Making a great movie is challenging, but making an amazing trilogy is almost unheard of. It’s common to see the second or third movie flop a bit after receiving praise in the first movie. They can be rushed, the story might have plot holes, or the acting declines to try and live up to what the first movie did.
But what about the best film trilogies that continuously live up to expectations from start to finish? The trilogies that will go down in time as some of the greats? These are just some examples of the best film trilogies that you can watch, from the classic science fiction story of Luke Skywalker to the mind-boggling journey of Neo.
6. Back to the Future Trilogy, Netflix (1985)
The Back to the Future trilogy is one of the best film trilogies ever made. Spanning from 1985 to 1990, the story follows the possibility of time travel with wacky characters and timelines. The first movie is set in 1985 and follows the journey of a teenager who is set to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean automobile built by his eccentric scientist friend, Doc.
While being in 1955, he inevitably prevents his parents from falling in love and must make things right before going back to the future. But the fun doesn’t stop there, as the second and third films feature the two traveling back to 1955 a few more times, once to prevent disaster from happening and another time to save Doc is trapped.
The trilogy explores the possibility of time travel with wacky futuristic inventions and chaotic fun between characters.
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5. The Dollars Trilogy, Prime Video (1964)
The Dollars trilogy is another great example of the best film trilogies that you can watch. While the first two movies aren’t often talked about, the most well-known of them all is the third film, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly which was released in 1966. But the first two — A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollar More (1965) — shouldn’t be ignored.
The trilogy is an Italian film series that established the Spaghetti Western genre and inspired multiple more films in the genre. The three films are considered some of the best Westerns in history, and Clint Eastwood stars in all of them. The first film follows a wandering gunfighter who plays two rival families against each other in a town torn apart by greed, pride, and revenge.
The second film follows two bounty hunters with the same intention of tracking down a psychotic Mexican bandit who is plotting a bank robbery. The last, and the most loved, follows a bounty-hunting scam that joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune of gold. The action, acting, storyline, and Western themes are brilliant throughout all movies and are a must-see.
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4. The Matrix Trilogy, Netflix (1999)
When it comes to science fiction trilogies that beat all others, two titles come to mind. The first one is the Matrix trilogy, one of the best film trilogies of all time. The story itself is original and is one of the most culturally significant films of its time.
The 1999 film starts with the journey of humans living in a simulated reality controlled by intelligent machines to distract humans, but one character, Neo, uncovering the truth. In order to save the humans, he joins a group of rebels to fight against the machines.
The two sequels, Reloaded and Revolutions, continue to follow Neo and the group of rebels as they fight against the machines. It’s action-packed, mind-boggling, and one of the best science fiction stories that has ever been created, all paired with the amazing acting of Keanu Reeves.
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3. The Godfather Trilogy, Paramount (1972)
If you’re looking for gangsters and crime films, then you need to watch The Godfather. The 1972 film is based on the 1969 novel sharing the same name by Mario Puzo and follows the fictional Italian American mafia family, the Corleones.
The first and second are known as some of the greatest films of all time and are one of the best film trilogies ever made. The movie starts with Vito Corleone being the head of the mafia but then turned over to his youngest son, Michael, which puts the lives of his loved ones at risk. The trilogy continues following the family, with the second one exploring Vito’s earlier life and career while also focusing on Michael trying to get a grip of the crime syndicate.
As for the third movie, Michael Corleone is finally in his 60s and is trying to find a successor. From 1972 to 1990, The Godfather brought an amazing look at the crime world with impeccable acting, storytelling, and action-packed, violent scenes.
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2. Star Wars Original Trilogy, Prime Vidoe (1977)
The Star Wars franchise has grown and grown for years, from books to comics to video games to new movies. There are even several spin-off television shows that explore more side characters and lore. So it’s only right that one of the best film trilogies of all time goes to the original trilogy in the series, Star Wars — Episode IV, V, and VI.
While there are several movies and even a second trilogy in the film, the original movies that span from 1977 to 1983 are the greatest out of them all. The story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia is unlike any other science fiction movie that you can find. It explores several planets within galaxies and the various political sides, with an evil ruler set out to destroy planets.
The acting and action throughout the trilogy are perfect, and the interesting characters just grow with each episode. The character development is unbelievable, and the relationships that grow between all of them make it one of the most memorable franchises ever created.
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1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Max (2001)
For the best film trilogy of all time, we’ll have to redirect to the fantasy genre. One of the most memorable franchises in the world, along with Star Wars, is the Lord of the Rings franchise. The books by J.R.R. Tolkien sent readers to explore Middle-earth with hobbits and wizards. Viewers are transported to the magical world instantly in The Fellowship of the Ring, following a meek hobbit who lives in the Shire.
Frodo along with his mighty companions must traverse through Middle-earth to destroy the powerful One Ring and save the world from the Dark Lord Sauron. In Two Towers, the excitement isn’t over, as Frodo and his trusty friend Same come closer to destroying the ring, but with a new friend, Gollum. The Return of the King finally sees Frodo save the world in the adventure, all with Sauron’s army and the World of Men clash in an epic battle.
The story unfolds throughout a three-film series, with the journey of destroying one ring can cause so much chaos in the world. It’s one of the best, with beautiful character development, scenery, action, foreboding doom, and friendship that can overcome any obstacle.