A truly great horror prequel can be a difficult thing to pull off, as audiences know where the story will end up, and this can often take away from the suspense of its narrative. However, some incredible prequels used these factors to their advantage to subvert viewers' expectations and richly develop the lore of the franchise’s mythology. Occasionally, some horror prequels have even outdone their predecessor and become releases that can showcase a new direction for the series, adding new depth, characterization, and context to its cinematic world.
Like the best horror sequels, prequel movies were an opportunity to expand upon previously established events, but this time, looking back and answering questions that have long been on viewers' minds. Horror prequels can act as origin stories for a franchise’s world, such as movies like A Quiet Place: Day One or The First Purge, while other prequels flesh out mysterious characters' backstories like Rosemary Baby’s Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7A. Whatever the goal, when accomplished well, a horror prequel can be a worthy addition to its source material...
- A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
- The First Omen (2024)
- Pearl (2022)
- The First Purge (2018)
- Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)
- Final Destination 5 (2011)
- Prey (2022)
- Apartment 7A (2024)
- Annabelle: Creation (2017)
- Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)