A friendly disclaimer: As this is a prequel film roundup, we’ll be discussing some cinematic details that could spoil certain elements of other movies in each of the following franchises.
Have you ever wondered how the annual Purge got started in the first place? Have you pondered the question of when the cunning Predator humanoid first emerged in the world? While horror cinema is filled with enough sequels to pad a franchise out for many years, there are fewer sagas that dare to provide a prequel entry, but for those that do, the results are often wildly entertaining. Whether it’s ghosts and demons you’re into or cannibalistic sociopaths, we’ve rounded up all the best horror movie prequels you can stream for Halloween.
And while origins may not always be important, when it’s a Paranormal Activity prequel, there’s a good chance you’ll learn a thing or two as to how the onscreen players could have avoided a life laden with supernatural troubles.
Need more horror movies in your life? Check out our monthly roundups of the best horror movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Shudder.
Amityville II: The Possession (1982)
The Amityville Horror is one of the more recognizable haunted house flicks of the ‘70s, with the original film starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder as George and Kathy Lutz, newlyweds who purchase a haunted Long Island home and flee the residence after only a month of living there. Based on the nonfiction book by Jay Anson (who the Lutz’s collaborated with), it’s still a mystery to this day as to whether or not these supernatural events actually occurred, but that didn’t stop Hollywood from producing a series of cinematic follow-ups.
The first in this lineup is 1982’s Amityville II: The Possession, a prequel of sorts to the Brolin/Kidder film starring James Olson, Burt Young, and Jack Magner, amongst others. Centered around the Montelli family’s paranormal experiences at 112 Ocean Avenue, Anthony, Dolores, and their four children are actually based on the DeFeo clan, the real-life residents of the Amityville home who lived at the property before the Lutz family. And as we know from the headlines and original film, it was Ronald DeFeo Jr. who would go on to murder his entire family because he heard voices telling him to do so.
Prometheus (2012)
While we would prefer to remain tight-lipped as to why Prometheus is technically a prequel, we’re hoping you read our spoilers disclaimer at the beginning of this article, because we have to give some information away. An epic sci-fi-horror film, Prometheus is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Naomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, and Michael Fassbender, two investigative scientists and an android, along with other crew members, who pilot a spaceship based on mysterious coordinates left behind by primitive Earth inhabitants.
Hoping to unearth the origins of human life, what the crew ends up discovering is far more terrifying than anyone could have fathomed. OK, this movie is over 10 years old now, so we don’t feel too bad in proclaiming that Prometheus is actually meant to serve as a prequel to director Ridley Scott’s Alien. In fact, before it was officially Prometheus, the movie was intended to be a fifth entry in the Alien series proper.
Annabelle: Creation (2017)
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
The First Purge (2018)
Prey (2022)
Final Destination 5 (2011)
As far as Final Destination films go, the fifth entry in the franchise is fairly par for the course. Starring Nicholas D’ Agosto as Sam, aboard a charter bus, on his way to a corporate get-together, the man has a vision that a suspension bridge is going to collapse. Acting fast, Sam is able to save many of his peers, but in true Final Destination fashion, Death returns to take its called-upon victims in the order they were supposed to die. Without giving anything away, Final Destination 5 includes one heck of a twist that manages to designate the fifth entry as a prequel to the other four films. And while it’s not much more than your run-of-the-mill FD adventure, the fifth outing ditches some of the B-movie vibes fans may have grown accustomed to in favor of a slightly more serious narrative with some truly inventive deaths.
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