While some films seemed to be set up for a follow-up, there are many others that didn't need sequels. While some fans want more, there are cases where it was never warranted, and sometimes seems like it is nothing more than a cash grab. On top of that, there seems to be a growing discontent when it comes to sequels and reboots instead of original movies. All too often, the sequels come in with the law of diminishing returns, making them not even worth making for the studios.
Of course, there are some cases where everything worked out right. While The Godfather was an almost perfect movie, The Godfather Part II proved that a sequel could not only match the original but also improve on it in some ways. For horror movies like Friday the 13th, sequels are almost a necessity since they end up as successful franchises as time rolls by. However, those are sometimes outliers, and there are a lot of great movies that received unnecessary sequels. While this doesn't always detract from the original movie, it does make the franchise as a whole look bad as a result.
Jaws (1975)
Rent On Apple TV & Prime Video
Not only did the original Jaws remains a classic, it was one of the movies that didn't need sequels and all are mostly forgettable.
Speed (1994)
Stream On DirecTV & MGM+
One of the best action films of the '90s, Die Hard could live on thanks to its star but Speed died without him.
American Psycho (2000)
Stream On Roku
The original American Psycho is a darkly hilarious psychological thriller. There is, however, a sequel, and it is not on the same level. Starring Mila Kunis, the sequel doesn't even link to the original other than one scene. It was originally intended to be an original feature, but a scene featuring Patrick Bateman was shot after principal photography, cementing them in the same world. Mila Kunis also denounced the sequel, saying, "When I did the second one, I didn't know it would be American Psycho II. It was supposed to be a different project, and it was re-edited, but, ooh … I don't know. Bad" (via MTV News).
Taken (2008)
Stream On Starz
Taken gave Liam Neeson a whole new outlook as an action star. The series somehow expanded into a trilogy, as well as a prequel series, all of which were completely unnecessary movies that didn't need sequels. As the series progressed, it just tried to go bigger and bigger when it should have just been a single stand-alone story. Neeson even said that there shouldn't be another Taken after the second movie, saying that is just "bad parenting" (via MTV). Despite that, there were three movies, mostly regurgitating the same plot and bearing little differences from Neeson's other late-career action movies.
Space Jam (1996)
Stream On HBO Max
Although the first film is still very much just a massive commercial filled with product placements, it had heart and a fun script. Unfortunately, the sequel lacked that completely and was just a movie filled with Easter eggs. Space Jam: A New Legacy, at times, felt like an extended commercial for HBO Max. While this is one of the movies that didn't need sequels, the Michael Jordan cameo in the film is genuinely genius.
Dumb And Dumber (1994)
Rent On Apple TV & Prime Video
Not only did Dumb and Dumber To is a prime example of that. The first film was a '90s comedy classic that was better left alone, while the film's sequel and spinoff really doubled down on the stupidity and slapstick, going completely overboard with it. For a sequel 20 years in the making, it was a very disappointing turn as far as movies that didn't need sequels.
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Stream On Prime Video
The low-budget Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery) returned, and it still disappointed.
The Mummy Returns (2001)
Stream On Hulu
Following the first two Mummy films, the franchise seemed finished with a nice bow on top. However, even though Imhotep died, returned, died, then returned and died again, the studio made another one of the movies that didn't need sequels. Despite this, a spin-off came in The Scorpion King and then an actual sequel arrived with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor seven years after The Mummy II. However, there was no Brendan Fraser or Rachel Weisz. The film was a massive box-office success, earning over $400 million (via Box Office Mojo), but it did not land well with critics or fans.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Stream On Peacock
After the first Jurassic Park movie, the magic of seeing dinosaurs on-screen never quite hit the same. By the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, critics seemed to grow tired of the franchise, although it was still a billion-dollar movie. The premise only really lends itself to a single film, but as the series continued, it became unrecognizable from the first movie. Each tried to top the previous one with its dinosaurs and action, while completely forgetting about the interesting and complex human relationships that make the first film so great.
Toy Story 4
Stream On Disney+
If the Pixar franchise had ended with the third movie, it would have been the perfect trilogy telling the story of the toys' duty to their kid and then moving on to do the same with their next kid. The fourth was one of the movies that didn't need sequels, changing the entire plot.
