frightening template, the birth of a new and enduring franchise, and a brand spanking new icon for horror hounds to worship at the next convention.

Scream breathed new life into the horror genre with its meta take on movie culture, and raised the bar on what can be accomplished when it comes to slashing through teenagers.

The first three films follow final girl Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) as she and her friends are stalked by a sad*stic killer in a ghost-faced mask. Someone posing as the killer then follows her to college in the second outing, and then to a movie set on the making of events from the first movie for Part 3.

Witty yet brutal, the Scream series quickly became the new standard in horror.

Want more? Check out: The second trilogy of the series Scream 4 (2011), Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023), and the TV show Scream (MTV/VH1)

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The 'Evil Dead' Trilogy

Original trilogy: The Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), and Army of Darkness (1992)

The trials and tribulations of Ashley Joanna "Ash" Williams (the one and only Bruce "The Chin" Campbell) and his battle against Deadites, the Evil Ashes, his evil hand, and one mighty cranky Kandarian Demon.

The first Evil Dead is regarded a perfect example of how to make a low-budget horror film. Created by Sam Raimi, the story follows dumb college kids who visit a remote cabin and inadvertently release demons galore thanks to the Necronomicon.

Evil Dead II is a "re-quel," (part remake, part sequel) and far funnier than the first outing, truly embracing the comedy in “horror comedy.” Making the most out of Ash's innate ability to make a fool out of himself, every scene in which Ash takes on Deadites is pure gold. The film ends with Ash accidentally transported back to the Middle Ages, which is where Army of Darkness begins. In the third installment, Ash now has to battle the Deadites on horseback with King Arthur and Merlin.

The series is considered by most to be the cornerstone of horror comedy, with each chapter receiving high praise from the fandom for various reasons. It also made a name for Raimi, who as since gone on to Strange new endeavors.

Want more? Check out: Evil Dead (2013), Evil Dead Rise (2023), and Ash vs. Evil Dead (AMC)

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Original trilogy: Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021), Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021), and Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021)

Netflix's teen slasher trilogy was inspired by the book series from R. L. Stine went above and beyond fan expectations for the adaptation, providing more gruesome gore, high-end horrors, thrills, and chills than most folks expected.

Subverting tropes by elevating well-worn horror cliches as its focus, the series targets teen horror of the 1990s, camp slashers for the '70s, and historic horror. Mixed with clever writing and over-the-top kills that would make any horror-head happy, the end result is one hell of a series that seemed to come out of nowhere.

The story follows the cursed town of Shadyside and its twisted history with the twin burg of Sunnyvale that resulted in the brutal murders of teens for hundreds of years. The three films are a must-binge for any fan of retro slashers with tons of gore, but also yields a soft, romantic side with its love story.

Want more? Check out: R.L. Stine's other adaptation Goosebumps (Disney+)

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'The Conjuring' Trilogy

Original trilogy: The Conjuring (2013), The Conjuring 2 (2016), and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

While the Warrens might be a divisive subject in the real world, James Wan's Conjuring Universe remains a top-tier terror for horror aficionados who enjoy a good ghost story. Centering on a fictionalized version of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) each chapter focuses on a "true" story of a haunting involving the demonologist duo.

The first film focuses on the Perron family, who were the subject of an extreme haunting in their house in Rhode Island. The second film centers on the Enfield poltergeist, while the third film explores the murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, in which he claimed demonic possession as his defense.

Well written and crafted, the series also offers peak performances from both Wilson and Farmiga. The Conjuring Universe has since generated two other franchises: Annabelle and The Nun.

Want more? Check out: Annabelle (2014), Annabelle: Creation (2017), and The Nun (2018)