The Ultimate Guide to My Favorite Movie Trilogies

With May being a bit slow, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite movie trilogies. Some of my favorite movies of all time have been a part of great trilogies. For this list, I am defining a trilogy as either three films in a longer-running franchise that have an overarching story, for example, Star Trek 2-4 or Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3, a series that has a group of three movies and then a large gap of time before any other movies come out such as Star Wars or Indiana Jones or just a series that has only had three movies. With all that said, here are my 10 favorite movie trilogies.

10. Scream 1-3 (1996-2000)

The Scream trilogy is my horror representative on this list. While there are 6 films in this franchise, the first three films tell a fairly cohesive story with themes from the original film coming back in the other two. There is also a pretty large gap between Scream 3 and Scream 4 (11 years) which makes this run of three films even more standalone. The original Scream is my favorite horror film and the other two films, while having some diminishing returns, do a great job of carrying on the charm of the original. This trilogy is great about telling the story of Sidney Prescott as she goes through some pretty intense murders in the first film, has to learn how to cope with this trauma tries to move on in college in the second film and then finally deals with her trauma, grows as a person and is finally at peace by the end of the third film. This trilogy also features a great cast of characters Sidney, Gale, and Dewey. The self-aware kind of style is also something that just works for me.

9. Spiderman Trilogy (2002-2007)

The Spider-Man Trilogy is my Marvel slot on the list. The original Spider-Man trilogy is one of the best Superhero trilogies of all time. It tells a fairly cohesive story of Peter Parker as he grows as both a superhero and as a person. The arc of Harry Osborne is also one of the best I have ever seen in a trilogy as he works through his father's death and relationship with Spider-Man. While the third Spider-Man film does leave a lot to be desired, it does do a great job of closing out a lot of arcs that were set in motion in the first film such as the arc with Harry Osborn or with Peter coming to terms with his uncle's death. This trilogy of films also has some great classic villains in Green Goblin, Sandman, and Doctor Octopus.

8. Star Trek 2-4 (1982-1986)

This Star Trek trilogy is technically a part of a larger series but these three movies have a clear storyline that flows through them. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan launches off the trilogy with a showdown with Khan and ends with Spock's death. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock follows the enterprise as they do whatever it takes to bring Spock back. Star Trek IV: The Journey Home follows the aftermath of Star Trek III and has the crew of the enterprise deal with the consequences of their actions. This trilogy cements the idea of the enterprise crew being a family as they work together to save one of their own.

7. Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3 (2003-2007)

The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy is another trilogy that is a part of a larger series but these three films contain an overarching story. This trilogy, while known for Jack Sparrow is all about the story of Will Turner and Elisabeth Swann. This trilogy has a lot of great pirate action with some really fun sword fights and ship battles. Johnny Depp steals every single scene that he is in. Barbosa and Davey Jones are both great villains and is fun to see Barbosa transition from a villain in the first film to more of a protagonist in the third film. It is also fun to see Elisabeth and Will go from being standard English folk to being full-blown pirates.

6. Planet of the Apes Reboot Trilogy (2011-2017)

This is the newest trilogy that has become one of my favorites. This Planet of the Apes trilogy is essentially a reboot/ prequel of the classic films and tells the story of Caesar as the world transforms into being run by apes. There is a great overarching theme of seeing the human race in decline as each film shows them being less and less powerful. The movies do a great job of growing Caesar as a leader. The CGI in this trilogy is also truly amazing and showcases the talent of motion capture technology. The trilogy also does a great job of tying up Caesar's story in the final film and setting the stage for his legacy that is used in future films.

5. Back to the Future Trilogy (1985-1990)

The Back to the Future Trilogy is just a classic trilogy from the 80s. The premise of the original film lends itself so well to sequels which is why the other two films work so well. I like how each film visits a different time but still keeps the overall story tied together. Each film leans into the ideas of the next which makes it clear that a trilogy was planned from the get-go. Marty and Doc Brown are great characters to follow on this adventure. The movies also do a great job of finding the balance between feeling redundant and feeling familiar.

4. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012)

The Dark Knight Trilogy is my all-time favorite superhero trilogy. This story is such a great and grounded take on the Batman storyline. I like how each movie has its own theme to it, fear, chaos, and pain but still has overarching ideas that keep the three films connected. This trilogy features some great villains such as Ras El Ghul, The Joker, and Bane and has a great Batman in Christian Bale. The Dark Knight is arguably one of the greatest films ever made and while the others aren't near as good, they are both A- level movies. Christopher Nolan did a great job leading this trilogy and added some prestige to the Batman character while not sacrificing any of the action.

3. Indiana Jones: The Original Trilogy (1981-1989)

This is the one trilogy that doesn't have an overarching story but is only a trilogy because it is three films featuring the same character over 8 years. The Indiana Jones trilogy is the perfect adventure trilogy. Each film is a fantastic adventure that takes Indy to a new location with a new cast of characters. Each film has iconic moments that set not only the stage for the adventure drama but also left a huge mark in the culture. The Temple of Doom was part of the reason why the PG-13 rating was made. Harrison Ford was born to play Indiana Jones and is a great and fun action hero. This trilogy also has some of the best music of all time with scores by John Williams.

2. Star Wars: The Original Trilogy (1977-1983)

There can't be a trilogy list without Star Wars at the top of the list. This is objectively one of the best trilogies ever made. Everything about this trilogy is just so iconic, from the characters to the lines to the planets and ships, and even the music. Luke, Han, and Leia are great leads in this story and the trilogy does a great job of showing their growth throughout the three films. We see Luke grow from a whiney teenager to a calm Jedi Knight and Han from a selfish smuggler to a Rebellion general. The lightsaber fights and space fights are also so great and some of the best scenes ever put into film. This trilogy also features arguably the best score ever written, another gem by John Williams.

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the only trilogy that could ever beat out Star Wars but it is pretty close. There has never been a trilogy in this epic with such expansive world-building, huge practical battle scenes, and tons of great characters. This trilogy is so cohesive that I often will view this as one long movie. There are so many great moments that give me chills that I just want to watch over and over. This is one of those trilogies that is so good that I try to watch it every year. The score, while not by John Williams, is still truly epic and enhances every scene. The trilogy also has such a satisfying ending that makes you feel sad yet satisfied. There has not been any other trilogy, other than Star Wars that has anywhere close to The Lord of the Rings.