Before I begin, I know I might get flack for this editorial. Those who follow my blog know damn well that I’m a huge fan of Rob Zombie’s films. This is in no way meant to tear down one of my favorite horror franchises. I wanted to write about this because my feelings on it haven’t left my mind since I saw 3 From Hell for the first time. Today, I am going to be a nit-picky b***h and explain why I believe The Devil’s Rejects and 3 From Hell are practically the same film. (SPOILER ALERT!!!)

So both films start out with 2 of the Rejects escaping from police with a lot of bloodshed.

As the two Rejects wait to reunite with the third, they take a group of friends/family hostage and temporarily lay low.

By the time the Rejects are all reunited, all the hostages are brutally murdered.

Then, the trio finds a new place to hide.

As they’re on the run, they’re being pursued by a person not wanting justice but vengeance.

Vengeance for who? For a member of their family who was killed by the Rejects!

The Rejects, thinking they’re safe, spend a night with drinks, dancing, and women.

Little do they know, the person who gave them sanctuary also helped the person seeking vengeance (yes, I know Charlie didn’t really have a choice in the matter, but still).

So, innocent bystanders at the sanctuary are killed and the Rejects are held captive and hurt.

Thinking all hope is lost, the Rejects are saved by an outside party (Tiny is a member of the family, but he is outside the main trio of characters, that’s the ONLY reason I refer to him as an outside party!), but the outside party dies after helping.

The person seeking vengeance ends up getting killed and both movies end with the Rejects driving off into the sunset.

To me, Rob Zombie, either intentionally or unintentionally, created his own horror movie formula, much like ‘80s slashers that repeat themselves in the sequels. Now, I realize this article might sound really negative, but I do absolutely love both movies. Rob Zombie’s Rejects Universe was what really pulled me into the horror genre. My critiques certainly don’t make me love 3 From Hell any less. I’ll still watch all 3 films on repeat. I guess the reason I shared this with my readers is because I wanted to see if anyone else felt that these movies were practically the same, or if it was just me. I’d love to know your thoughts!