It’s logical to want more of something you enjoy. Some movies are so wonderful that two hours isn’t nearly sufficient. Some films, on the other end, end up leaving you with so many unanswered questions that you exit the theatre scratching your head, trying to make sense of the last two or three hours of your life. In either scenario, a backstory for the film or some of its characters is required to set the tale straight. Here’s a list of five films in dire need of a prequel:
1. The Sci-Fi Horror Masterpiece: Event Horizon
It’s almost as though the prologue to Event Horizon creates itself. Unlike the first movie, which revolved around a group of astronauts dispatched on a rescue operation to explore a spaceship after it inexplicably vanished, the prequel could focus completely on the original members and mission of the Event Horizon. This movie has held up well over time and has gained a cult-like following in the sci-fi horror genre. A prequel with a similar setting, diving into the full breadth of the extra-terrestrial dangers that were shown so suggestively all through the original, could be a lot of fun.
2. A Villain Origin Story, As The Prequel To Tangled
Mother Gothel from Tangled is one such Disney villain that has yet to be given a background. Her story can be traced in this prequel from the time her flowers that she needs to keep young are gone, however before she abducts Rapunzel. It might depict her desperation after the royal family destroys the flower, her subsequent survival schemes, and her final kidnapping of Rapunzel and keeping her as her own. With the popularity of Cruella and Maleficent, a further villain origin narrative could work, notably because Mother Gother is only known for her bond with Rapunzel and nothing else.
3. Prequel to No Country for Old Men: A Masterpiece by The Coen Brothers
The film chronicles Anton Chigurh’s sluggish search operation for drug money, which leads him to Llewelyn Moss and the onset of a gripping chase. No Country for Old Men is a timeless classic that should not be messed with lightly. The prequel can provide answers to questions such as when Chigurh is attempting to flee custody and how he got there. Also, how did he end up as a contract killer? Chigurh’s narrative would have to be expanded gradually, without giving it all away. However, this is a unique case when diving into the past of the antagonist could be a hit.
4. An idea for Christopher Nolan’s new movie perhaps? A Prequel to Inception
Christopher Nolan is famous for playing with people’s thoughts, delivering unexpected twists to the audience, and keeping things vague. He was never more puzzling than when it came to Inception. This was a film about breaking into other people’s minds, seizing their ideas, and taking over their dreams. We are essentially in a dream inside a dream at one point in the story. Then it just keeps rolling. It’s nearly impossible to keep account of where the characters are or how their actions affect them. A prequel would go a long way toward explaining the rules of entering and exiting dreams, as well as providing context for how it all began.
5. A Prequel to the Mystery-Horror-Slasher Movie: The Guest
The Guest is a film that, on the exterior, has a sense of mystery about it, which in many ways, it raises complicated questions. A well-crafted precursor may go into some of those explanations while also raising new ones, so as not to detract from the original’s enticing veiled tone. The Guest, for instance, never fully explains how Dan Steven’s ‘soldier’ David came to be. We know he was a dark covert military organization’s experiment, but we have no idea who he is, what the trial was for, or what mystery occurrence led to his breakout. At the very least, some of these issues should be explored.
