While Hollywood typically prefers to craft sequels to their mainstream properties, there’s something positive to be said about prequel films as well. Rather than following up on the immediate action of its predecessor, prequels add a new layer of depth to the pre-existing stories that came before it. Outfitting some of its series’ main characters with a nuanced backstory reflecting their past, present, and future selves, these movies have that rare ability to enrich the original film preceding it, all the while succeeding as its own self-contained narrative.
From awe-inspiring sci-fi films to hair-raising psychological horror movies, these prequel films remain some of the best the film industry has ever produced, earning standout attention for their succinct stories, riveting action, and the newfound depth they bring to their franchise’s fictional universe.
One of the latest prequels to capture audiences’ attention, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga somehow managed to do the unthinkable, delivering an action film as singularly terrific as Mad Max: Fury Road. Constructing a balanced character study around Charlize Theron/Anya Taylor-Joy’s grizzled main character, Furiosa illustrated how much potential there is for future Mad Max-related stories, proving once again how brilliant a filmmaker George Miller truly is.
A sequel and a prequel wrapped into one epic film, The Godfather Part II traces Michael’s continuing descent into a life of crime, concluding his narrative arc from a sweet-natured young man into the merciless head of his own Mafia empire. Sprinkled throughout Michael’s story, director Francis Ford Coppola also chronicles his father Vito’s similar first steps into the criminal lifestyle, taking him on a journey from a poverty-stricken immigrant into the legendary don of New York City. Commonly considered a classic of American cinema, each story presented in The Godfather Part II compliments one another in a pitch-perfect, satisfactory manner.
As most fans will readily point out, George Lucas’s Prequel Trilogy came riddled with some glaringly obvious flaws, from the films’ hamfisted scripts and over-reliance on CGI to its slower-paced storylines and somewhat questionable acting performances. Rather than falling into the same pitfalls as the Prequels, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story struck a fine balance between practical and state-of-the-art digital effects, using both to recreate the atmosphere of the Original Trilogy. By doing so, Disney ensured an unforgettable sci-fi epic every bit as good as A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, or Return of the Jedi (which is certainly saying something).
Slasher movies aren’t exactly known for their headier atmosphere, with many of them preferring to prioritize violence and lewd subject matter over a central story or stronger characters. A24’s X, on the other hand, subverted these typical genre flaws, opting for a more intelligent presentation of the slasher film that paid ample homage to its stylistic influences. As with X before it, Pearl carries on West’s ability to craft meticulous character studies around the films’ lead protagonists, providing a disquieting analysis of fame, family, and burgeoning psychopathy from the point of view of Mia Goth’s eponymous Pearl.
The third act in Sergio Leone’s lauded Dollars Trilogy, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly remains that rare film that manages to top each movie that came before it. Perhaps the greatest Spaghetti Western in the genre’s history, Leone upped the ante when it came to his 1966 masterpiece, dovetailing an operatic soundtrack from the legendary Ennio Morricone with a sweeping story of revenge, war, and tenuous partnerships built on mutual mistrust. Nearly 60 years later, most audiences still consider The Good, the Bad and the Ugly the finest Western ever produced, accounting for its iconic reputation today.
Yes, technically Rise of the Planet of the Apes serves as more of a reboot than an outright prequel film. No matter how you choose to describe it, though, there’s no refuting that this 2011 sci-fi film revitalized the waning Planet of the Apes series, ushering in a renaissance period for the once revolutionary Apes franchise. Providing a deeper explanation regarding humanity’s fall and the apes’ rapid evolution, Rise of the Planet of the Apes added a fresh new spin on the chronological timeline of the Apes’ universe, leading to several worthwhile sequels in Dawn, War, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
