If there's one genre that truly captivates movie lovers, it's the spine-tingling world of horror. While many of us enjoy huddling under a cozy blanket, nibbling on popcorn, and watching a frightful flick, some of us crave the thrill of multiple scares through franchise horror movies — and Hollywood surely delivers with its sequels. This insatiable desire for terror and suspense is what has kept the best scary movie series thriving for decades. From classic 80s sagas like the Halloween franchise to terrifying nightmares with Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series — and of course many recent binge-worthy collections — each new installment quenches our thirst for fear, intensifying the experience exponentially. If you've been searching for the ultimate list of must-see horror franchises, you've come to the right place.
Now, what makes a horror franchise truly great? For the biggest and best titles, it's all about the nail-biting excitement, the relentless chills, and the unforgettable characters that manage to keep our pulses racing even after the credits roll. The best and most popular scary movie trilogies, for example, don't just deliver one dose of horror. Rather, a solid trilogy ramps up the dread factor in each consecutive sequel, a successful strategy leaving us helplessly hooked and clamoring for more. But how can we tell which series are really worth the investment of our valuable time (and nerves)? This is where our robust community of scary movie fans boldly steps in, bravely comparing and ranking these fear-inducing films based on their unique experiences.
As you venture into this comprehensive list of top horror movie franchises, you'll discover a mix of both treasured classics and lesser-known gems that have sent shivers down the spines of movie buffs just like you. Our dedicated and fearless fans have ensured that each entry has been well-reviewed and further ranked based on their horrifying prowess, from best to worst. So, whether you're a fan of the blood-curdling gore, sinister slasher flicks, supernatural hauntings, monster movies, or gut-wrenching psychological terror, there's a famous franchise guaranteed to suit your unique taste for a good scare.
But be warned: This is no ordinary movie listicle. As you delve into the depths of what we consider the best horror franchise offerings, you may find yourself stumbling upon your next nightmare-inducing horror movie series obsession or even rediscovering an old favorite that continues to terrify you to this day. So dim the lights, fortify your popcorn stash, and brace yourself for an extensive, fan-curated collection of the most bone-chilling horror franchises ever to grace the silver screen. You're in for one hauntingly horrifying ride.
Halloween is without a doubt one of the strangest popular horror franchises ever released. While the first film in the series is arguably one of the best the genre has ever produced, its subsequent 12 sequels all become increasingly weird and wacky. With 5 different timelines, films that contradict one another, a reboot series, a standalone spinoff, and one of the most beloved killers in horror history, Michael Myers has been busy meeting the minds and scaring the bejesus out of horror fans for nearly 50 years, and he has no sights on slowing down anytime soon. Without a doubt one of the biggest horror franchises of all time and one of the scariest movie series to ever grace the silver screen, it doesn't matter how weird or bizarre this franchise becomes, horror fans big and small will always come back to this esteemed and beloved horror movie series.
Freddy Kruger ushered in a new age of terror throughout the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and created one of the scariest movie series and most beloved horror figures of all time. A killer who hunts down teens in their dreams, this bone-chilling premise was executed to perfection throughout its initial 7 film run and subsequent reboot, and the franchise as a whole remains one of the best scary movie series to watch. Utterly terrifying, frightfully fun, and wickedly entertaining, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a classic horror franchise for a reason, it helped define the genre as we know it and produced some of the best horror films of all time.
With 12 mainline film entries, the Friday the 13th franchise helped usher in the slasher subgenre of the 80s and 90s, and introduced the world to one of the most beloved and adored killers in all of horror, Jason Voorhees. One of the most successful horror movie franchises of all time and without a doubt one of the scariest movie series of all time, Friday the 13 influenced, inspired, and astonished generation after generation of horror fans. While subsequent installments in the franchise would become wackier and more ludicrous, looking at you Jason X, there is no doubt about the amount of fun, joy, and terror this beloved horror franchise brings to its community.
The Scream franchise quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the best scary movie series of all time, with director Wes Craven creating a meta slasher/murder mystery that enthralled, entertained, and scared the living daylights out of people. With 4 mainline entries from the master of horror, Ghostface and the Scream horror franchise as a whole became one of the top horror franchises thanks to its ability to keep things fresh and fun. With Wes's tragic passing, many believed the series would be finished, but the team at Radio Silence have continued the franchise and paid a beautiful tribute to the man who created it. With six films in two and a half decades and no signs of slowing down, Scream is quickly becoming a staple and classic horror franchise.
With only three films released over a decade-long span, one would be forgiven to question the validity of The Conjuring franchise as one of the best scary movie series of all time, however, this incredibly impactful and revolutionary mainstream horror franchise has more than earned its flowers atop the horror dynasty. Arguably one of the most successful horror movie franchises of the last 30 years, The Conjuring redefined what horror was throughout the decade, as its uber popularity led to many films attempting, and failing, to recreate the magic the films had. Utterly frightening ghost stories with heart as well as chills, The Conjuring franchise is one of the best modern horror movie series and a masterclass in terror.
Inarguably one of the best science fiction and horror blends of all time, the Alien franchise has been a shocking, revolutionary, and utterly important scary movie series to watch for all fans of the genre. The titular alien in the franchise is one of the most beloved, iconic, and memorable creatures created in the history of cinema, and with more beloved scenes than one can count, the franchise has left a resounding impact on the minds, hearts, and souls of millions around the globe. Sigourney Weaver helped create one of the most powerful and revolutionary female leads in history with Ellen Ripley, and while the horror movie series may have become incredibly convoluted over the last 4 decades, the first two films will be remembered for all time as being utter classics in the horror genre.
