Best in Show: Modern Horror Franchises (Pt. I of II)

The idea for franchising a horror universe isn't revolutionary. Since the beginning, successful horror entries have sought to cash in on the originals success with plenty of mixed results. But, a lot of horror fans lampoon modern horror films for their endless lists of spin-offs and sequels. Often ignoring the fact that most horror classics feature plenty of duds mixed into their sometimes 10+ follow-ups. Movies like The Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Halloween are fantastic, even if some of their later additions mar their pristineness. So with horror only moving forward and sequels and spin-offs sure to continue, the question remains which of modern horror’s universes are best? This week's lists looks at the newest and most hopeful franchises that continue to expand their universes and shoot upward, despite some audiences' disapproval.

(imdb.com)

10. Wrong Turn

Will this series ever end? Will the love it deserves ever be given? The answer to both is probably no. At the very least, the Wrong Turn franchise is reliable. At the very most? It's a cheap and entertaining series with a few scares tossed into the gory cheese. Wrong Turn deserves acknowledgement for the simple fact that it has persevered from its foundations as a knock-off to its now fully fledged existence that still manages to garner some attention.

(imdb.com)

9. Child's Play

What began as a lovable and terrifying entry into the possessed children's toy subgenre quickly devolved into a campy and now overtly odd franchise. Its sad how oversaturated the merchandising and marketing of Chucky has turned the original Child's Play, an otherwise scary entity, into a trashy and comical so-bad-its-good franchise. In an attempt to become one of those series you have to "get," the Chucky universe has become relatively unbearable for many horror fans that can't look past the films' cheap ploys and gratuitousness. The nails on this coffin should have definitely come before The Bride of Chucky, and the burial should definitely be in place of The Curse of Chucky.

(imdb.com)

8. Paranormal Activity 

For a franchise that is nearly emblematic of a generation of horror, Paranormal Activity pretty much went off the deep end in its later installments that chose to disrupt and grossly upheave the mythology of the original set. But, for what it's worth, there is plenty to appreciate from this movie series' cookie-cutter and craftsmen style appeasement. Not even the houses which are relatively plain, the characters who are mostly interchangeable or the plot lines that are predictable can remove the fact that Paranormal Activity revitalized found-footage and perhaps brought in new horror fans altogether. These films feel so representative of modern horror that it's hard to ignore them, even in their later failures.

(imdb.com)

7. Insidious

With the exception of the lukewarm sequel, the hopes and future of the Insidious franchise seem bright. Even if you consider the sequel - an at times inept addition to the series - this universe is filled with plenty of effective scares and creepy atmosphere. From the absolutely horrifying and critically acclaimed original to the unfairly attacked third installment, Insidious will more than likely continue with the same fervor as it’s original and rightfully so. While nothing can compete with the first and its shining stars in Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson, the third edition definitely revitalized hopes for the future fourth and murmurs of spin-offs. Insidious like Paranormal Activity, is a staple of modern horror and well worthy of its franchising.

(imdb.com)

6. The Purge

Given the successes of The Purge, it's stronger and possibly even better sequels and the prospects of a developing television series, this franchise managed to create an alternative world quickly and with encouragement. While the first's small scale was sometimes frowned upon and the third faced some backlash for its over-the-top aspects, the winds are strong behind this fledgling classic. From Halloween costumes to its use as a conversational topic, most everyone knows of The Purge and its hyper political style of storytelling. Intrinsically connected to ideas that are even more prevalent now, expect this franchise to become even more topical.