The Wildest Genre Swaps In Movie Sequels That Took Us All By Surprise

Movies that switched genres and nailed it—or failed it.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• June 26, 2024

Movies are the ultimate escape from reality. They offer us a chance to dive into worlds of imagination, drama, and thrill. 

Whether it's a heartfelt romance, a spine-tingling horror, or an action-packed adventure, there's something magical about the way films can transport us to another universe. 

And let's not forget the sweet anticipation that builds up when a movie we adore announces a sequel. Our expectations skyrocket as we hope for more of that cinematic brilliance. 

But sometimes, sequels can leave us a bit... puzzled? Yet, occasionally, this genre twist can be surprisingly delightful. This very topic sparked a lively debate on Reddit when a user posed the question: "What films had a sequel that was basically a different genre?" And boy, did the responses roll in!

Take the "Terminator" series, for example. The first is a relentless horror movie, where every moment is soaked in dread, and the characters are deathly serious. 

Fast forward to "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," and suddenly, we’re in an action-packed movie with a hefty dose of comedy. The sequel boldly steered in a new direction, and we loved it for that.

"Pitch Black" and its sequel, "The Chronicles of Riddick” also followed a similar path. The former is a monster horror film, while the latter transitions into a space sci-fi action adventure.

And who could forget "Cars?” A charming, heartwarming tale for all ages. The sequel, however, was a spy flick filled with guns, violent deaths, and on-screen torture—quite the departure that left many viewers, especially the younger ones, quite perplexed. 

Thankfully, "Cars 3" steered back to familiar, kid-friendly ground.

Let's dig into the details

The first Terminator was actually a horror movie. But after that, things changed

The second movie takes a scary idea from the first movie and makes it funny and the heroes use fake voices on the phone as a clever trick.

The next film broke new ground diverging from the first. Alien and Aliens followed suit though to a lesser degree.

Check out some interesting comments we've gathered from the Reddit community"

"Ragnarok (gags at an Airplane-style rate) possibly counts here"

"I would never have guessed that would be the direction, The chronicles of Riddick would head".

" I don't think bttf 3 fits as a Western though"

"I seem to recall the first Rambo film was about a traumatised veteran"

"I watched it with my three year old recently and had to turn it off".

"The scorpion king is more of an action movie set in ancient Egypt".

"The actors all have American accents even though it is set in Australia"

These genre shifts can be surprising, but they also show the creativity and boldness of filmmakers willing to take their stories in unexpected directions. 

So, next time you sit down for a sequel, be prepared for anything. After all, the magic of movies lies in their ability to surprise us. Sometimes, a genre twist can be just the unexpected delight we didn’t know we needed.

Jesse