What's the best horror movie franchise?

wiredraven82 said:I'm not entirely sure about this 🙂

But it reminds me—in a way—of that one episode of The X-Files where Fox Mulder keeps looping back in time, constantly meeting his end only to wake up at the start of the day again. That specific concept was a brilliant bit of storytelling for me, even if the mechanics here aren't an exact match; if anything, what we're dealing with feels more like a sense of intense DEJA VU.🙂

It’s like that Infinite Day vibe, where he heads to the bank and runs straight into a terrorist.

wiredraven82 said:I'm not entirely sure about this 🙂

But it reminds me—in a way—of that one episode of The X-Files where Fox Mulder keeps looping back in time, constantly meeting his end only to wake up at the start of the day again. That specific concept was a brilliant bit of storytelling for me, even if the mechanics here aren't an exact match; if anything, what we're dealing with feels more like a sense of intense DEJA VU.🙂

Exactly. When you look at series like Wrong Turn and Final Destination, they're clearly made for kids who haven't seen much of the world yet (check the last post on page one). Unfortunately, everything went in the wrong direction.

Now there's an Evil Dead series coming. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell back together. ☕

So, you don't agree with what was written?

bluenomad2 said:It’s like that Infinite Day vibe, where he heads to the bank and runs straight into a terrorist.

Exactly. When you look at series like Wrong Turn and Final Destination, they're clearly made for kids who haven't seen much of the world yet (check the last post on page one). Unfortunately, everything went in the wrong direction.

Now there's an Evil Dead series coming. Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell back together. ☕

Yeah, 👍 who knows... maybe it’s just déjà vu for everyone. 🤣

rapidmason22 said:I’m honestly curious how you process movies in your head. If you were watching them the right way, you wouldn't even think to write something like that.

Final Destination is, first and foremost, a smart movie. Sure, it was made for a younger crowd, but older viewers can watch it without any issues. Why? Because the film weaves in philosophical questions, various phobias, gut feelings, and even misconceptions. Beyond just the title 'Final Destination,' there’s actually a deeper message here—death is present, it's inevitable, and nobody can run from it. Plus, we can look at the quote: you never know how bad luck might have saved you from an even worse stroke of luck.

Right at the start of the first movie, it poses a highly debatable philosophical question regarding the existence of God—something most of us grapple with during our teenage years—followed by several others:

They board the plane and hear/see a child crying:



which is followed by this comment:



Immediately after, there's the scene where they see a sick individual:



and the accompanying commentary:



So, just within these few scenes, there are more than just a couple of debatable philosophical and social questions, not to mention the question of God itself. And that's just the beginning...

Maybe it would have been better if this movie hadn't turned into a franchise, but regardless, it's a high-quality, intelligent film. Unlike most horror flicks, this one actually offers something intellectual and worth discussing. Reading your comment is honestly pretty funny, so, Remus, you might need to eat a bit more fish oil.

I find myself in complete agreement with everything that's been laid out here. 👍 In my opinion, the Final Destination series is seriously underrated—I’m not saying you need to light candles and pray before watching, but come on, you get what I mean. It holds its own way better than those Friday the 13th flicks that I occasionally enjoy simply because they capture that specific 80s vibe; but honestly? I wouldn't sit through another Friday the 13th if you paid me.

I don't know if I can make sense of this, but what really baffles me about FD 5—which, in my opinion, stands right alongside the original as the best entry in the entire franchise—is that final twist. You know, that moment where he actually steps onto the plane from the first movie? It leaves me wondering: why did the characters in this installment have to die? It just doesn't sit right with me. I’ve been sitting here chewing on it, thinking that since they had successfully rid themselves of "that thing," they should have been safe. It just feels like a massive logical gap.

Drew Sanchez82 Asks:
For the tester.Hill, slashers—if that’s even the right word for them—and all that other garbage? I’d ban the whole lot by law. These movies are just pathologically sick.

SAW? Seriously? Is that really where we're starting? 🤣

Calling them "sick" would actually be a massive compliment.
They’re pretty much useless—aside from a little bit of Hill, I guess.

There’s no such thing as a truly great horror franchise, because usually, after one solid first movie, you just get a string of incredibly stupid sequels.

Have you ever wondered if the events in the Final Destination series would actually happen if this person hadn't foreseen them first? It reminds me of when the Oracle mentions the vase to Neo in The Matrix, then asks him if he would have broken it if she hadn't brought it up. What are your thoughts on that kind of causality?

I love Evil Dead, but I never really saw it as actual horror, so I went with something else instead.

Man, that poll is brutal since you can only pick one single franchise.

James Harris34 said:Have you ever wondered if the events in the Final Destination series would actually happen if this person hadn't foreseen them first? It reminds me of when the Oracle mentions the vase to Neo in The Matrix, then asks him if he would have broken it if she hadn't brought it up. What are your thoughts on that kind of causality?

That's a solid thought, though looking at the internal logic of the saga itself, it seems the character in the fifth film actually had their vision before the character from the original movie did—at least, that’s how it plays out. 🙂

As for the core of your question—if you view this through the lens of cause and effect, it becomes that classic "chicken or the egg" dilemma regarding what the Oracle said. It's an interesting philosophical loop, but let's be real: Death in these movies kills people with the efficiency of a heat-seeking missile. 🙂

I don't see the point in comparing slashers to supernatural horror. In my view, you should group something like Scream and Halloween together, while characters like Freddy Krueger and the Cenobites belong in an entirely different category. Furthermore, I wouldn't go so far as to call Final Destination a cult franchise; the latter two certainly earn that title. Compared to them, FD feels somewhat lightweight, which is why I don't consider them to be in the same league for comparison purposes.

When voting among the titles provided that feature supernatural elements, the Hellraiser series stands out to me as the absolute best. Personally, I’ve never been particularly fond of Krueger.

What about King's IT?

And yes, I would also add the Alien franchise to another category.

Personally, I think this one’s got the most massive potential out of the bunch. Man, I am seriously itching for a third installment☕

casualcanyon3 said:I don't see the point in comparing slashers to supernatural horror. In my view, you should group something like Scream and Halloween together, while characters like Freddy Krueger and the Cenobites belong in an entirely different category. Furthermore, I wouldn't go so far as to call Final Destination a cult franchise; the latter two certainly earn that title. Compared to them, FD feels somewhat lightweight, which is why I don't consider them to be in the same league for comparison purposes.

When voting among the titles provided that feature supernatural elements, the Hellraiser series stands out to me as the absolute best. Personally, I’ve never been particularly fond of Krueger.

What about King's IT?

And yes, I would also add the Alien franchise to another category.

Since I’m primarily a fan of horror with a supernatural edge, Halloween doesn't belong in "your" category—it belongs in ours. 😁Michael Myers certainly isn't just some guy; there is nothing but pure supernatural energy behind him, which was glaringly obvious even back in the original film. 🙂

wiredraven82 said:Since I’m primarily a fan of horror with a supernatural edge, Halloween doesn't belong in "your" category—it belongs in ours. 😁Michael Myers certainly isn't just some guy; there is nothing but pure supernatural energy behind him, which was glaringly obvious even back in the original film. 🙂

I don't think it's actually that obvious—if anything, it only becomes clear through the sequels. Isn't part of the original's charm found in that very ambiguity? Leaving it up to the viewer's imagination to decide whether M.M. is a person or something else entirely is what makes it work.

rapidmason22 said:I’m honestly curious how you process movies in your head. If you were watching them the right way, you wouldn't even think to write something like that.

Final Destination is, first and foremost, a smart movie. Sure, it was made for a younger crowd, but older viewers can watch it without any issues. Why? Because the film weaves in philosophical questions, various phobias, gut feelings, and even misconceptions. Beyond just the title 'Final Destination,' there’s actually a deeper message here—death is present, it's inevitable, and nobody can run from it. Plus, we can look at the quote: you never know how bad luck might have saved you from an even worse stroke of luck.

Right at the start of the first movie, it poses a highly debatable philosophical question regarding the existence of God—something most of us grapple with during our teenage years—followed by several others:

They board the plane and hear/see a child crying:



which is followed by this comment:



Immediately after, there's the scene where they see a sick individual:



and the accompanying commentary:



So, just within these few scenes, there are more than just a couple of debatable philosophical and social questions, not to mention the question of God itself. And that's just the beginning...

Maybe it would have been better if this movie hadn't turned into a franchise, but regardless, it's a high-quality, intelligent film. Unlike most horror flicks, this one actually offers something intellectual and worth discussing. Reading your comment is honestly pretty funny, so, Remus, you might need to eat a bit more fish oil.

Don't get mad, but reading your post makes me feel like I'm listening to a sermon from Bozanic... 🙂

My absolute favorite has to be Halloween because, quite simply, I grew up watching those films. I love the entire series!

@mlac13, you really should have thrown The Exorcist into the mix too, considering there are at least four movies in that franchise!

Patrick Martin said:Personally, I think this one’s got the most massive potential out of the bunch. Man, I am seriously itching for a third installment☕

Agreed, killer series... hoping they film 28 months later 🤔

Brian Foster2 said:Don't get mad, but reading your post makes me feel like I'm listening to a sermon from Bozanic... 🙂

My absolute favorite has to be Halloween because, quite simply, I grew up watching those films. I love the entire series!

@mlac13, you really should have thrown The Exorcist into the mix too, considering there are at least four movies in that franchise!

Fortunately for me, I've never actually listened to Bozanic, so I can't really see how my post relates to his preaching. If he’s even within 1% of what I wrote, then the Cardinal is nothing more than—an atheist. Pretty wild for a Cardinal, right? 🤔

The movie title is a bold fact, while the other bold part is a quote from Cormac McCarthy in No Country for Old Men.

How you managed to interpret my entire, word-for-word atheistic post—which basically calls the very existence of God into question—as something Catholic... well, only you know that. 🤦 Don't even bother trying to explain it. 🙂

Brian Foster2 said:Don't get mad, but reading your post makes me feel like I'm listening to a sermon from Bozanic... 🙂

My absolute favorite has to be Halloween because, quite simply, I grew up watching those films. I love the entire series!

@mlac13, you really should have thrown The Exorcist into the mix too, considering there are at least four movies in that franchise!

🤣

Brian Foster2 said:Don't get mad, but reading your post makes me feel like I'm listening to a sermon from Bozanic... 🙂

My absolute favorite has to be Halloween because, quite simply, I grew up watching those films. I love the entire series!

@mlac13, you really should have thrown The Exorcist into the mix too, considering there are at least four movies in that franchise!

It should have been The Exorcist. The first film is an absolute horror classic. It’s better than anything from the FD series, which still feels like it was made for wannabe horror fans. Also, the third installment of The Exorcist is actually very good.

goldenscout14 said:I don't think it's actually that obvious—if anything, it only becomes clear through the sequels. Isn't part of the original's charm found in that very ambiguity? Leaving it up to the viewer's imagination to decide whether M.M. is a person or something else entirely is what makes it work.

It isn't explicitly decided, but there's a certain "vibe" hanging in the air, if you know what I mean... You just get the sense that this guy isn't human—it's even hinted at—so it's more decided than you think. After all, do you remember what the Doctor said about him?

Halloween (1978) Dr. Loomis

But the entire movie maintains that "status quo" regarding him, as you put it—that ambiguity is definitely part of the charm.

However... M.M. isn't human, and he fits right into our little club of supernatural entities, hehe.

P.S.: Man, I have to get this off my chest because I can't keep it bottled up anymore, haha: I am convinced that the legendary Halloween music was STOLEN from the original The Exorcist (and I'm not saying this because The Exorcist is the Alpha and Omega Horror for me, but seriously, it's the truth). It just wasn't used as a signature trademark there as extensively as it was elsewhere. For example, that music *is* Halloween—sure, it's been "slightly" reworked in the Halloween version, but it comes to the same thing. It IS that music. Even if the rhythm is a bit different, it's the exact same vibe. Just wanted to add that.😁

Anyway, here is a comparison of the music:

The Exorcist Theme
Halloween (Michael Myers) Theme Song

It's funny how when that music from The Exorcist plays, you almost see kids in masks running down Halloween Street.🙂

Who would have guessed that FD would end up being one of the main contenders in this poll? Looking at the results, I’m actually pretty glad to see it—honestly, I think the franchise gets overlooked simply because it didn't emerge from the same era as Friday the 13th. But I'll say it again: I’d take FD any day of the week, regardless of the season, over Friday the 13th. ☕

P.S.: To be perfectly honest, I’ve never been much of a fan of SAW—not that I can't appreciate it, per se, it’s just that... I've never really felt a connection to that whole aesthetic or the way it presents itself.

I really wanted to cast my vote for Evil Dead in this poll—I absolutely adore that film—but there’s just something about that specific Halloween charm and the whole atmosphere surrounding it that pulled me away. Honestly, combined with how much I enjoy Part II, I found myself gravitating toward Halloween instead.

Patrick Martin said:Personally, I think this one’s got the most massive potential out of the bunch. Man, I am seriously itching for a third installment☕

Setting aside the whole debate about its potential—I’ll give you that—there's no denying these are fantastic movies. Personally, I'm counting down the days until the third installment drops, but does anyone actually have a clue when that might happen?