Like death and taxes, sequels are an unavoidable fact of modern life. But unlike death and taxes, sequels aren’t always terrible. On the contrary, some of them are pretty great! The last 17 years have been so overrun by sequels, reboots, seboots, and requels that people have naturally continued to bemoan the film business’ lack of creativity, but a small handful of these movies have leveraged their franchises (and/or their pre-existing fanbases) to create something special.
Whether deepening a beloved character (“Spider-Man 2”), deconstructing a sacred saga (“The Last Jedi”), or breathing fiery new life into a dormant legend (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), these sequels proved that Hollywood isn’t out of new ideas, they’re just hiding them in plain sight.
Here are the 22 best sequels of the 21st century.
With editorial contributions from Eric Kohn, Kate Erbland, Jamie Righetti, Michael Nordine, Chris O’Falt, Anne Thompson.
22. “Blade Runner 2049” (2017)
One of those long-promised and oft-teased sequel possibilities that never quite felt real until it was really, really, oh look, Harrison Ford is coming back real, Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 sci-fi spectacle took audiences back to a future Los Angeles that was somehow even more bleak than the one first imagined by Hampton Fancher, David Peoples, and Ridley Scott back in 1982. While Fancher and Peoples’ script built in the kind of plotline audiences have come to expect from such sequels — something about a kid of the original stars, that old chestnut? — Villeneuve and star Ryan Gosling strived to make Gosling’s K his own thing, toiling in a familiar world with new secrets to unearth.
Aided by Roger Deakins’ stunning cinematography (as is demanded by the cinephile elite, here is where we beg for an Oscar for the man) and production design that harkens back to the Scott original while firmly pushing forward, “2049” captured the spirit of the first while also very much doing its own thing. That doesn’t happen often, especially when it comes to a property as revered as the original film. While there were some misfires in the offing — sorry, Jared Leto, but no — bringing back a harried Ford and pairing him with the increasingly disillusioned K was a master stroke, and saving the best twists for last and forcing those stars to reckon with them in real time added the kind of emotional richness any million-dollar undertaking would love to have. — Kate Erbland
21. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004)
Just as with the books, the Harry Potter films progressively grew darker and darker as the teenage wizard grew older. But before this became standard, there was “Prisoner of Azkaban,” which was reviled by fans at the time for being a dark departure from the warm and fuzzy Christopher Columbus films. To be fair, PoA is a bridge film, setting up plenty of the events to come in later films, but Alfonso Cuarón imbues the sequel with some truly beautiful shots (the Dementors gliding by and frosting over winter berries is especially stunning).
Most importantly, there’s Gary Oldman, his lanky body thick with grime and Russian prison tattoos, snarling about his thirteen years in Azkaban. David Yates’ impressive run on the series wouldn’t have been possible without the groundwork Cuarón laid down and there’s good reason why PoA is now considered one of the series’ best films. — Jamie Righetti
20. “The Raid 2″ (2014)
If you’ve been paying attention to action movies over the past decade, you know that there’s “The Raid,” and then there’s everything else. Gareth Evan’s Indonesian martial arts movie was set entirely within the confines of an apartment building and had an intense physicality to its incessant fight scenes like nothing else out there. The followup doesn’t quite match the claustrophobic intensity of the original, but it nevertheless raises the bar for action-based storytelling all over again, following a special forces officer who goes undercover in Jakarta’s criminal underworld.
Once again, the punches come hard and fast from innovative directions. The playing field is expanded: Fights take place ball rooms, restaurants, and — in a standout chase sequence that might be the best of its kind since the silent era — a highway where speed and enclosed spaces collide through the magic of brilliant editing strategies. Bonus points for unique villains (including the deaf-mute Hammer Girl and baseball-wielding brother) and high stakes that play out like a Jenga tower always on the verge of toppling over. But it never does. “The Raid” franchise puts virtually every action movie made by Hollywood to shame. — Eric Kohn
19. “The Trip to Spain” (2017)
Once again, British comedians Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan eat their way through a week-long drive through some repugnantly gorgeous European countryside. Once again, their playful (but gently existential) rivalry is expressed through dueling impressions of the more famous men who came before them. And once again, our two heroes — recast as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza tilting at wind turbines — struggle to reconcile the myths that men write for themselves with the realities that life is actually willing to offer them. “The Trip to Spain” isn’t the funniest of the “Trip” triptych, but it casts the series’ characters in a harsh new light.
After lightly chiding these gents for two movies, director Michael Winterbottom finally takes the knives out and begins to punish them, a decision that results in two late scenes that border on sociopathic and culminates in an unimaginably absurd ending that refuses to let Coogan off the hook. Perhaps these lovable clowns can take solace in the delicious irony that, for all of the impersonations, they’ll be most fondly remembered for playing themselves. — David Ehrlich
18. “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (2008)
If the first “Hellboy” is a nice little appetizer for Mike Mignola’s comic book world, the sequel is a full-blown 10-course feast. Still the best and most beautiful movie that Guillermo del Toro has ever made, “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” ups the ante on the original in a way that superhero franchises no longer seem capable of doing. Not only is the motley crew at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense a lot richer and more detailed in this installment, but the supernatural world beneath New York City is absolutely teeming with unforgettable monsters.
From the savage little tooth fairies that swarm around Hellboy’s team, to the forest god that sprouts along the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, to the mechanical Golden Army itself, the movie is like the pages of del Toro’s famous notebook come to life in living color. There’s more wicked imagination in that market scene alone than there is in most entire fantasy series. Yeah, it’s sad that del Toro was never able to make a third chapter, but where the hell could he possibly have gone from here? — DE
17. “Mission: Impossible — III” (2005)
The third (and best) installment in Tom Cruise’s seemingly deathless spy franchise may not boast the dizzying highs of “Ghost Protocol” or the operatic charms of “Rogue Nation,” but no other movie — in this series or beyond — recognizes the sheer entertainment value of watching Tom Cruise run around for two hours. The guy is like the Energizer Bunny, but way more intense, and he does his own stunts. J.J. Abrams’ debut feature is a relentlessly sleek and efficient adventure, chasing Ethan Hunt around the globe as he tries to outrun the greatest threat he’s ever faced: domesticity. Also, Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose memorably spiteful villain is an IMAX-sized testament to the late actor’s talent. Add in some of the most engaging action sequences of the 21st century and a surprisingly real emotional undertow and you’ve got the rare three-quel that tops its previous two movies in every way. — DE
16. “Creed” (2015)
The “Rocky” franchise has been knocked down (and out) so many times, but it’s always been hard to fully count out the power of Sylvester Stallone’s star-making boxer with a heart of gold (and fists to match) story. For its first followup in nearly a decade, “Creed” took a play straight out of the “yo, here’s how you make a good sequel” book and ran with it, hiring on a talented writer and director in the form of Ryan Coogler (a Sundance alum who made the jump from indie fare to blockbuster sequel seemingly without a hitch), crafting a story around a compelling new star (both actor Michael B. Jordan and the character he plays, young Adonis Johnson Creed), and still playing plenty of respect to the man who made it happen (Sly, of course).
Coogler’s film does the near-impossible — it pays serious homage to the previous series, while looking forward to the future — leaving everyone satisfied in its wake. A formidable sports story bolstered by one hell of a pedigree and a star turn performance from Jordan (who already announced his talents with his previous Coogler collab, “Fruitvale Station”), “Creed” is even better when considered part of an — admittedly — checkered series of films. We can’t wait to see more. — KE
15. “Spider-Man 2” (2004)
The Spider-Man swinging action was always tailor-made for Sam Raimi’s exuberant swooping camera that distinguished his early low-budget genre work. By his second time on the dance floor with Spidey, Raimi’s had perfected this approach, applying a speed and agility on par with the character — particularly during the film’s electrifying set pieces. Raimi’s grip on the emotional core of the Peter Parker character (Tobey Maguire) is equally firm. Rather than delving into exposition and backstory, Parker’s struggle with his dual lives is baked into this film’s central conflict. The film’s real secret weapon, and where so many superhero films go wrong, is with its formidable and multidimensional villain, Dr. Octopus, played with diabolical deliciousness by Alfred Molina. – Chris O’Falt
14. “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004)
Making sequels is hard. That’s not a rhetorical statement, but the underlying premise of “Ocean’s Twelve.” While “Ocean’s Eleven” was technically a remake of a god-awful ‘60s film, Soderbergh for all intents and purposes invented a franchise in which serialized sequels were always going to feel like less clever retreads – the entire act of even getting the same band back together feels like a betrayal of how “Ocean’s 11” ended, while the film’s plot was more procedural than fodder for an arcing narrative. But when a bunch of movie stars want to hang out in Europe and have fun making a movie together, you tend to figure it out.
Soderbergh’s films are always intrigued by process, which was perfect for a heist/con artist film. To involve us in the first film’s con artistry he perfectly dispensed information. The audience is kept a step ahead when there was a flaw in the plan and trouble was lurking, so our building tensions could be relieved by how flawlessly our heroes improvised their way out of jams. The viewer was the kept a step behind when Soderbergh wanted us guessing if a wrinkle was something they had accounted for in the master plan, and we’re forced to guess what’s play acting versus real as a scene unfolds.
In “Ocean’s 12” that dissemination of information is blurred, almost as if Soderbergh has less control and is less clockwork-like in his execution. You start wondering, “Did I miss something?” Before you start to realize, “Is he…?” “Am I…?” And then you watch it again to realize, Soderbergh had once again created something deceptively new in his examination of the genre and cinema itself. – CO
13. “John Wick: Chapter Two” (2017)
One of 2014’s greatest surprises was “John Wick,” because much like his on screen alter ego, you just can’t keep Keanu Reeves down. But it’s also easy enough for action sequels to lose the thread of what made them so successful in the first place in favor of bigger guns and bigger explosions. “John Wick 2” manages to build on what made the first film so great, namely fast cars, lots of guns and Keanu kicking plenty of ass, but it smartly expands the assassin’s world, giving a small peek behind the luxurious curtains at The Continental. Sure, the badass fights are even better (the shootout in a hall of mirrors is superbly executed), but there’s also an awesome “Matrix” reunion with Laurence Fishburne, laden with hints of Wick’s shadowy past as the history between the two teases itself to the surface. At the end of the movie you know Wick is a marked man, even more than even, but it only makes you want to see how he’ll shoot himself out of trouble even more. — JR
12. “Skyfall” (2012)
Daniel Craig’s third installment as James Bond explores 007’s interior life, a typically enigmatic chapter in Bond lore. Making use of Dame Judi Dench before her imminent exit from the franchise, “Skyfall” devotes plenty of time to Bond’s relationship with M, reveling in the potential of M’s maternal instincts — or Bond’s yearning for a mother figure. It’s a weakness easily exploited by the deliciously evil Javier Bardem, who makes Raoul Silva one of the best villains since Oddjob. In addition to being directed by Sam Mendes, “Skyfall” got a little prestige bump when its title track won an Oscar, proving Adele may be the one Brit Americans love even more than 007. — Jude Dry
11. “The Last Jedi” (2017)
“The Last Jedi” is the best Star Wars movie since “The Empire Strikes Back,” but it’s also a lot more than that — it’s as much of a new hope for the eroding blockbuster culture of 2017 as “A New Hope” was for the emerging blockbuster culture of 1977. An immensely satisfying experience that doubles as an urgent call to action for mega-franchise filmmaking, “The Last Jedi” is the first installment of the monolithic space opera that’s more concerned with telling a new story than it is with burnishing an ancient myth.
Taking the reins of the most obsessive fandom in the entertainment universe (a responsibility that would scare most directors into deference), Rian Johnson mounted a bonafide insurrection against an industry that’s fueled by nostalgia, grounding his story in a simple idea that was bound to ruffle some feathers and piss off some fanboys: If you really love something, you have to let it go. It’s a notion that other massive franchises should take to heart if they want to survive. — DE
10. “Paddington 2” (2018)
The original “Paddington” by Paul King is one of those rare children’s films that adults can watch without ever feeling embarrassed, boasting smart humor, a warm vocal performance from Ben Whishaw, a cast of British acting ringers, a sweet message about kindness, and an A-list star (Nicole Kidman) in a killer villain role. The 2018 sequel improves upon everything that came before not by making particularly extravagant changes but by simply doing everything with a bit more finesse and confidence — and with the A-list star subbed out for another, Hugh Grant, having the time of his life as a preening foil to the humble central bear. A prison story that sees Paddington framed for a theft he never committed, the film is a briskly paced confection that’s sharp and hilarious one minute and warm and tear-inducing the next. The third in the trilogy, “Paddington in Peru,” is by all reports a step down — take solace in the fact that perfection simply doesn’t strike twice. —WC
9. “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022)
Nobody expected “Top Gun: Maverick” to be as good as it ended up being. But somehow, Joseph Kosinski did it, turning the sequel of a cheezy, homoerotic ’80s military action movie/propaganda recruitment tool into a lyrical, elegiac, and moving story of aging and redemption. At the center of it all is Tom Cruise returning to one of his most iconic roles as the titular renegade aviator, the years not diluting his spirit so much as making his brashness far more interesting. So much of “Maverick” and its plot plays to timeless archetypes — the underdog pilot that Maverick trains, the arrogant rival, the stick-in-the-mud supervisor, the girl who got away — but somehow works perfectly within the almost liminal world Kosinski builds, where the greater conflict at hand matters less than the sheer adrenaline that comes from taking flight. The action is stunning, the story is stirring, and Cruise smashes it out of the park in a role that’s as much about his legacy as it is about itself. —WC
8. “Before Midnight” (2013)
The magic alchemy first conjured in 1995 by Linklater and his two stars Hawke and Delpy finds its third iteration in “Before Midnight,” which the three co-writers writers spent ten weeks scripting on location in Greece. This time, our articulate couple is 40ish with four-year-old girl twins. Over the fading days of a halcyon Greek vacation, Celine and Jesse hash out the issues in their unmarried relationship, first in a sublimely executed 14-minute uncut car shot, next over dinner with friends (shot with multiple cameras), and finally at a resort hotel, where they try to ignite some romance but wind up having the fight from hell.
The American expat writer and his French environmental activist partner clearly love each other, but the issues that trouble them — a custody battle over his son with his ex-wife, child care and housekeeping, sex, dueling careers — threaten to topple the relationship. The film never drags: the long-take man vs. woman debate is one for the ages, layered with regret, anxiety, love and intimacy. The movie earned the trio their second Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay. — Anne Thompson
7. “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” (2004)
Yeah, yeah, Tarantino claims that “Kill Bill” is actually a discrete project divided in two. But the facts speak for themselves: “Vol. 2” is stylistically distinct from its predecessor, even as it develops and expands on its themes. While the first chapter in Tarantino’s bloody revenge saga kicked off the Bride’s quest to avenge her dead child, plucking off one cartoonish baddie after another, the second one continued that journey from a new perspective. “Vol. 1” riffed and refashioned the traditions of the samurai and martial arts films, channeling Tarantino’s penchant for pastiche on a more exuberant plane than ever before. “Vol. 2” brings that same approach to Western motifs, as the Bride careens through a surrealist variation on Sergio Leone’s greatest hits with a badass feminist twist.
From the histrionic music cues to the outrageous tension build-ups that percolate through every scene — not the Bride’s capacity to gouge eyeballs, smash a coffin and stop one major villain’s heartbeat with nothing more than her hands — “Vol. 2” never ceases to be a bracing cinematic kaleidoscope on par and often even more exciting than the installment that came before. Collectively, the two movies form QT’s brilliant thesis on the modern history of the action film, and the way it exists as a synthesis of Eastern and Western traditions. It’s the wildest film history class you’ll ever endure. — EK
6. “The Dark Knight” (2008)
Welcome to a film without rules. Released just two months after “Iron Man” kicked off a certain cinematic universe, “The Dark Knight” was a genuine event in a way that few movies not set in a galaxy far, far away have been in the near-decade since it brought back the cape and cowl. It seems a distant memory now, but fans were hugely resistant to the idea of Heath Ledger playing the Joker when he was first cast; skepticism turned to excitement the moment the first trailer came out, and the actor’s tragic, untimely death six months before the film’s release made for a perfect storm of anticipation that Christopher Nolan more than delivered on. If “Batman Begins” was a pleasant surprise for the way it reimagined and reshaped the Batman mythos, then “The Dark Knight” was long-awaited proof that a superhero drama could soar higher than most ever thought possible. — Michael Nordine
5. “World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts” (2017)
DIY animator Don Hertzfeldt’s “World of Tomorrow” is one of the world’s few true perfect things, an immaculate eruption of ideas contained within a closed loop of continuous delight. The short only runs 16 minutes long, but that didn’t stop some critics from naming it as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. Thats a tough thing to top, but Hertzfeldt’s follow-up is somehow on par with the first.
If “World of Tomorrow” was a journey outwards to the furthest reaches of thought, “World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts” is an epic voyage inward, following the adorable Emily Prime (Hertzfeldt’s young niece) and one of her many adult clones (Julia Pott) as they plummet down the rabbit hole of the human subconscious. A true sequel in every sense of the word, this second chapter is bigger, longer, and a lot more complicated than the original. Blisteringly funny, deeply touching, and endlessly quotable, “Episode Two” will make you better equipped to live life, and more prepared to accept death. It will also introduce you to the geometric glories of “Triangle Land.” Not bad for 22 minutes. — DE
4. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)
A decade and a half later, “The Lord of the Rings” is looking more and more like an anomaly: a high-concept franchise whose billion-dollar box-office dominance came hand in hand with universal critical acclaim and a slew of well-deserved awards. Peter Jackson and his fellowship of collaborators set the bar so high with their first two Tolkien adaptations that “Return of the King” could have easily been a victim of its predecessors’ success, but it ended up being the trilogy-concluding entry fans dreamed of. For all its epic grandeur — the Battle of the Black Gate, Eowyn shouting “I am no man!” as she shows the Witch-king what’s what — it’s the focus on small moments that makes this such a perfect bookend. Most of our heroes get the happy ending they deserve after going there and back again, and so did “The Lord of the Rings” as a whole. — MN
3. “Magic Mike XXL” (2015)
If the original “Magic Mike” subverted expectations about what a male stripper blockbuster would look like, its follow-up delivered the goods in more ways than one. While the first “Magic Mike” explored the darker side of fame, “XXL” blasted the footlights on its baser pleasures, delivering a beefcake buddy comedy to satisfy an array of appetites. Channing Tatum bulges with charisma in the role he was born to play, and Joe Manganiello serves a complementary side dish for those who prefer something spicy. Donald Glover makes a welcome addition as a silver-tongued crooner, Andie MacDowell is a Southern cougar, and Jada Pinkett Smith rocks a Fedora like nobody’s business. These seemingly disparate characters and storylines all work in tandem to deliver an entertaining and satisfying joy ride. — JD
2. “Before Sunset” (2004)
Austin-based director Richard Linklater (“School of Rock”) did something right back in 1995 when he first cast American actor Ethan Hawke and French actress Julie Delpy as Jesse and Celine, two strangers who meet on a European train and enjoy a brief romantic liaison in Vienna in “Before Sunrise.” Nine years later in “Before Sunset,” they meet again when Celine shows up at one of Jesse’s book readings. They’re otherwise engaged, but the spark is alive as they return to walking and talking, ably sustaining scenes across lengthy uncut takes.
This time Linklater collaborated with his actors on the screenplay, which scored an Oscar nomination. Anyone who has been through a relationship of any duration will recognize the degree to which the trio dig into the essentials of the male/female dynamic. Linklater and his deft comedic actors keep things moving, with plenty of laughs and moments of painful recognition. And audiences got a cliffhanger as we leave Celine and Jesse flirting in her Paris apartment; will they get back together or not? — AT
1. “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015)
While making animation films, George Miller was liberated from practical constraints and able to put the camera exactly where he wanted it. Then, somehow, at the age of 75 he went to the desert to attempt the same thing (complete with 40 setups per scene), producing a live-action, high-speed, post-apocalyptic chase film. And he got a studio to pick up the $150 million tab. The film’s mere existence feels like a miracle. The action scenes themselves are dense and lightning-fast, but so perfectly orchestrated they never disappoint. Miller also doesn’t shy away from over-the-top flourishes like a flame-shooting guitar player, proving that even a serious action director can have fun with his material.
But underneath it all, there’s a dark soul to this film that feels more profound with each viewing. Much has been made about whether the film is indeed a feminist statement, or an exploitive work, given the preponderance of beautiful, captive women in torn costumes. Yet from this clear portrayal of subjugation emerges Furiosa (Charlize Theron), Miller’s greatest character, who takes the film over from Max and, with her sneakily not-so-helpless crew of chained women, aims to save the world from a hellish dystopia created by brutish men. It’s a world that initially feels somewhat ironic –a detached showcase for Miller’s considerable action chops – before transitioning into a profound quest for survival. Rarely in the young history of movies has a filmmaker reached quiet this high and somehow hit his mark. — CO
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