Best Movie Sequels That You Can Now Stream

In the second installment of the dystopian Hunger Games trilogy, hero Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her partner Peeta Mellark are the targets of the government after their victory in the Hunger Games triggers a revolt. According to the Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, the sequel is “smart” and “smoothly directed.” With a Freshness rating from reviewers of 90%, it is the highest rated film of the series. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” caught fire with filmgoers, as the film grossed $158 million in its opening weekend.

“After the Thin Man” is a beloved sequel from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The second Thin Man film again stars William Powell as detective Nick Charles and Myrna Loy as his wife, Nora, as they work to solve a murder mystery with the help of James Stewart’s David Graham. The movie currently has a perfect Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, with 90% of audiences enjoying the sequel.

After a policeman takes down one group of gangsters in Jakarta, Indonesia, the officer must confront corruption within the city’s police force in this Indonesian and American-produced crime/thriller sequel. Critics gave “The Raid 2” a Freshness rating of 81%, saying the sequel delivered the goods on action sequences that appealed to audiences in the original, and 87% of audiences liked it. Viewers should be aware, however: with a runtime of 150 minutes, the brutal sequel is more of a time commitment than its one hour and 41 minute predecessor.

Nearly 40 years after the release of “Rocky” (1976) — and with five sequels in between — Sly Stallone resurrects the character of Rocky Balboa for “Creed.” The film finds the boxer acting as trainer and mentor to the son of friend and former rival Apollo Creed, Adonis, played by Michael B. Jordan. The film has the highest Rotten Tomatoes Freshness rating of the entire Rocky franchise at 95%, beating even the original film. The film is one of five films in the Rocky franchise to gross more than $100 million domestically.

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is the sequel to “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” which is the more recent reboot of the Apes franchise. In the Oscar-nominated sequel, humans in San Francisco clash with the apes following a plague that has devastated humanity. The sequel — now available on Amazon Video as well as other platforms — has a Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 90% from critics, who say in the Critics Consensus the film “expanded on its predecessor with an exciting and ambitious burst of sci-fi achievement.”

In the second of Quentin Tarantino’s homage to various movie genres such as martial arts films, blaxploitation movies, and spaghetti Westerns, the Bride, played by Uma Thurman, continues her vengeance against her assailants and boss and ex-lover, Bill (David Carradine). Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says the film delivers “a suitably hard-hitting sequel.” The critics Freshness rating is 84%, while the audience score is 89%, topping the first Kill Bill film.

No longer restrained by a shoestring budget, as he was while making “Evil Dead” (1981), director Sam Raimi (who later helmed three Spider-Man flicks) further realized his special effects-laden horror-comedy vision in the follow-up “Evil Dead II.” The inventive sequel — about one man’s efforts to survive demonic attacks in an isolated cabin — received approval from 97% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest rated of the four-film franchise.

While most movie franchises get stale by the sixth installment, Mission: Impossible keeps getting better. Stylish and packed with stunts, the pulse-pounding “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” earned a 97% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes — the best reviewed film of Tom Cruise’s storied career — and an 87% audience score. The film was so popular that two more M:I films have already been announced.

After the first Star Trek film disappointed fans and critics in 1979 (Chicago Reader critic David Kehr called it “blandness raised to an epic scale”), the iconic TV sci-fi program found its film footing with “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” Ricardo Montalban gives a legendary performance as the villainous Khan, a role later reprised by Benedict Cumberbatch in the most recent Star Trek franchise.

A worthy companion to the 1982 sci-fi classic, “Blade Runner 2049” hit theaters 35 years after the original. Despite terrific reviews from critics and audiences, “Blade Runner 2049” was a box office disappointment, with a domestic gross of $92 million on a budget of $150 million. The same could be said of the original, though it has since attained cult status.

Though its two predecessors — “The Bourne Identity” and “The Bourne Supremacy” — were both certified Fresh by Rotten Tomatoes, “The Bourne Ultimatum” is the top-rated film of the five Jason Bourne movies. Matt Damon plays the titular Jason Bourne, a trained killer with no memory on a mission to find out who he is and who is out to get him.

The third film of the Indiana Jones franchise enlisted legendary actor Sean Connery to play Jones’ (Harrison Ford) father. This time, Indy and his allies must prevent the Nazis from acquiring the Holy Grail. The pairing of Connery and Ford met approval of critics, who liked the fact that the sequel was “lighter and more comedic than its predecessor,” according to the Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes. “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” received a Freshness rating of 87% from critics, and a 94% approval score from audiences.

It’s not often that a children’s movie sequel is so charming, entertaining, and well done that moviegoers are genuinely upset it is not nominated for the Oscars. But “Paddington 2” is such a film. The talking bear in a coat charmed audiences and critics, again, earning a rare 100% Freshness rating from Rotten Tomatoes.

A sequel to “Before Sunset,” “Before Midnight” again follows Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy, who co-wrote the film with director Richard Linklater). Nine years after the previous film, this movie provides a powerful meditation on long-term commitment. “Before Midnight” resonated with critics, who gave it a 98% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave the sequel an 82% approval score.

The eighth and final film of the Harry Potter series is also by far the best reviewed. The teen wizard series finally culminates with an epic battle between our heroes and Voldemort and his followers. Terrific visual effects and powerful, grounded acting performances give this epic saga the finale it deserves. Audiences can find it on numerous platforms, including HBO Max.

The critically well-received fourth installment of the post-apocalyptic movie franchise had plenty of star power with Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Zoë Kravitz, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Six Oscars went to the George Miller-directed film, which the Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes said contained “exhilarating action and a surprising amount of narrative heft.” “Mad Max: Fury Road” has a 97% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics and an 85% approval score among audiences.

Critics and fans alike flipped for the 22nd entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, delivering positive ratings of 94% and 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively. The movie was by far the top grossing release of 2019, bringing in more than $858 million at the domestic box office. The Infinity Saga finale is among the top rated Marvel films thus far.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” is the highest rated of all Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies, receiving 95% positive reviews from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. It has an 8.7 rating out of 10 among more than 1.4 million IMDb users. The movie focuses more on action than its predecessor while maintaining its emotional core, delivering viewers a wholly satisfying experience.

Director James Whale followed up his hugely influential “Frankenstein” (1931) with a wildly inventive and popular sequel, “Bride of Frankenstein.” Writing for Time Out, critic Geoff Andrew called the funny and suspenseful film — which holds a perfect score among critics on Rotten Tomatoes — “Whale’s most perfectly realised movie.”

James Cameron’s early directorial effort “The Terminator” (1984) was a huge success and holds a perfect score among Rotten Tomatoes critics. The sequel holds a 93% Freshness score among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 94% approval score among audiences. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” holds an 8.5 rating out of 10 among nearly 1 million IMDb users. As he did with “Aliens,” Cameron delivered an action-packed and visually exceptional sequel with “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991). The movie won four Academy Awards.

As a result of its “comedy, adventure, and honest emotion, ‘Toy Story 3′ is a rare second sequel that really works,” according to Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus. The movie, which again stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen voicing the lead roles of Woody and Buzz Lightyear, has a 98% Freshness rating. It won two Oscars, including Best Animated Feature Film.

The original “Alien” (1979), directed by Ridley Scott, is a frightening classic that holds positive ratings from 98% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Its follow-up, “Aliens,” helmed by blockbuster master James Cameron, almost matches the original, with a 97% Freshness rating. The sequel maintains the tension of the original while introducing an increase in overall action. Both movies received 94% positive reviews from audiences.

Director Christopher Nolan reinvented the world of Gotham City with his dark and atmospheric “Batman Begins” (2005). He perfected it with “The Dark Knight,” thanks in part to the work of actors Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, and the late Heath Ledger, who delivered an iconic, Oscar-winning performance as the Joker. On Rotten Tomatoes, both critics and audience members gave it a 94% approval rating.

“Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” is one of the most beloved and exciting films of all time. The sequel builds upon the smash-hit success of the original Star Wars film “A New Hope.” The film delivers classic lines, memorable characters, amazing new planets, and one of the greatest twists in film history. With a Freshness score of 94% among Rotten Tomatoes critics, it is the highest rated of all the Star Wars films, and 97% of audiences liked the film.

Nevermind sequels, “The Godfather: Part II” is widely hailed as one of the greatest films of all time. The film chronicles Vito Coreleone’s (Robert De Niro) rise to power in the Mafia along with the struggle of his son (Al Pacino) to maintain power decades later. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for De Niro, and Best Director for Francis Ford Coppola.