Sequels are almost always better in my experience

Whether it be Superhero movies (Winter Soldier, Avengers Infinity War, The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2).

Horror sequels, especially in popular franchises are almost always best in the middle or later on like Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and Halloween H20 and Ressurection.

The problem with the original movies is that they come across as more amateur, lack the proper budget, and the characters aren’t fully realized yet.

Yes there are exceptions like The Evil Dead and The Blair Witch Project....both that use there lack of budget to their advantage (giving them a naturalistic or rustic appeal).

But movies like “The Terminator” obviously have charm and are gritty, but come on....Judgement Day is miles better in every way.

Night of the living dead might be Romero’s greatest achievement, but Day of the Dead is such a vastly better movie.

You can respect the originals like Friday the 13th for getting the ball rolling, but the best ideas take a while to develop. That’s why The Final Chapter blows away the original at every turn.