Whenever people talk about a series of movies, their minds typically go to franchises that have been running for a long time or trilogies. The former includes the likes of Fast and Furious, the MCU, Star Wars, James Bond, and more, while the latter covers The Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, the Before trilogy, and the Dollars trilogy, just to name a few. When it comes to horror, those options get narrowed down a bit.
Long-running franchises include Halloween, Scream, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and more, while trilogies include X/Pearl/Maxxxine and Evil Dead, among others. However, nobody seems to cover duologies, yet they deserve more appreciation. Duologies are interesting because it doesn’t have to be a series with just two installments. It can instead cover any combination of two horror movies working together.
Sometimes, it’s the first two entries, while in other cases, it’s two films from different eras of a franchise that go together. There are also middle installments in those movie series that share casts and pivotal story elements, separating them from other entries. Either way, the best horror movie duologies are ideal to check out when you’re looking to enjoy a spooky double feature.
9
Saw I & II (2004; 2005)
When Saw arrived, it changed the horror landscape for a few years. The original didn’t overly rely on gore the way sequels did, yet it did cause several other franchises to go that route. Saw introduced us to the Jigsaw Killer and told an interesting horror story centered around two men and their fight for survival in a deadly game.
The film was a box office hit that spawned a sequel a year later, Saw II. In a lot of ways, Saw II is the best film in the franchise as it ups the gore factor without going overboard, gives us more characters for an even more intriguing tale, and features more of Tobin Bell as John Kramer/Jigsaw, which has always been the highlight of the franchise.
8
Creep I & II (2014; 2017)
Not many people know about Creep but more should. The first film starts off innocently enough, following the POV of a videographer who is hired by a terminally ill man to record videos of his everyday life so his unborn son can watch them after he’s gone. However, things turn sinister as this man’s behavior grows increasingly erratic.
Mark Duplass stars as the lead (he also co-wrote the film) and is unsettling in every scene. The reveal of what he’s actually after makes it even creepier. A sequel followed and both installments received widespread acclaim from critics. The movies even spawned a series, The Creep Tapes, with a second season on the horizon.
7
Psycho I & II (1960; 1983)
Even if the sequel to Psycho wasn’t good, the series still likely would earn a spot here based on how great the original is. Psycho is a legendary horror movie focusing on the encounter between a woman on the run and the shy worker at the hotel she stays at, with a genuinely terrifying reveal at the end.
So many moments from Psycho are iconic, from the shower scene to Anthony Perkins’ performance. Over two decades later, Psycho II gave us more from these characters as it sees Norman Bates get released from a mental institution and try to start his life again. It’s not as famous but Psycho II is a solid sequel.
6
Black Phone I & II (2021; 2025)
One of the better modern horror series is Black Phone, from Scott Derrickson. One thing that makes this new franchise interesting is the way it shifts its subgenres from the first film to the second. The Black Phone is a somewhat grounded horror story that follows a kid named Finney who gets kidnapped by a serial killer known as the Grabber.
Finney gets help from the spirits of the Grabber’s past victims to escape. In Black Phone 2, the Grabber now haunts the dreams of Finney and those close to him, with the sequel leaning more into the supernatural elements. Both films were critical and commercial hits, with Ethan Hawke shining as the villain.
5
Candyman (1992; 2021)
The Candyman duology is one of those unique ones that doesn’t cover back-to-back entries of a franchise. While the first two movies work well enough together, it’s the first film and the 2021 reboot that make up a fantastic duology. The original with Tony Todd as the titular character is something of a horror classic.
The sequels weren’t well-received, yet Nia DaCosta’s 2021 film is fantastic. People thought it was a reboot, yet it’s actually a follow-up that expands on the lore from the original, while doing some interesting things on its own. Both movies are titled Candyman and both deserve to be regarded as horror classics.
4
Halloween I &II (1978; 1981)
With so many installments, you could find several strong duologies in the Halloween franchise. Rob Zombie’s two films are decent, the first two releases from David Gordon Green work well together, and though the original and the 2018 entry would be the best combo, they don’t tell a complete story as they need later sequels to wrap things up.
That leaves Halloween and Halloween II as the best duology. The original, which introduced the world to Michael Myers, is as good as it gets, while the sequel gives us more of Michael versus Laurie Strode and reveals they’re siblings. Halloween II is a very good horror flick that also works as a definitive ending for the story.
3
Scream 5 & 6 (2022; 2024)
The first two Scream movies go well together, though it’s a pair of middle entries that perfectly complement each other. 2022’s Scream marked a new era for the franchise that included legacy characters but gave us a new protagonist in Sam Carpenter, played by Melissa Barrera.
Sam is a complex character due to her father being one of the original Ghostface killers. Sam led a new batch of characters that includes her sister, Tara, and they were the focal points of Scream and Scream VI. The controversial firing of Barrera meant that Scream 7 shifted its focus again, allowing the fifth and sixth films to stand as their own great duology.
2
The Shining & Doctor Sleep (1980; 2019)
Although Stephen King may not like The Shining, people everywhere agree that it’s one of the greatest horror films ever made. Jack Nicholson is terrifying, Shelley Duvall is captivating, and it’s one of Stanley Kubrick’s best works. It stood on its own as a legitimate classic until a sequel arrived nearly four decades later.
That sequel, also based on a King novel, is Doctor Sleep, which follows an adult Dan Torrance (the kid from the original) as he deals with trauma from those events and comes up against Rose the Hat and her followers. Doctor Sleep is another great film that adds to the story and features tremendous performances from Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson.
1
Evil Dead I & II (1981; 1984)
The entire Evil Dead franchise is a rare one that hasn’t had a misfire, with every installment being good. The combination of Evil Dead and Evil Dead is pretty perfect, though. The original stands as one of the best, scariest, and most gruesome horror films ever made.
The sequel follows the same initial pattern and concept, yet goes further. It adds in the comedic elements that made Evil Dead stand out from other similar franchises and gave much more room for Bruce Campbell to chew up scenery as Ash Williams, turning him into a horror icon. They are two legendary movies that go perfectly as a double feature.