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The Most Consistent Horror Franchises, According to Rotten Tomatoes

The Scream, Conjuring, and Alien franchises have all produced consistently solid films judging by box office returns, audience score, and critical reception.

Freddy Krueger (Robert England) has Kirsten (Tuesday Knight) in his clutches in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.”
Freddy Krueger (Robert England) has Kirsten (Tuesday Knight) in his clutches in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.” | New Line Cinema

It’s rare that a movie sequel lives up to its originator’s success. That’s especially true if the genre happens to be horror. After all, most of the thrill that comes from watching these gore-filled romps rests is the surprise of it all—the unveiling of the mysterious killer; the unexpected villainous turn of the hero; even the initial moment when someone like Anthony Hopkins describes (in terrible detail) his favorite meal. If the first entry sets the fright bar too high, it’s almost impossible for the installments that follow to measure up. And yet, the scream-fests on this list have found a way. 

  1. The 10 Top-Rated Horror Franchises, According to Rotten Tomatoes

The folks at Rotten Tomatoes rounded up some of the best horror franchises worth a re-watch once spooky season begins. (That can really be any time—don’t let the weather dictate when to give yourself a good scare.) Their ranking system took plenty of factors into account, from box-office returns to audience scores, critic’s rankings, sequel averages, and more, which is why some films rank higher despite their overall Tomatometer average. But let’s not get bogged down by the numbers; the important thing is that horror fans have a starting point for bingeing the classics.

This guide into the world of horror runs the gamut, with critically beloved psychological thrillers about criminal cannibals, cult horror comedies about blundering zombie killers, and totally ‘90s masked stalkers. Whether you prefer murderous webs spun by a master puppeteer à la the Saw franchise, or paranormal investigations based on real-life hauntings like you see in the Conjuring Universe, there’s something for everyone. The thing they all have in common? The ability to spawn nightmares with every sequel, prequel, and reboot added to their world. 

Here are the 10 best horror movie franchises ranked according to Rotten Tomatoes and their Tomatometer scores. You can find more horror movies to add to your list in time for Halloween here.

The 10 Top-Rated Horror Franchises, According to Rotten Tomatoes

  1. Hannibal Lecter // 63 percent
  2. Scream // 69 percent
  3. Evil Dead // 78 percent
  4. Alien // 58 percent
  5. The Conjuring Universe // 54 percent
  6. George Romero’s Dead // 66 percent
  7. Saw // 35 percent
  8. A Nightmare on Elm Street // 49 percent
  9. Insidious // 47 percent
  10. Predator // 48 percent

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