The 13 Best Horror Franchises, Ranked

It's one thing to scare audiences with one movie or two. It's another entirely to keep them on the edge of their seats year after year with sequels or reboots. With "Freddy vs. Jason" turning 15 this year, these horror franchises have truly stood the test of time, turning kill-happy villains like Freddy and Jason into pop-culture icons. But which one will claw its way to the top of the pack? Let's find out.

13. 'The Ring'

No Japanese horror franchise has found as much success across the Pacific as "The Ring." We're fond of both the 1998 original and the 2002 American remake. The more recent sequels leave something to be desired, though, leaving the franchise as a whole a bit tarnished. 

12. 'Child's Play'

We're not sure how, but a movie about a psychopathic talking doll has managed to spawn five sequels so far -- with another on the way in 2017. In that time, we've seen the franchise come full circle -- veering from horror to satire and now back to horror again. Through it all, Chucky just refuses to die.

11. 'The Purge'

What if, for one night every year, all crime was made legal in America? That was the premise of the original "The Purge," and it's managed to show plenty of staying power in the two sequels. Like a lot of great horror franchises, "The Purge" works because it hits just a little too lose to home. Plus, you have to appreciate just how much effort the crazy psychos in these movies put into dressing up for the occasion.

10. 'Saw'

We can't say we ever expected the first "Saw" to spawn a massive franchise spanning seven movies (with another in the works). Maybe the story of Jigsaw grew unnecessarily convoluted over the years, but no horror franchise consistently tops itself in the torture porn department.

9. 'Paranormal Activity'

The first "Paranormal Activity" became the most wildly successful low-budget horror movie this side of "Blair Witch Project." There's nothing like a good found-footage flick to make you afraid to sleep in your own home. The sequels were very much a case of diminishing returns, but even the more recent ones are generous with the jump scares.

8. 'Hellraiser'

The first two "Hellraiser" movies are bona fide horror classics, and not just because they gave us one of the coolest-looking horror villains ever. The series has generally gone downhill with the shift to cheap, direct-to-video offerings, but we're still holding out hope that Clive Barker's reboot will finally happen and put Pinhead back on track.

7. 'Evil Dead'

Who would have thought back in 1981 that the campy, low-budget "The Evil Dead" would eventually grow into one of the biggest horror franchises ever? If anything, "Evil Dead" is doing better than ever, as recent years have given us both a memorable reboot and a new TV series featuring the seemingly ageless Bruce Campbell.

6 'Scream'

Wes Craven already cemented his status as a titan of horror, thanks to the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies. But he managed to reinvent the genre all over again with 1996's slasher satire, "Scream." And the franchise has continued to thrive on its ability to simultaneously terrify and amuse.

5. 'The Conjuring'

"The Conjuring" has emerged as the current king of the horror movie hill, building a massively popular franchise out of the supposed exploits of real-life ghost hunters Ed and Lorraine Warren. The series is quickly showing its versatility, giving us both direct sequels like "The Conjuring 2" and spinoffs like "Annabelle" and the upcoming "The Nun." 

4. 'Halloween'

Without "Halloween" and the unstoppable murder machine that is Michael Myers, we probably wouldn't have franchises like "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street." And while newer sequels haven't been much to write home about, the first couple are still untouchable. That's why we're so thrilled that original John Carpenter will be involved with the upcoming tenth entry in the series. 

3. The 'Alien' Series

If we were judging solely on the first two films in the "Alien" franchise, this one would be the undisputed king of the pack. Unfortunately, it's been a rocky road thanks to sequels like "Alien: Resurrection" and prequel adjacent efforts like the underwhelming "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant." 

2. 'Friday the 13th'

You really have to admire the tenacity of Jason Voorhees. Whether you drop him back at Camp Crystal Lake, or drag him into space, he'll never stop his quest to murder every single teenager he can get his burly hands on. And even after 12 movies, we haven't gotten tired of seeing him try.

1. 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'

It was always going to come down to a battle between Jason and Freddy, and -- in the end -- we gave Mr. Krueger the edge. The only thing more terrifying than a clawed serial killer is a clawed serial killer who can stalk you in your dreams. Freddy has pretty much stayed dormant since the 2010 reboot, but we have to assume it's only a matter of time until the nightmare begins again.