Horror movie franchises like Insidious to watch over the weekend

Schenelle Dsouza 

The month of July has some of the most exciting releases lined up, but one movie in particular that has taken over our feeds (other than Barbie and Oppenheimer) is the fifth and final instalment of the popular horror franchise – Insidious. Insidious 5 or Insidious: The Red Door takes a leap forward to a now grown-up Dalton going off to college. However, the demons of his past make a swift return as he tries to uncover suppressed memories from his childhood.

One of the best horror franchises today, Insidious has a cult following. And although four movies in total, only the first two of the franchise feature Dalton and his family which is why fans are elated to catch the fifth and (allegedly) final instalment of the series. If you’ve already caught the movie in theatres and are looking for more horror fiction, check out these cult classic horror movie franchises below.

Insidious

It only makes sense! If you have watched Insidious 5 just as yet, you might want to refresh your memory with the first few movies in the instalment. Insidious 1 and 2  focus on Josh Lambert and his wife Renai and son Dalton. Josh and Dalton have a unique gift that allows them to astral project their consciousness when asleep. This gift although awe-worthy, can be dangerous if the host travels too far causing them to be in a coma-like state in real life while their consciousness becomes trapped in purgatory along with other evil beings. With classic jumpscares, eerie music and a whole lot of twists, this is a franchise you do not want to miss.

Watch online on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix 

Child’s Play (Chucky)

Long before Annabelle, it was Chucky from Child’s Play who was the ultimate rag doll slash psycho monster haunting kids and adults for decades now. The movie’s horror/comedy trope was what made it a popular binge, at least back when absurdity was still a trend. Because story and entertainment trumps absurdity. The brainchild of screenwriter Don Mancini and director Tom Holland, the entire premise of Chucky is centred around a red-haired-overall-wearing rag doll possessed by the soul of a psychotic serial killer. Now before you get confused, the serial killer is alive but avoids death by transferring his would into the doll using a voodoo ritual. From the very first movie, the doll goes from one place to another looking like a harmless little toy until it isn’t anymore! The first movie came out back in 1988 and since then there have a been a total of seven movies and now a somewhat successful television series which came out in 2019.

Watch online on HBO Max and Apple TV

Evil Dead

By far, one of the very best horror franchises of all time, Evil Dead is the movie that marketed the “Cabin in the Woods” trope that we all secretly enjoy today. The premise of each movie is simple, an isolated location and a book that is not to be messed with. Granted each movie in the installment has something different to offer depending on what you enjoy. Looking for pure horror, then the 1981 movie is your go-to. Want something more grotesque, then Evil Dead II is your movie. And for the lighter comedic horror trope, Bruce Campbell’s Army of Darkness is an enjoyable watch.  And if you really enjoy the latter, then the tv adaptation, Ash vs Evil Dead will be quite the watch for you, that is after you’ve watched Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn and Army of Darkness.

Watch online on Netflix, AppleTV and YouTube

Final Destination

Who hasn’t heard of this movie? Even if you haven’t watched it, the chances of one never having heard of Final Destination seem to be very slim. You cannot cheat death and that is what this 5-movie franchise is all about. Every movie in the franchise stands on its own but follows a similar storyline. A group of people in a situation — high school students on an airplane in Final Destination 1, college students at a fair in Final Destination 3, etc., one of them having a premonition of a fatal situation and managing to get out with a few only to be followed by death in the original order. No matter which movie you pick first, you won’t miss out. Although if you are planning to watch Final Destination 5, we suggest watching Final Destination 1 first and pay attention to the details!

Watch online on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix 

Friday the 13th

If you’re a horror-slasher fan then Friday the 13th should be on top of your list of best/must-watch horror movies. Released as a direct competition to the popular Halloween series, Friday the 13th focuses on the hockey mask-wearing, machete-holding Jason Voorhees who loves to stalk and frighten his victims before killing them. One of the longest franchises ever, the series has almost 12 movies under its belt, from which at least 7 are deemed entertaining and enjoyable. The premise often remains the same – a group of kids/young adults drinking and partying in the woods until they become Jason fodder, however, some of these are quite the entertainment with the thrill of the chase and the beginning question of Jason’s survival through the years.

Watch online on AppleTV

Halloween

For those who don’t know, Halloween is by far one of the most successful horror movie franchises in history. And with good reason. While we all love Freddy Krugger, Dracula and even Jason Voorhees, hardly anything comes close to Halloween’s Michael Myers. Michael Myers was the ideal boogeyman watching victims from afar, and tormenting and chasing them throughout the movie. Run as fast and far as you can but fleeing Michael Myers was never an option. What made the series such a hit was its simple, no-nonsense plot with simple details, a killer and a victim, of course, the body count grew as the series went on, but held (mostly) true to the original and is a classic even today.

Watch online on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube

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