“I think we can all agree that the second and third films in the franchise did Bridget a little dirty. But number four, the final one in the series, has much of the same magic as the first iteration,” says Stylist’s entertainment director, Helen Bownass.

The film sees Bridget in her early 50s navigating the world of social media and dating apps as a single mother of two young children – and it features the return of plenty of familiar faces (including Hugh Grant as playboy Daniel Cleaver).

As far as musical sequels go, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is undoubtedly one of the best. With an idyllic Greek island setting, star-studded cast (including a cameo from Cher), a juicy love triangle and the iconic ABBA soundtrack, we can’t imagine a better feel-good follow-up to the 2008 original. 

While Shrek 2’s inclusion may surprise you, it shouldn’t. Widely considered one of the best animated franchises of all time, Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz’s ogre-based love story really is one for the ages – and the sequel only hammers home the brilliant comedic plot of the first film. Now married, Shrek and Fiona head to Far, Far Away to begin what they hope will be a life of marital bliss. But of course, there are fairy godmothers, dragons and all kinds of mythical creatures standing in the way of their happiness. No wonder it scored 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery saw Daniel Craig return to our screens as private detective Benoit Blanc, with the Southern sleuth this time finding himself on a millionaire’s private island amid some pretty eccentric characters.

It was just as silly, colourful and fun as the first, and with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery set to be released later this year, we’re sure it’ll be third-time lucky for this Netflix whodunnit franchise.

George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s heist film may well be the slickest of all time. After successfully robbing five casinos in one night, Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his crew of thieves have big problems: casino owner Terry Benedict demands they return the money, plus millions more in interest. Having already spent most of their loot on fast cars and fancy houses, the crew is forced to come together to pull off another series of even more ambitious heists, this time in Europe. 

The result? A truly great follow-up to an excellent action film franchise.

One for the lovers, Before Sunset is Richard Linklater’s hopeful yet melancholic sequel to Before Sunrise, starting nine years later as Jesse (Ethan Hawke) travels across Europe giving readings from a book he wrote about the romantic night he spent in Vienna with Celine (Julie Delpy). After his reading in Paris, Celine finds him, and they spend part of the day together before Jesse has to leave for a flight. They are both in relationships now, and Jesse has a son, but as their strong feelings for each other start to return, both confess a longing for more.

Even if gore is not for you, it’s hard to deny the cultural impact Uma Thurman’s The Bride has had (not least when it comes to Halloween fancy dress). Vol. 2 continues with her quest to finish the hit list of all the people who have wronged her, including ex-boyfriend Bill (David Carradine), who tried to have her killed four years ago during her wedding to another man. It has just as much action, drama and suspense as the first Kill Bill, but many fans agree the additional plot and dialogue help to deliver a suitably hard-hitting sequel.

Fine, this is a sequel that isn’t even out yet, so we can’t confirm that it is indeed one of the best of all time. However, the long-awaited reunion of Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan has created so much hype that we’re willing to hedge our bets.

Set two decades after the original body-swapping comedy, Freakier Friday will pick up with Anna (Lohan) as a single mother to a 14-year-old daughter. When Anna becomes engaged to Eric, she prepares to welcome his own daughter into her family. Apparently, the film will see Anna and her mother, Tess (Curtis), trading places with the two teen girls. That’s right – we’re looking at a double body swap. And yes, we will (probably) once again get to see Curtis giving a masterful performance as a teen in a woman’s body.

Expect to find us leading the line to the cinema come August 2025.