Copyright Screen Rant
Although the 2020s are barely more than halfway completed, it has already been a decade filled with great films, including some sequels that managed to surpass their originals. That can be hard to do given how often people feel that the first movie in a franchise is the best, with plenty of sequels offering diminishing returns. However, the 2020s have provided us with great sequels of all kinds. There are long-awaited legacy sequels, follow-ups to fun animated movies, superhero projects that got better with their second installments, and billion-dollar box office blockbusters. Not only are these films an improvement over what came before them, but some are among the best sequels ever made. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022) A lot of the time, a sequel can improve on the original even if there isn't much of a gap in quality between the two movies. That's the case with Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The first one overcame a poorly received initial trailer to become a hit that critics and audiences appreciated. Two years later, we got the sequel and it took what worked the first time and doubled down. Ben Schwartz is as fun as ever voicing Sonic, while Jim Carrey is even more over the top and maniacal as Dr. Robotnik. What put this one over the edge was the addition of two beloved characters from the video games. Tails joined the fray as Sonic's new partner and Knuckles played an antagonist who becomes a friend. Seeing these three characters interact on the big screen was a special moment for fans of the franchise and it made for a really fun dynamic that set this installment apart. A Quiet Place Part II (2020) A Quiet Place Part II had a lot to live up to. The first film, released in 2018, was one of the better original horror movies of the decade and became a massive hit. The first movie also saw John Krasinski's Lee killed off, meaning the sequel would mostly be without its protagonist. That ended up working out for the better because it allowed Millicent Simmonds to step up into a larger role. She becomes the main character and hero of the story, giving a performance that many believe should've been in consideration come awards season. Of course, Emily Blunt is very good again, as is new addition Cillian Murphy. A Quiet Place Part II also worked because it expanded the world a bit. While the first film centered on the Abbott family mostly in their home, the sequel introduced new characters and gave us more action involving the creatures that are so threatening. Saw X (2023) The Saw franchise is one where most people seem to think the first installment is the best. In a lot of ways, Saw II is kind of the ideal Saw movie and stood as the franchise's best sequel but that changed when Saw X arrived. Despite releasing 19 years after the original, it gave fans what they always wanted. A big criticism of most Saw sequels is that they killed off Tobin Bell's John Kramer, and without him, the movies struggled. His charismatic performance was a key reason for any success the series had, so Saw X worked as a prequel that brought him back to the forefront. The plot itself is mostly standard Saw fare but the traps are creative, the audience is given a reason to actually root for Jigsaw, and his dynamic with Amanda is great to see before things turned sour between them in Saw III. Saw X easily has the best Rotten Tomatoes score of the series at 81%. Minions: The Rise Of Gru (2022) There aren't many, if any, recent original characters who have become as iconic as the Minions from the Despicable Me franchise. They became so popular that they were given their own spin-off movie, Minions, in 2015 and it managed to gross more than $1 billion. A sequel was imminent, but it didn't feel exciting since Minions received mixed to negative reviews. However, Minions: The Rise of Gru ended up being a vast improvement over the original, including seeing its Rotten Tomatoes score jump up by 15%. Minions: The Rise of Gru had a more focused storyline and featured Steve Carell voicing a younger version of Gru as he goes on an early adventure with his loyal Minions. The animation style was better, the screenplay was funnier, and it was clearly a hit with children once again, grossing more than $900 million. Terrifier 2 (2022) Another original character from recent history who has become iconic is Art the Clown, though he couldn't be more different from the aforementioned Minions. After appearing in short films, Art the Clown became the focal point of a feature project with 2016's Terrifier but it was the sequel that really made Art a household name. Released in 2022, Terrifier 2 expands on the lore of the series, giving us more Art than ever before and introducing Sienna Shaw, a hero who is Art's rival. The film outdoes the original in almost every way, from character development to memorable scenes to the gory moments the franchise is now known for. Terrifier 2 ended up being a major success commercially, grossing $15 million on a $250,000 budget and landing better reviews with critics. David Howard Thornton gives a fantastic performance as Art, while Lauren LaVera shines as one of the best "final girls" in horror history. The Suicide Squad (2021) The history of the DCEU was notably messy and one of its lowest points was 2016's Suicide Squad. The film was a massive flop from a critical standpoint, thanks to a disappointing script, issues during production, and a disjointed final product. A sequel seemed highly unlikely, yet one was greenlit with major changes. Most of the characters were replaced but a few stuck around, including Margot Robbie's breakout role as Harley Quinn. On top of that, James Gunn took over the reins following his success with the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. The end result was one of the best superhero movies of the 2020s. The Suicide Squad saw a great take on Harley Quinn and new characters who stood out, like Peacemaker and King Shark. The film also benefited from Gunn's trademarks, including a lovable misfit team, creative action sequences, good music, and surprisingly deep emotional moments. Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022) The first Avatar was a revolutionary cinematic experience. It features incredible effects and uses some of the best 3D visuals in the history of Hollywood, which helped it become the highest-grossing movie in history at over $2.5 billion. The sequel took more than a decade to produce and people thought that interest had waned since Avatar never really became a huge part of pop culture in the time since the first. However, people were wrong as Avatar: The Way of Water was another massive hit, grossing more than $2 billion again. More interestingly, Avatar: The Way of Water was better than the first film. Jake and Neytiri now had a family and we were given reasons to care about each member, making every emotional moment hit harder. The action was bigger, the new areas of Pandora showcased were breathtaking, and the visuals were, again, astonishing. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022) After first appearing in one of the best animated movies ever, Shrek 2, Puss in Boots was ultimately given his own spin-off film. Unfortunately, 2011's Puss in Boots wasn't up to the quality of the early Shrek films and was more along the lines of the later, less impressive sequels. It looked like we'd never get a sequel, and when one was announced, released over a decade later, nobody expected it to be as good as it was. However, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was a marked improvement in almost every aspect, from the animation style to the action to the character development. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish focuses on Puss dealing with his own mortality, which he has never faced before, given his nine lives. He's stalked by an incredible villain in Death, culminating in an outstanding final fight. There are also several great supporting characters, who supply some of the movie's most emotional moments. Dune: Part Two (2024) Dune is a novel that was often said to be impossible to adapt because of how dense it is. That was part of why David Lynch's adaptation in the '80s was something of a misfire, even if it became a bit of a cult classic over time. Denis Villeneuve took on the challenge in 2021 and delivered a stellar film. That movie was ultimately just the first part and splitting Dune into two parts proved to be brilliant, allowing plenty of time for the story to unfold. Dune: Part Two is an absolute epic, giving us more action, more interesting characters, and some of the best scenes you'll ever see on an IMAX screen. Dune: Part Two was nominated for Best Picture among its five Oscar nominations, while taking home wins for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound. The cast is phenomenal, with Timothée Chalalmet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, and more, all doing great work. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Legacy sequels have been hit or miss throughout Hollywood history. More often than not, waiting so long to put out a sequel leads to a movie that feels more like a cash grab than anything else, leading to poor reviews. That ended up not being the case for Top Gun: Maverick, though. Released more than 30 years after the original Top Gun, this sequel worked on so many levels. Tom Cruise's desire to do his own stunts and make his movies feel real played into the production of Top Gun: Maverick, with every scene in the fighter jets making the viewer feel like they were flying with the characters.
