The spinoff is tricky to pull off. A film comes out, it finds success, and sequels are made. But, sometimes, it’s notjusta ridiculous number of sequels that get made. Sometimes there are single films (or TV series) that are, to a high degree, related to the IP, but aren’t technically of the mainline continuity.
There aren’t many theatrical spinoffs out there, and certainly most aren’t as lucrative asFast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. This is especially true of horror films which, while profitable in their own right, aren’tFast & Furiouslevel. But there are still a few of them that are worth watching, and the following horror spinoffs, fromAbbott and Costello Meet FrankensteintoEvil Dead Rise, fit that simple bill.
10Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Comedy team Abbott and Costello made a lot of movies together, seven of which followed theAbbott and Costello Meet… title structure. The first and best of these (thoughAbbott and Costello Meet the Mummyhas its fans) is 1948’sAbbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
That said, while it’s not Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein, the duo would “Meet” him in the next year’sAbbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff. But, on the cast list from the Golden Age of Universal Monsters isThe Wolf Man’s Lon Chaney Jr. as his famed character and Bela Lugosi’s Dracula (only the second time he’d played the character after the original film).
StreamAbbott and Costello Meet Frankensteinon Prime Video
9King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
King Kong vs. Godzilla
On one hand,King Kong vs. Godzillais a sequel. It follows up on the second film,Godzilla Raids Again, via having the big G burst out of his icy tomb.
But, on the other hand,King Kong vs. Godzillafeels very different from anything else in theGodzillaIP that came before or since. The scope feels a bit more expansive, the production values a bit elevated, and monster suits were, for the time, fairly impressive (though Kong does look preposterous in several scenes). As a whole,King Kong vs. Godzillais one of the better films of the latter’s franchise, but it also reeks of the IP trying to find its footing. And, with the next film,Mothra vs. Godzilla, it would.
Not available for stream or rent
8Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
New Nightmare
Wes Craven returned to theA Nightmare on Elm Streetfranchise after seven years (he served as co-producer and co-screenwriter on 1987’sA Nightmare on Elm Street 3 Dream Warriors) forWes Craven’s New Nightmare. And, while it failed at the box office,New Nightmarelaid the groundworkfor a much more successful work from the director that would be released two short years later.
New Nightmareisn’t a perfect film, but it’s one of the more well-reviewed installments of its franchise. Heather Langenkamp is game to play a version of her real-life self, as is Freddy Krueger’s own Robert Englund. Does the movie contain enough scares? No. Could it have used some more Freddy? Sure. Is it still impressive? Absolutely. The merging of dry reality and surreal cinema makes for an impressively unique experience, but even outside of Langenkamp or the film’s supercharged version of Freddy (for the all of five minutes he’s there), the real appeal is the film’s further bolstering ofPet Sematary’s Miko Hughes' title as quite possibly the best child actor in horror film history.
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7Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
Freddy vs. Jason
Ronny Yu returned to comedic horror territory withFreddy vs. Jason.And, while it’s not as successful front to back asBride of Chucky, it at least nails the promised titular conflict. Furthermore, there’s a pretty substantial level of importance to the film as time progresses and Robert Englund looks decreasingly likely to ever play Freddy again on the big screen.
But the first two thirds can be a bit of a slog, even if Monica Keena does make for a terrific lead. Not to mention, both Freddy and Kelly Rowland’s Kia Waterson each have a pretty tone-deaf line of dialogue in the third act. Even still, there’s vs. Jasonthat works than doesn’t work; it’s not the scariest flick of either franchise, but it is one of the most strictly entertaining.
StreamFreddy vs. Jasonon Max and AMC+
6AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Alien vs. Predator
Paul W.S. Anderson isn’t unfamiliar with R-rated territory. On the popular side of things there’s his extensive work with theResident Evilfilm franchise, but for a better example see 1997’sEvent Horizon.
Alien vs. Predatorfalls somewhere in the middle. For its two respective IPs, it’s a massively disappointing continuation, but it does function as a crowd-pleaser. The problem is it’s a PG-13 crowd-pleaser, which is precisely what neither theAliennor thePredatorfranchises work as.
Even still, the pyramid setting is effective, making the film feel like a mixture of sci-fi horror withThe Mummyfranchise. In the end, though,Alien vs. Predatorfeels like a missed opportunity. A missed opportunity led by a commanding performance from Sanaa Lathan and featuring a decent usage of the Queen Xenomorph, but a missed opportunity nonetheless.
StreamFreddy vs. Jasonon Starz
Ash vs Evil Dead
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What a gift. For those who adoredThe Evil DeadandEvil Dead II(and found stuff to like inArmy of Darkness), there’s no greater unexpected treat than Starz’sAsh vs. Evil Dead. Everything that audiences loved about Sam Raimi’s horror magnum opus,Evil Dead IIis ready and available inAsh vs. Evil Dead, and the show’s creators should feel quite a feeling of accomplishment that it could run for three seasons (that alone) and organically expand a bizarre IP to extents it never before found even fathomable.
For the longest time, it looked like the trilogy was all the time that fans were going to get with Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams. And, consideringArmy of Darknessis a pretty huge (but admirable) letdown, it never felt like they got a suitable goodbye.Ash vs. Evil Deadchanged that and then some, giving fans more time with Ash than the first three movies' runtime combined. Toss in sublime supporting lead performances from Ray Santiago, Lucy Lawless, and Dana DeLorenzo, andAsh vs. Evil Deadis a horror classic.
StreamAsh vs. Evil Deadon Hulu and Starz
4Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Annabelle: Creation
2014’sAnnabelledid a few impressive things. Mostly, it made a ton of money and, in doing so, showed the financial viability of theConjuringIP even outside the mainline installments. But the two films that followed that spinoff were much better.
The apex is the prequel middle chapter,Annabelle: Creation. Filled with as much effective ambiance as 2013’sThe Conjuring, the prequel spinoff is a major accomplishment, well-acted and riddled with scares that only intermittently feel cheap. Not to mention,Annabelle: Creationdid much to expand the great Lulu Wilson’s (BeckyandThe Wrath of Becky) profile.
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3Chucky (2021-Present)
Chucky is a comedy horror-drama television series from Child’s Play series creator Don Mancini and acts as a continuation of the film franchise. Set three weeks after Cult of Chucky, fourteen-year-old Jake Wheeler finds a Good Guy doll he intends to use for his school art project for Halloween - however, that doll is inhabited by the murderous spirit of Charles Lee Ray, A.K.A. Chucky. Casting suspicion on Jake following his murder spree, Chucky continues doing what he does best - slaying unsuspecting town residents as Jake and his friends try to stop his rampage.
TheChild’s Playfranchise has never been the subject of critical ire the way theHalloweensequels or the entirety of theFriday the 13thfranchise have.Child’s Play 3andSeed of Chuckycertainly received their fair share of less-than-glowing reviews, but for the most part, the series has been seen as solid, smart, and a cut above other slashers of its kind.
Yet none could exactly be considered critically acclaimed. No, it would take television forChuckyto become a legitimate critical darling. And, with 2023’s third season receiving better reviews than either of the solid first two seasons, it looks like the killer doll isn’t done doing his thing yet.
RELATED:Chucky Season 3 Ends on Shocking Cliffhanger, Show Is Now on Hiatus
Chuckyis impressive because it both further expands its core franchise, particularly when it comes to the threads established byCurse of ChuckyandCult of Chucky, and feels like something new. It straddles the line, never alienating fans even while going in some wild new directions. Furthermore, as far as LGBTQIA+ representation goes in mainstream horror, no IP is doing it better thanChild’s Play(much credit must be given to Zackary Arthur’s lead performance as Jake Wheeler in the series).
StreamChuckyon Peacock Premium and AMC+
2Kids vs. Aliens (2022)
Kids vs. Aliens
The 2012 found footage anthology filmV/H/Swas pretty quick to spawn an expansive franchise, with five sequels and two spinoffs:SirenandKids vs. Aliens.Sirenis a fun monster movie that calls to mind gory creature features of the ’80s.
Kids vs. Aliensalso brings to mind films of the ’80s, but more along the lines of those produced by Steven Spielberg, e.g.The GooniesorGremlins. That said, in terms of potentially restrictive content, it falls more in line withIt. And, like with all successful R-rated, child-fronted projects,Kids. vs. Alienslives or dies on the strength of its young cast’s performances. TheV/H/Sspinoff (technically a spinoff ofV/H/S 2) hits the mark more often than not in that regard.
StreamKids vs. Alienson Shudder and AMC+
Evil Dead Rise
IfEvil Dead Riseisn’t thescariest film of 2023as a whole, it certainly ranks high. Alyssa Sutherland makes her Deadite the most memorable one of the franchise thus far, and not just because she gets the most screentime.
Typically, theEvil Deadmovies (and episodes ofAsh vs. Evil Dead) threw a slew of the speaking undead at the audience, butEvil Dead Riseis a little different. By having a mother character die/come back as a Deadite and terrorize her own children is unbearable, and it makes the high rise of the film as terrifying an isolated locale as the first two films' cabin.
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