No movie genre leaves an impression on the audience as much as horror.Horror filmsare the culmination of fears and nightmares that come to life, haunt unsuspecting victims, and hack innocent bystanders to pieces. The villains and monsters of horror are some of the most memorable characters ever made that prevent a full night’s rest and send the weaker-willed sprinting from theaters.
There have been thousands upon thousands of horror films released, and like all things, the cream always rises to the top. The horror saga is one of the most successful franchises in movies, bringing the silent killer back from the dead or the escaped convicts rolling into a new town to spill blood in the streets. Some franchises are lucky enough to receive new installments consistently. Here are some horror franchises with the most films.
1984
1985
1987
1988
1989
1991
1994
A Nightmare On Elm Street
2010
Nightmare on Elm Streetis among the great classic horror movie franchises that revitalized the genre with an original concept that terrified audiences. In a small town, an even smaller group of teenagers are plagued by nightmares that take their lives.
Secretly, each teen is being haunted by the specter of Freddy Kruger, a predator seeking vengeance for his murder. Freddy Krueger can invade the dreams of others and torture them gruesomely until their bodies give out in the real world.Nightmare on Elm Streetbecame an iconic franchise, receiving several sequels due to the frightening character design of Fredy Kruger and the pristine performance by Robert England.
1979
1986
1992
1997
2004
2007
2012
2017
Alien: Romulus
2024
TheAlienfranchise is one of the most revolutionary horror franchisesthat took the genre to the stars and created one of history’s most iconic alien designs. Created by Ridley Scott, the originalAlienfilm is set in a futuristic setting where a small marine crew becomes trapped on a foreign ship with a horde of xenomorphic killing machines.
Sigourney Weaver was a breakout role asEllen Ripley, the lone survivor of the attack who had to face down waves of the unstoppable beast to save a little girl’s life. This film birthed an entire universe that is still going strong to this day, exploring the lore and origin of the Alien Xenomorph.
1974
1990
1995
2003
2006
2013
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2022
The Texas Chainsaw Massacreis a name synonymous with horror and is considered one of the bloodiest horror franchises in movies. The concept of the film seesunsuspecting teensbecome stranded in a small town and are then stalked by a family of merciless killers and defilers.
The first film, which has been argued to be one of the best horror films of all time, founded one of the leading troupes in horror films,The Final Girl. Played by Marilyn Burns, Sally Hardesty is the sole survivor of her friends, who are torn apart by the Sawyer family.
1996
2000
2002
2005
2011
2018
Hellraiser
Hellraiseris a classic horror series that has gone underrated among mainstream movie watchers, but it retains a dedicated fanbase that enjoys the body of work released over the years. The plot ofHellraiserrevolves around a mysterious puzzle box that can allowhellish beings called cenobitesfrom another dimension to invade the mortal world and cause unspeakable chaos.
The leading villain of the series is what makes the franchise so prominent, as Pinhead is one of the most spectacular designs in Horror alongside Freddy Kruger, and provides some truly sadistic and masochist ways to harm and be harmed.
2008
2009
2021
2023
Saw XI
Coming Soon
Sawis one of the fresher horror movies that introduced an entire generation to the most gruesome death traps in film history. ThefirstSawfilmwas set around a small group of people kidnapped and placed in an undisclosed location. Jigsaw, the main protagonist, seeks to force others to cherish their lives and take nothing for granted.
He does so by subjecting them to mental, physical, and emotional abuse that dismantles their mental state and leads them to their own demise.Sawis a revolutionary film series that is still releasing installments and expanding the story’s lore with spin-offs and main titles, but will aSaw 11ever happen?
1980
1981
1982
1993
Friday The 13th
Friday the 13thfilm franchiseis arguably the face of horror movies. When millions of fans all over the world think about the perfect horror villain, Jason Vorheez is at the top of the list. TheFriday the 13thfranchise is one of the longest-standing and most successful horror movie franchises to date, with the first film launching a relentless silent murder machine on countless teenagers.
In the first film, Jason was a neglected special needs child who died due to the counselors at his summer camp who allowed him to drown. This sparked a series of revenge killings by the boy’s mother, who would die in the finale of the movie. However, Jason would return in the sequel, revitalized as an undead hockey mask-wearing behemoth by the spirit of his dead mother, and go on the longest spree in horror movie history.
1978
1998
Halloween Ends
Michael Myers is another ofthe great masked killerswho has been carving a bloody path in horror for over two decades. TheHalloweenfilm franchise has brought the disturbed killer back from the dead multiple times to satiate his need to spill blood.
In the original film, Michael Myers was a troubled child who wound up in a mental facility, which shaped him into a cold and ruthless killer. After escaping, he seeks to take revenge on the family who abandoned him and killed his remaining sibling. The franchise has crossed a milestone as it has finally been put to rest by his sister, Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
1999
2020
Puppet Master: Doktor Death
The Puppet MasterFranchise is the longest horror franchise in history, having over fifteen films over a forty-year stint. The film revolves around miniature puppets who come to life due to an ancient Egyptian spell that grants them sentience, to which these puppets spend their time going on a rampage.
In the original film, the villain is Adam Toulon, who dies and is returned inside the body of a puppet, who leads the rest on a mission for revenge. The horrific deeds done by these miniatures have crossed over into spin-off films and received a reboot to revitalize the franchise.
