Ah, the prequel. You know, for a time, I hated them, as I thought, really? Shouldn’t we be moving forward rather than backward in a story? But, after watching a TV series like Better Call Saul, I’ve come to appreciate them.
So much so that I even rewatched movies that I’ve already seen to give them another shot (so, I myself, in a sense, am going back in time), and now, I love them!
Because a prequel can truly expand upon a character, as we’re learning how they came to be who they truly are in the later, or rather, earlier films. So, with that said, here are the best prequels ever made!
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)
My favorite Indy movie, even before I realized it was a prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, has always felt like the most exciting of the Indy films.
Set in 1935, which is one year prior to the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple finds Indy with new characters in Short Round (Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Ke Huy Quan), and Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), who crash land in India, and encounter a Thuggee cult.
The action is intense (the bridge scene is burned into my brain), and it’s also really violent for a PG movie (it even helped inspire the PG-13 rating). But what makes it a great prequel is that it fleshes out Indy’s character. He’s so confident in Raiders, but it makes sense with Temple, since he once survived a plane crash by using an inflatable raft down the Himalayas, which I think would toughen anybody!
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)
Now, when it comes to the Planet of the Apes reboots, I think most can agree that Dawn is the best. That said, I think Rise makes for the best prequel since we truly see what sets things in motion for apes to take over the planet.
Starring James Franco, John Lithgow, and the undisputed talents of Andy Serkis as Caesar, Rise of the Planet of the Apes shows that the cause of humankind’s downfall came out of admirable circumstances. Franco’s character, Will Rodman, is a scientist who wants to cure his father’s (Lithgow) Alzheimer’s disease, but the drug he uses gets into an infant chimp (Caesar), who soon becomes a genius.
Things go downhill (for humans) after that, and we see the promised “Rise” of the Planet of the Apes. It’s an epic film that feels essential to the overall series, as every prequel should.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Don’t hate me, but I don’t think the Star Wars prequels are essential to the original trilogy (Though I do think the prequels are better than the sequels). That said, I do think Rogue One (which is my favorite Star Wars movie) is critical to getting the complete story.
In this film, a small group of resistance fighters band together to uncover the plans for the Death Star, which is crucial for the plot of Episode IV: A New Hope. This group of ragtag fighters shows that the battle of Jedis wouldn’t even be possible without the boots on the ground fighters who were willing to die for the cause.
Add in Andor, and Rogue One is probably the best thing to come out of Star Wars in decades (And this is coming from a sequels apologist).
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
As somebody who loves the King Kong series, I had no idea that I needed to know the origins of not Kong himself, but rather, the island from which he reigned over. But in this fun movie, we get to see what makes his habitat so dangerous.
Set in 1973, Kong: Skull Island is really a prequel to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, in which we later encounter Kong for his big battle. Skull Island features scientists and Vietnam vets in the wild as they encounter all manner of giant beasts (including Kong himself).
What makes this prequel rule is that the island itself is the main attraction, which would later become important to the MonsterVerse universe as a whole. It also turned into a pretty interesting (if flawed) Netflix cartoon as well, so there’s that.
X–Men: First Class (2011)
The idea of an X–Men movie without Wolverine seemed impossible back in 2011, but First Class, which takes place in the ‘60s, puts everything into context.
We see the beginning of Charles Xavier’s (James McAvoy), and Erik Lehnsherr’s (a.k.a. Magneto–Michael Fassbender) friendship, and how Lehnsherr really did have his heart in the right place, but, due to circumstances, felt that the fight for non-mutants was not a fight that he wanted to support.
Even better, though, is how the prequel movies mixed with the later films in Days of Future Past, which did eventually add in Wolverine. Because I guess you can’t keep the ‘Ol Canucklehead down. Rookie.
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Still the only sequel to ever win Best Picture, The Godfather, Part II, is one of Francis Ford Coppola’s best movies. This is an interesting case, since the entire movie isn’t a prequel, but rather, it features prequel elements, as the story of a grown-up Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) takes center stage.
However, we also see his father, Vito (Robert De Niro), in his youth, and how he came to become the man we would eventually see in the first Godfather. This is important because Vito’s youth is included in the Mario Puzo novel, but wasn’t included in the first film.
So, this prequel makes the story feel complete, as we’re finally getting to see Vito’s early motivations. It’s essential viewing!
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1966)
You might be wondering how The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is a prequel if none of the movies are directly connected, but hear me out. For one thing, the story takes place during the Civil War, while its predecessor, For a Few Dollars More, takes place after it (with A Fistful of Dollars taking place further after that!)
Clint Eastwood’s character, Blondie, is also presumably the same character throughout The Man With No Name trilogy. So, in that way, the series actually goes BACKWARD, with the first film being the last, chronologically.
As to the plot, well, it’s about three men on the hunt for money. Simple plot, but it’s a vibe movie, really. Thankfully, it’s one of the best vibes in cinema history!
Prometheus (2012)
Another interesting case, Prometheus isn’t entirely a prequel. That said, if you want to fully understand the Alien universe, you need to see Prometheus.
The story deals with explorers going to a distant planet to uncover where humankind’s origins might have originated, hoping there will be a creator–like figure there.
However, things go awry, and it creates more questions than answers, making this a cerebral addition to the Alien universe.
Prey (2022)
Set at the beginning of the Predator franchise, we get to see the first hunt on Earth, set in the 1700s.
This Predator is scoping out the planet, and meets his match with a Comanche warrior (Amber Midthunder).
Prey creates new lore, expanding the setting and the antagonistic aliens.
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Arguably the best movie in the franchise, this third installment takes the ghosts all the way back to the protagonist’s childhood.
The frights in this one are major, and we get to learn that the paranormal activity has been following our character long before the original movie, which adds to the lore and makes the relatively small story of the first films feel much more epic in scope.
Those are the ten best prequels ever made. What’s your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts.