There are many movies in cinematic history that have unfortunately been followed by really bad sequels. Even masterpieces like Francis Ford Coppola’s *The Godfather* have suffered from sequel fatigue. While *The Godfather Part II* is often considered to surpass the original, the much-criticized *The Godfather Part III* has become little more than a punchline.
But we don’t have to go as high-and-mighty as *The Godfather*. Great films like *Legally Blonde*, *Jaws*, and *The Exorcist* all received awful sequels. Although these sequels didn’t ruin the reputations of the originals, it still stings that studios chose to continue these stories beyond their natural endpoints.
With that in mind, what are some truly phenomenal movies that, thankfully, don’t have sequels? This can always change as time passes, but while compiling this list, we focused on movies that have either been around long enough that a sequel is probably unnecessary or where the creators have explicitly stated that no sequel will happen.
From uproarious comedies to childhood classics to Oscar-winning modern horror, here are ten incredible movies that never got a sequel.
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### *Gone Girl* (2018)
David Fincher’s bravura 2018 adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s hit novel *Gone Girl* is incredibly underappreciated. Fans of this tightly-wound thriller know it’s one of the acclaimed director’s very best projects.
When “nice” Midwestern guy Nick Dunne (a perfectly cast Ben Affleck) discovers his house in disarray and his wife Amy Elliott Dunne (Rosamund Pike) missing on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, he’s forced to defend himself as everyone tries to figure out if he’s behind her disappearance.
The audience knows Nick isn’t responsible, but he’s definitely not innocent. After pulling away from Amy and bringing her from Manhattan to Missouri to help his terminally ill mother, Nick repays her kindness—and financial help opening his own bar—by cheating on her with the much younger Andie Fitzgerald (Emily Ratajkowski).
As Nick races against time to uncover what really happened to Amy—with the help of his loyal twin sister Margo (an incredible Carrie Coon)—the audience ultimately learns that Amy orchestrated her own disappearance. There’s a lot more at play here than just a simple missing person case.
*Gone Girl* is a beautifully plotted and nearly airtight thriller, and a sequel wouldn’t do anyone any favors—even though the movie and book end with the revelation that Amy is pregnant (using old sperm samples Nick provided when the couple was happier and considering having a baby).
There has been very light chatter about a sequel, but nothing concrete for a long time as of this writing. It’s best to let sleeping dogs lie with *Gone Girl*.
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### *My Cousin Vinny* (1992)
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who have seen *My Cousin Vinny* and love it, and those who haven’t seen it yet.
Jonathan Lynn’s 1992 comedy places college students Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) and Stan Rothenstein (Mitchell Whitfield) into a precarious and largely unfunny position when, after accidentally shoplifting a can of tuna at a Georgia convenience store, they inadvertently confess to the murder of the store’s clerk that occurs moments after they leave.
Things really get going when Bill’s titular cousin, the stunningly named Vincent LaGuardia Gambini III (Joe Pesci), drives in from New York to represent him. The problem? Vinny has never tried a real case before—it took him six attempts to pass the bar exam.
Bill and Stan aren’t hopeful after Vinny’s disastrous first few days in court, facing off against the irascible Judge Chamberlain Haller (Fred Gwynne). But eventually, with the help of Vinny’s passionate and quietly brilliant fiancée Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei, who won a well-deserved Oscar for the film), he figures out what really happened.
A sequel to *My Cousin Vinny* was proposed, where Vinny crosses the pond to London and tries to practice law there. However, without Tomei on board—the project quickly vanished.
Aside from a novel series based on the story, *My Cousin Vinny* remains a perfectly plotted comedy, and thankfully, there’s no sequel.
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Stay tuned for more incredible movies that never got sequels!
https://www.looper.com/2016327/great-movies-never-got-sequel/
