50 Best Movie Series Of All Time

Okay, so let me explain this one to you. This is a tricky one. I mean, we know LOTR, Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Transformers, Oceans, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Mummy, Fantastic Four, How to Train Your Dragon, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean Sea, X-Men, Avengers, Hotel Transylvania, Jumanji, Twilight, Ghostbusters, Mortal Kombat, Shrek, Venom are some of the biggest movie series franchises ever made. 

We all have heard of the movies that I have stated above. So, this time, I took a different approach and will present you with the 50 Best Movie Series of all Time that are either forgotten or underrated and never included in “The Best” list.

Don’t worry, and I’m not repeating those; you might not have even heard of the movies that I’m gonna state below, and if you did have heard of all, then don’t @ me. You are just a movie buff like me. Hello to you too.

I have tried to compile movies from almost all the genres (like horror, psychological, gangster, mafia, spy, action, thriller, action, 18+, kids, feel good), and it was difficult to do only 50. So, I had to remove most of the movies that fall under the category of kids, animations, or cartoons.

I have added a few of them, though (I can’t resist them, LOL). Also, I will cover those leftover movies in my next article, so stay tuned. And, if you want to read about the movies that I have stated above, then don’t worry. You can read them in my other article here.

So, let me not waste any of your time, and let’s get back to The 50 Best Movie Series of all time:

Ps – We are gonna be including the principal cast from all of the installments of the movie series. Also, the numbers in the brackets in front of the director’s name indicate the installment of the movie series that they have directed.

50. Step Up

The dream movie for every dancer out there. Step Up changed the league for dancers completely and gave the world that dancing is a profession and gets you somewhere. There are six movies in the Step Up movie series where the story revolves around dancers and their struggle with the world and the family.

The movies are:

1. Step Up (2006)
2. Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)
3.  Step Up 3D (2010)
4. Step Up Revolution (2012)
5. Step Up: All In (2014)
6. Step Up: Year of the Dance (2020)

• Years: 2006-2019
• Genre: Dance Anthology
• Directors: Anne Fletcher (1), Jon M. Chu (2 & 3), Scott Speer (4), Trish Sie (5), Ron Yuan (6).
• Cast: Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, Mario, Drew Sidora, Alyson Stoner, Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Adam G. Sevani, Mari Koda, Chriss Scott, Luis Rosado, Harry Shum Jr., Will Kemp, Cassie Ventura, Martin Lombard.
• Where to Watch: Netflix

49. The Kissing Booth

The Kissing Booth is based on the novel series of the same name by Beth Reekles, which surrounds the story of Elle Evans. She had been best friends with Lee Flynn since birth, and they had rules, friendship rules.

The story is about how teenage make things difficult for Elle and how she has to break all those rules to choose herself over everything else. She has also had a crush on Lee’s elder brother, which came with scandals of its own.

Although the trilogy was made under the Netflix Original Series and is said to be one of the most-watched age romance movies, The Kissing Booth failed to impress the critics because of its cliché storyline. Although we are always Team Marcus, what about you?

• Years: 2018-2021
• Genre: Teenage, Rom-Com
• Directors: Vince Marcello (1), Jay Arnold & Vince Marcello (2 & 3).
• Cast: Joey King, Jacob Elordi, Joel Courtney, Stephen Jennings, Carson White, Molly Ringwald, Morne Visse, Meganne Young, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Maisie Richardson-Sellers.
• Where to Watch: Netflix

Also Read: Who does Elle Evans End up with in Kissing Booth 3?

48. Mean Girls

Mean Girls is a cult classic that gave birth to the terms, quotes, and concepts like on Wednesdays, and we wear pink, you can’t sit with us, the plastics, the burn book, and many more. It is based on Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman, where she showed the struggles of a teenage female. She also put light on the issues like bullying or the fact that girls go on extreme diets to feel ‘beautiful.’

Mean Girls follows the story of Cady Heron, who was home-schooled her whole life. Now, she is stepping into the real high school and faces many challenges as the ‘plastics’, and she is not very friendly with each other. The second part is based on the same line but with a different cast and issues. It was a made-for-television movie.

The first installment was well-received and was praised for its screenplay, originality, cast performance, direction, humor, and more.

It was nominated for 20 awards, out of which it won 6 awards, including 3 Teen Choice Awards for Lindsay Lohan for Choice Comedy Movie Actress, Choice Breakout Movie Actress, and Choice Movie Blush, and 1 MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance. Rachel McAdams also won MTV Award for Breakthrough Female Performance.

• Years: 2004-2011
• Genre: Teenage, Comedy
• Directors: Mark Waters (1) and Melanie Mayron (2).
• Narrated By: Meaghan Martin (2).
• Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, Jonathan Bennett, Tina Fey, Meaghan Martin, Jennifer Stone, Maiara Walsh, Diego Boneta, Nicole Gale Anderson, Claire Holt, Tim Meadows.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV

47. Has Fallen

Okay, so, Has Fallen includes four movies, three of which are released, and one is TBA. The movies are Olympus has Fallen (2013), directed by Antoine Fuqua, and London Has Fallen (2016), directed by Babak Najafi. And Angel Has Fallen (2019) by Ric Roman Waugh. The fourth movie, Night Has Fallen, is also said to be directed by Ric Roman Waugh.

The movie revolves around Mike Banning, who is a US Secret Service Agent who saves the President of the US twice in the first movie using his skills and knowledge, and in the third part, he works with the speaker of the House, Allan Trumbull who was appointed the next President of US. 

• Years: 2013-2019
• Genre: Action Thriller
• Directors: Antoine Fuqua (1), Babak Najafi (2), Ric Roman Waugh (3).
• Cast: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Radha Mitchell, Piper Perabo, Aaron Eckhart, Melissa Leo, Robert Forster, Angela Bassett, Sean O’Bryan, Ashley Judd, Finely Jacobsen, Dylan McDermott, Cole Hauser, Colin Salmon.
• Where to Watch: Fubo TV.

46. Journey to the Center of the Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island both were a hit at the box office, but both received mixed reviews. Center of the Earth was adapted from the novel of the same name by Jules Verne, released in 1864, which has already been adapted a few times in the past too. The second was also adapted from a Jules Verne novel released in 1874.

The first installment is about Trevor Anderson and his nephew Sean, who go in search of Sean’s father and Trevor’s brother. Along their journey, they discovered the Center of the earth and other mysteries that reside in it. The second is about Sean going to a mysterious island to find his long-lost grandfather. The series had been nominated for 11 awards in total and won 4 out of them.

• Years: 2008-2012
• Genre: Adventure, Action, Sci-fi.
• Directors: Eric Brevig (1) and Brad Peyton (2).
• Cast: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, Anita Briem, Seth Meyers, Jean-Michel Pare, Jane Wheeler, Dwayne Johnson, Michel Caine, Luis Guzman, Vanessa Hudgens, Kristin Davis, Walter Bankson.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Vudu.

45. Independence Day

Independence Day (1996) was released on July 3, 1996, although it started showing on July 2 because the story starts the same day, and t was just a big part of the plan. The sequel to the movie Independence Day: Resurgence was released 20 years later in 2016, and the sequel is set after 20 years.

Although the creators wanted Will Smith to be a part of the sequel, he didn’t agree to come back, so Liam Hemsworth was given the role.

The story is about an alien invasion on Earth and how humans used technology and humanity and reverse engineering to stop the invasion. The first installment was a box office success and was critically praised too. Although the second one, not so much. The movie series has been nominated for 53 awards in total and won 22 out of them.

• Years: 1996-2016
• Genre: Sci-fi, Action.
• Director: Ronald Emmerich.
• Cast: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Vivica A. Fox, Adam Baldwin, Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, Jessie T. Usher, Travis Tope, Joey King.
• Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar.

44. XXX (Triple X)

Triple X is a spy movie that involves Xander Cage as the main lead in the first and third films, where he goes on a mission to save the world. In the first installment, XXX (2002), Xander Cage is a sports enthusiast, stuntman, and adventure-loving person who is recruited by a National Security Agency person to stop a group of Russians from destroying the world.

The second installment of the series, XXX: State of the Union (2005), featured Darius Stone as a newly recruited member of the XXX program and was sent to Washington, D.C., to carry out the mission. The third installment, XXX: Return of Xander Cage, brings Xander back into the picture; he fakes his death and has been living in isolation since then. 

• Years: (2002-2017).
• Genre: Spy, Action.
• Directors: Rob Cohen (1), Lee Tamahori (2), D. J. Caruso (3-4).
• Cast: Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, Michael Roof, Leila Arcieri, John G. Connolly, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Nina Dobrev, Ruby Rose, Neymar, William Dafoe, Scott Seedman, Jan Pavel Fillipensky, Martin Csokas, Tom Everett.
• Where to Watch: Peacock, Prime Video, Roku.

Also Read: 30 Best Movies Of Vin Diesel To Watch in 2022

43. Barbie: Fairytopia

Barbie: Fairytopia is a trilogy that includes Barbie: Fairytopia (2005), Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006), and Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow (2007). The trilogy revolves around Elina, who is a wingless fairy who saves her home from the evil Laverna. The stories show courage, bravery, empathy, love, and selflessness.

• Years: 2005-2007
• Genre: Fantasy, Fairytale
• Co-Directors: Walter P. Martishius and Will Lau.
• Voice Cast: Kelly Sheridan, Lee Tockar, Tabitha St. Germain, Kathleen Barr, Venus Terzo, Chiara Zanni, Mark Oliver, Alessandro Juliani, Michael Dobson, Scott McNeil, Brian Drummond, Britt McKillip, Nancy Sorel.
• Spin-Offs: Barbie: Mariposa, Barbie: Mariposa & the Fairy Princess.
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Vudu.

42. The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner movie series has been one of the most successful and followed series of all time. It is based on the novel series of the same name by James Dashner, and all the installments are directed by Wes Ball only. All the installments received positive and mixed reviews. The series was appreciated for its action sequence, but it was said that it lacked a bit in the storyline.

The story is about Thomas, who one day wakes up in a big maze with other boys. He doesn’t remember anything about himself or his life but sometimes does get flashbacks where he is working for an organization called World Catastrophe Killzone Department. Later, they got to know that their memories had been erased and are kept prisoners by WCKD and some of the Gladers escaped the maze with Thomas.

The second and the third part are the continuations of the first part, and Thomas and Gladers are on their way to WCKD’s safe zone to find the answers to the questions. All three parts of the movie franchise were a hit in monetary terms. The Films are:

1. The Maze Runner (2014).
2. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015).
3. Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018).

• Years: 2014-2018
• Genre: Sci-fi Dystopian Action-Adventure
• Director: Wes Ball
• Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Dexter Darden, Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Flores, Will Poulter, Aidan Gillen, Jacob Lofland, Rosa Salazar, Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Katherine McNamara, Nathalie Emmanuel.
• Where to Watch: Disney+

41. Rush Hour

Now, three installments of the Rush Hour film series have been released, and the fourth is under development. All the films had their share in making Rush Hour a commercial hit, although it did face some criticism here and there. The story revolves around Chief Inspector Lee and Detective James Carter.

Both of them worked together to eradicate crime, although their journey is followed by a lot of unfortunate events with a pinch of humor. Rush Hour 2 was nominated for 27 awards and won 10. All three installments featured Jackie Chan incorporating his martial arts technique into action sequences.

• Years: 1998-2007
• Genre: Action Comedy Buddy cop
• Director: Brett Ratner
• Cast: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Tzi Ma, Julia Hsu, Zhang Jingchu, Tom Wilkinson, Elizabeth Pena, Ken Leung, Mark Rolston, Rex Linn, Philip Baker Hall, John Lone, Roselyn Sachez, Zhang Ziyi, Alan King, Hiroyuki Sanada, Noemie Lenoir, Yvan Attal, Youki Kudoh, Max von Sydow.
• Where to Watch: Vudu, Apple TV.

40. Now You See Me

Now, two movies for the Now You See Me series have been released. The third part is yet in its production stage, directed by Ruben Fleischer, and most of the ensemble cast will probably be returning. The first part of the franchise was directed by Louis Leterrier, and the second by Jon M. Chu.

Now You See Me follows the story of four horsemen who are conmen wearing the mask of magicians. They pull up different heists in front of the world’s eye. Now, the Interpol agent and a detective are determined to put them behind bars, but the eye (their leader) has always been one step ahead of them. The story comes with lots of visually pleasing scenes and some hell of turns.

The movies were praised by the audiences and critics but were partially criticized for its ending. Besides that, they have been a success at the box office. Including both parts, the movie has been nominated for 7 awards and won 1, i.e., the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Thriller Movie (Now You See Me I).

• Years: 2013-2016
• Genre: Heist Thriller
• Directors: Louis Leterrier (1) and Jon M. Chu (2).
• Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Melanie Laurent, Michael Kelly, Common, Caitriona Balfe, Elias Koteas, Richard Laing, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe, Jay Chou, Sanna Lathan, Henry Llyod-Hughes.
• Where to Watch: Netflix.

39. Resident Evil

Resident Evil might have been the highest-grossing horror film, highest-grossing zombie film, or the highest-grossing film series based on a video game of its time, but it failed to impress the critics. I don’t know about you, but Resident Evil was probably the first zombie movie I ever watched, and believe me, I was terrified.

They had everything, the visuals, the cast, the story, and the director, but I think the implications could have been a little better.

Resident Evil has six installments in its movie series, and a reboot was also released in 2021. The sixth original series of movies revolves around Alice, who worked at a bioweapon cooperation named The Umbrella Corporation, which is situated in Raccoon City.

Because of triggered bioweapons, a zombie virus broke and infected the whole world. Although Alice was not infected by it, she gained powers. Some of them were supernatural powers. The series concluded in the sixth part giving us one of the major turns of the story.

Although Resident Evil is based on the video game created by Capcom, the movie series was not that promising. As the series went ahead with time, graphics, and cast, the storyline was compromised a bit. The Resident Evil film franchise has been a hit in terms of money and has been nominated for 21 awards in total and won 9 (excluding nomination). Many of the characters from the video game made an appearance in the films and vice-versa.

Movies in order of their release:

1. Resident Evil (2002).
2. Resident Evil: Apocalypse(2004).
3. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007).
4. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010).
5. Resident Evil: Retribution (2012).
6. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016).
7. Resident Evil: Welcome to the Raccoon City (2021)- Rebooted Series.

• Years: 2002-2016
• Genre: Action, Thriller, Apocalypse
• Directors: Paul W. S. Anderson (1,4,5,6), Alexander Witt (2), Russell Mulchay (3), Johannes Roberts (7).
• Cast: Milla Jovovich, Ever Anderson, Michaela Dicker, Sophie Vavasseur, Megan Charpentier, Jason Issacs, Iain Glen, Matthew G. Taylor, Eric Mabius, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Salmon, James Purefoy, Joseph May, Heike Makatsch, Pasquale Aleardi, Liz May Brice, Torsten Jerabek, Martin Crewes, Sienna Guillory.
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video.

38. Planet of the Apes (Reboot Series)

Based on the novel series of the same name by Pierre Boulle, Planet of the Apes was originally released in 1968 and became a commercial and critical hit. After a hell of a development hell, a lot of directors, scripts, and give-ups, the film series was rebooted in 2011 and finally received praise for its visuals, graphics, story, narrative, and more.

The rebooted series has three parts, and one is yet to be released. All three installments revolve around a genetically enhanced chimpanzee named Caesar, who was raised by the scientist who enhanced him, but after he was taken away and Caesar was in captivity, he led a revolt against humans, which stopped in no time.

The story of Caesar is elevated in every aspect in the second installment, and it is also the part where humans and apes were not only in the verbal fight but were in gun and physical fights too. The second installment had a leap of 10 years after the events of the first part. The third part is considered to be the end and conclusion of the story of Caesar.

Although every movie has its share in making the Planet of the Apes rebooted series a hit, the second was praised the most.

The rebooted movie series was nominated for 111 awards in total, out of which 13 were won by Rise, six by Dawn, and 16 by War, including Andy Serkis winning Best Supporting Actor at Broadcast Film Critics Association and Saturn Awards for Rise; Best Actor at Empire Awards and San Francisco Film Critics Circle for Dawn and War respectively.

Original Film Series:

1. Planet of the Apes (1968).
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970).
3. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971).
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972).
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973).

Remake:

1. Planet of the Apes (2001).

Rebooted Series:

1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011).
2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014).
3. War of the Planet of the Apes (2017).
4. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024).

Television Series:

1. Planet of the Apes (1974).
2. Return of the Planet of the Apes (1975-1976)- Animated.

• Years: 2011-2017
• Genre: Sci-Fi
• Directors: Rupert Wyatt (1), Matt Reeves (2,3), Wes Ball (4).
• Cast: Andy Serkis, Devyn Dalton, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, Toby Kebbell, Max Llyod Jones, Lee Ross, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Brian Cox, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Woody Harrelson, Gabriel Chavarria, Roger Cross, Chad Rooke.
• Where to Watch: Apple Tv, Vudu, Hotstar.

Also Read: Where is War for the Planet of the Apes Filmed? All The Locations To Know

37. The Rings

The Rings is a Japanese media franchise that includes a lot of movies, short movies, manga, comics, video games, and more. The Rings or The Ring or Ring is the American remake of the franchise, which was released in three installments.

The movie revolves around a cursed videotape about which the legend is that the person who watches it will die within seven days. Now, Rachel Keller, a journalist, is investigating it to save her niece and son from being murdered. The second and third part also revolves around the same lines, but the part relieved the truth about the videotape.

The videotape was made by Sadako Yamamura (Samara Morgan in the English movies), who was murdered by his stepfather and thrown in the well. Later, she comes back as a ghost and kills everyone who fails to make a copy of the videotape and makes another person watch it within 7 days.

The first part was nominated for 5 awards and won 4, including Best Movie Horror and Best Actress (Naomi Watts) at Saturn Awards and, Best Villain and Best Movie Horror at MTV Movie Awards and Teen Choice Awards, respectively. The Rings English Film Franchise is as follows:

1. The Ring (2002).
2. The Ring Two (2005).
3. Rings (2017).

Short Movie:

1. Rings (2005).

• Years: 2002-2017
• Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Paranormal Activity.
• Director: Gore Verbinski (1), Hideo Nakata (2), F. Javier Gutierrez (3).
• Cast: Daveigh Chase, Kelly Stables, David Dorfman, Caitlin Mavromates, Shannon Cochran, Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox, Lindsay Frost, Rachael Bella, Sissy Spacek, Emily VanCamp, Elizabeth Perkins, Justin Allen, Ryan Merriman, Alex Roe, Lizzie Brochere, Johnny Galecki, Matilda Lutz.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar.

36. The Transporter

The Transporter is the story of Frank Martin, who is a former special agent and now works as a driver for hire who will transport anything for you but has three significant rules to never use names, never open the package, and when the deal is done, it’s done.

In the first part of the movie series, Frank breaks one is rules and opens the package. In the second part, the son of the wealthy family who hired Frank as his driver has been kidnapped, and now Frank has to save him, and in the third part, Frank falls in love with his package, who then together escapes the series of deadly events. 

A rebooted trilogy has also been announced by the makers, and the first part of the same was released in 2015, but Jason Statham was replaced by Ed Skrein for the role of protagonist Frank Martin. Before this, only Jason had played the role of Frank even in the movies, and he also made a cameo appearance in the spin-off movie Collateral (2004) starring Tom Cruise.

Films:

1. The Transporter (2002).
2. The Transporter 2 (2005).
3. The Transporter 3 (2008).

Reboot:

1. The Transporter Refueled (2015).

Television Series:

1. Transporter: The Series (2012-2014).

Netflix Original Film:

1. America: The Motion Picture (2021).

• Years: 2002-2015
• Genre: Action Thriller.
• Directors: Corey Yuen (1), Louis Leterrier (2), Olivier Megaton (3), Camille Delamarre (4).
• Cast: Jason Statham, Francois Berleand, Shu Qi, Matt Schulze, Ric Young, Alessandro Gassman, Amber Valletta, Kate Nauta, Natalya Rudajova, Robert Knepper, Alex Kobold, David Atrakchi.
• Spin-off: Collateral (2004).
• Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon.

35. Insidious

Insidious is undoubtedly one of the scariest movies out there. Chapter I was nominated for 9 awards and won 2 of them. The story revolves around Elise Rainier, who is a paranormal investigator. In the first part, she helped a married couple, the Lamberts, whose son could travel in the Astral World, and it turned out that he got the powers from his father.

The second part takes place after 25 years after the events of the first part and is followed by the death of Elise, and now, Renai Lambert is questioning whether Josh had been under the influence of a ghost or not.

The third & fourth part is the prequel and follows the story way before the Lambert incident. Elise helps a girl named Quinn to contact her dead mother but refuses to help her any further as she suspects the presence of an evil force. A lot of events take place, and Elise helps Quinn get rid of her. 

Chapter 4 is the direct sequel of the third part and shows how Elise got her powers and how she dreamed about the Lambert family being haunted by the red-faced demon. Insidious: Feat the Dark is the fifth installment and is scheduled to be released in July 2023 and will follow the real-time events where Josh Lambert, after 10 years, is dropping his son Dalton (who got into a coma in the first part) to college.

Film in order of its release are:

1. Insidious (2011).
2. Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013).
3. Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015).
4. Insidious: The Last Key (2018).
5. Insidious: Fear the Dark (2023).

• Years: 2010-2018
• Genre: Horror, Supernatural.
• Directors: James Wan (1-2), Leigh Whannell (3), Adam Robitel (4), Patrick Wilson (5).
• Cast: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Patrick Wilson, Garrett Ryan, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey, Andrew Astor, Brynn Bowie & Madison Bowie, Steve Coulter, Joseph Bishara, Tom Fitzpatrick, Michael Reid MacKay, Javier Botet, J. LaRose.
• Where to Watch: Sony Entertainment, Prime Video, Netflix.

34. Final Destination

Originally written for one of the episodes of the X-Files, Final Destination is a media franchise that has released 5 films, and one is yet to be announced. The films had been nominated for 16 awards in total and won 3 out of them. All the films involve a group of friend that escapes a major disaster or event like a plane crash or highway breakage after one of them had a vision about it. 

The story becomes interesting when each one of them is killed one by one by an unknown force, which implies that all of them escaped death, and now it is taking revenge on them.

The events that take their life seem to happen at the things they do, normally taking having eye surgery (which is probably the reason I’m not having one, ever). The major thing that connects all the films is where the fifth part ends is where the first part started. So, it’s a loop that you can’t escape.

• Years: 2000-2011
• Genre: Anthology Horror, Supernatural.
• Directors: James Wong (1&3), David R. Ellis (2&4), Steve Quale (5), Zach Lipovsky & Adam B. Stein (6).
• Cast: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Kristen Cloke, Daniel Roebuck, Roger Guenveur Smith, A. J. Cook, Michael Landes, David Paetkau, James Kirk, Lynda Boyd, Keegan Connor Tracy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ryan Merriman, Kris Lemche, Alexz Johnson, Sam Easton, Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano, Haley Webb, Mykelti Williamson, Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Ellen Wroe.
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Vudu.

Also Read: Where is Final Destination 3 Filmed? Locations & Cast!

33. To All the Boys

To All the Boys is the most watched and most successful teenage rom-com Netflix Original movie series. The story is based on the books of the same name by Jenny Han. Till now, three films have been released, and one spin-off television series XO, Kitty, is in development.

The story revolves around Lara Jean, whose sister Kitty sends the letter Lara wrote to her crushes but never intended to mail them. Her life changed when all of them responded one by one to her after receiving the mail, and one of the boys was Lara’s elder sister’s boyfriend.

After a whole movie of fake dating, Lara and Peter were the end game. The other two movies show their growth as a teenager and the struggles she faces to maintain their relationships and find a college for themselves.

Movies: 

1. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018).
2. To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020).
3. To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021).

• Years: 2018-2021
• Genre: Teenage, Rom-Com, Fake Dating.
• Directors: Susan Johnson (1) and Michael Fimognari (2&3).
• Cast: Lana Condor, Noah Centino, Emilija Baranac, Trezzo Mahoro, Anna Cathcart, Janel Parrish, John Corbett, Madeleine Arthur, Jordan Fisher, Sarayu Blue, Israel Broussard, Holland Taylor, Ross Butler.
• Spin-off: XO, Kitty.
• Where to Watch: Netflix.

32. The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is one of the highest-grossing film series ever made. Every installment of the movie broke several records with its release. A prequel is set to be released in Nov 2023, directed by Francis Lawrence. The movie series has a nominated for 140 awards in total and won 55.

The story is set in the Capitol of Panem in North America, where every year, one male and one female between the age of 12-18 from all the 12 districts are chosen to compete in The Hunger Games. They are known as ‘tributes.’ The show is telecasted on TV all the over the nation and is a very successful show. It’s a survival show where only one person out of 24 wins. 

The story took place when Katniss Everdeen stepped in to volunteer after her younger sister was chosen. While in the game, she learned a lot of new things and changed the course of events when for the first time in 74 years, two people won: Katniss and Peeta (both from District 12).

The second part follows up the story after their victory, where they are taking victory tours around the districts, and Katniss senses that a revolt might be happening back at her home.

The twist happens when at the 75th Annual Hunger Games, all the winners from the previous quarter are put together to compete, including Pete and Katniss. Katniss becomes the second-time winner and wakes up District 13. The last two parts are the story of Katniss traveling to the Capitol to kill President Snow and put an end to all this nonsense.

The movies are:

1. The Hunger Games (2012).
2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).
3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I (2014).
4. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II (2015).

• Years: 2012-2015
• Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopia, Action, Adventure.
• Directors: Gary Ross (1), Francis Lawrence (2-4).
• Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Willow Shields, Paula Malcomson, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Stef Dawson, Julianne Moore.
• Spin-off: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes (2023).
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Vudu.

31. After

After is a young adult erotic romance movie series based on the novel series of the same name by Anna Todd. After the movie, the series was a commercial hit and one of the most popular erotic dramas amongst the young audience of Netflix, but they failed to impress the critics.

The story revolves around Tessa Young and Hardin. Tessa is a good student, a daughter, and a girlfriend, while Hardin is a morally gray rich man who allured Tessa into his love trap over a bet. Little did he know, he fell in love with her. When Tessa got to know about the bet, she left him for good. Though till now, she had ruined all her other relationships.

The second installment of the movie is about their on-and-off relationship. They both try to keep away from each other and, at the same time, are trying to hold on to each other. After a big fight, Tessa crashes her car, and Hardin feels that it’s better, so he stays away from her. In the third part, both are working towards their life and future but again cross paths when Tessa’s father comes again into the picture.

The fourth part showed their relationship going through a tough time. A lot of secrets are being revealed, and Tessa does question her future with Hardin. It turned out that both of them were not that different from each other.

The sequel, After Everything, is in the last stages of its production and will probably be on our screen too. A prequel, Before, is in production, which will show the life of Hardin before he met Tessa to give a better explanation of his character, along with another untitled sequel which will conclude the story of Tessa and Hardin and the new generation will take over.

Movies in order of their release:

1. After (2019).
2. After We Collided (2020).
3. After We Fell (2021).
4. After Ever Happy (2022).
5. After Everything (2023-TBR).

• Years: 2019-2022
• Genre: Erotic, Romance, Drama.
• Directors: Jenny Cage (1), Roger Kumble (2), Castille Landon (3,4). 
• Cast: Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Selma Blair, Mira Sorvino, Shane Paul McGhie, Chance Perdomo, Peter Gallagher, Pia Mia, Dylan Arnold, Dylan Sprouse, Candice King, Arielle Kebbel, Louise Lombard, Carter Jenkins, Kiana Madeira.
• Where to Watch: Netflix

30. Fast and Furious

The Fast Saga is the eighth highest-grossing film franchise ever made. It had been a huge success and birthed many theme parks, toys, games, and more. It is the movie that gave stardom to Vin Diesel and Paul Walker (we still miss him). Without Paul Walker, the series seems incomplete. At first, the series seemed a bit off, but it was praised after the release of the fifth movie, Fast Five. It changed the course of the series from there.

Although, for me, Tokyo Drift is the best one then, Fast Five. My views. You can have yours. The series has expanded a lot since its first movie was released. Many characters joined, and many left. We have been riding with them too.

From doing illegal shit to working with legal officers. From getting the car jumped from the skyscrapers in Abu Dubai to lotting a moving train to jumping out from a plane while being in the car, Fast & Furious defiantly had some crazy moments. We are even going to space in the tenth recent film (To Be Released in 2023).

The story also has an emotional aspect to it and follows the life of Dominic Toretto, who sometimes does some illegal stuff that includes illegal car racing and all, but he also has his own rules, and the family always comes first. An untitled female-led film is also in development, and Hobbs & Shaw sequel might also be released shortly.

Music is another thing to talk about. All the installments of the series have given us at least one song that stuck with us. The movies are also have been a commercial success and were praised by critics and by the audience too.

The media franchise also includes two short films: The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and  Los Bandoleros (2009). It also has a television series released on Netflix named Fast & Furious Spy Racers which has 6 seasons and 52 episodes in total.

Name of the movies in order of their release:

1. The Fast and the Furious (2001).
2. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003).
3. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006).
4. Fast & Furious (2009).
5. Fast Five (2011).
6. Fast & Furious 6 (2013).
7. Furious 7 (2015).
8. The Fate of the Furious (2017).
9. F9 (2021).
10. Fast X (2023- TBR).

• Years: 2001-2023
• Genre: Street Racing, Heist, Spy, Action, Family.
• Directors: Rob Cohen (1), John Singleton (2), Justin Lin (3-6,9), James Wan (7), F. Gary Gray (8), Louis Leterrier (10).
• Cast: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Rick Yune, Chad Lindberg, Johnny Strong, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Lucas Black, Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans, Charlize Theron, John Cena, Cardi B, Michael Rooker, J. D. Pardo.
• Spin-Offs: Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Peacock, Hulu, HBO Max.

Also Read: Fast X Release Date: Everything We Know

29. Men in Black

Men in Black is a titular top-secret agency that monitors alien activity on Earth. The three installments of the movie series revolve around the two agents of the Men in Black agency, Agent K and Agent J. In the first part, the duo is trying to sop some intergalactic terrorist to steal a power source from Earth.

In the second installment, Agent K takes retirement and goes back to his old life, although he is bought back and given his memory back by Agent J to stop Agent K’s old nemesis, Serleena, who has returned to Earth to find The light of Zartha.

In the third part, Agent J time travels to save Agent K as his old enemy Boris the Animal, escaped prison and changes the course of events which killed Agent K in the fight, and now only Agent J knows the history.

Men in Black has been a hit in monetary terms and was well received by the audience and by critics for its script, cast performance, and more. Men in Black (1997) have been nominated for 22 awards in total and won 7 out of them, including Best Makeup at Academy Awards. Initially, there were plans to make a fourth installment of the series, but as of today, no information has been confirmed by the makers yet.

Movies:

1. Men in Black (1997).
2. Men in Black II (2002).
3. Men in Black 3 (2012).

• Years: 1997-2012
• Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Comedy, Time Travel.
• Director: Barry Sonnefeld.
• Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Rip Torn, Tim Blaney, Mushu the Dog, Tony Shalhoub, David Cross, Alexandra O’Hara, Patrick Warburton, Michael Jackson, Emma Thompson, Richard Hamilton, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lara Flynn Boyle, Linda Fiorentino.
• Spin-off: Men in Black: International (2019).
• Where to Watch: iTunes, Vudu.

28. Ice Age

Ice Age primarily revolves around a sloth named Sid, a mammoth named Manny, and a saber named Diego. In the first installment of the series, Sid and Manny are looking for the father of a child who was pushed towards them before the child’s mother fell into the waterfall.

Along the way, they met Diego, whose intention was to bring the child to his master Soto, although, along the journey, he bonded with them and decided to do the right thing.

The second installment is an adventure and introduces a new character Ellie, a female mammoth. Possums Crash and Eddie. And a squirrel Scart. In this movie, Diego, Sid, and Manny are living in a valley surrounded by a large ice wall, and they must travel across the valley in 3 days to the boat to save themselves. Along the way, they meet the new members of the group.

The third installment is about new relationships and is followed by Manny and Ellie’s marriage, who are expecting their first child. Sid, in the hope of having his own family, steals a dinosaur’s egg, and now the rest of the team gang up and goes to rescue him. A new character Buck, a weasel, was introduced in the movie.

The fourth installment takes place 16 years after, and Manny is having a difficult time with his daughter, peaches. Although on the conquest to find Scrat, they open up to each other. The fifth installment also had a time jump of 5 years, and Manny is now getting married to Julian. Scrat accidentally puts the whole planet in danger, and the team goes on an adventure to save the world.

Ice Age is one of the highest-grossing animated series ever made. It is well perceived by the audience and by critics. It had been nominated for 3 awards and won none. It was also listed as one of the Top 10 animation films by the American Film Institute in 2008.

Films:

1. Ice Age (2002).
2. Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006).
3. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009).
4. Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012).
5. Ice Age: Collision Course (2016).

Spin-off Film:

1. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild (2022).

Short Films:

1. Gone Nutty (2002).
2. No Time for Nuts (2006).
3. Surviving Sid (2008).
4. Scart’s Continental Crack-Up (2012).
5. Scart’s Continental Crack-Up- Part 2 (2012).
6. Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe (2015).
7. Scart: Spaced Out (2016).
8. The End (2022).

Television:

1. Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011).
2. Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016).

• Years: 2002-2016
• Genre: Animation, Family, Adventure, Comedy.
• Directors: Chris Wedge (1), Carlos Saldanha (2-3), Steve Martino & Michael Thurmeier (4), Michael Thurmerier (5).
• Voice Cast: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Chris Wedge, Queen Latifah, Sean William Scott, Josh Peck, Simon Pegg, Keke Palmer, Wanda Sykes, Jennifer Lopez, Adam Devine, Tara Strong, Jack Black, Alan Tudyk, Cedric the Entertainer, Stephen Root,  Jay Leno.
• Where to Watch: Disney+

27. Friday the 13th

Well, if you think the X-Men series have complex plots and timelines and are difficult to understand, well, think again. We got Friday the 13th for you. Where do you think the slasher/horror genre was invented? It’s here. After the success of Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th was created by Victor Miller.

It was the highest-grossing horror film until Halloween (2018) and is considered the best horror film ever made. The franchise has novels, tv shows, comics, and more. The movies have been quoted and referred to many places throughout tv and movie history.

The movie series has got you with everything. With the main lead, Jason kills people himself as a ghost (or it was supposed that he was a ghost), or Jason being a serial killer, or someone using his name and identity (especially a hockey mask) to do their dirty work.

There are 12 films in total released between 1980 and 2009. It will probably take another article of 10k words to explain the whole movie series to you. So, let’s go with just the basics of the 12 films.

Okay, so, originally, the story is followed in the first 10 installments where Jason Vorhees, who is the main character of the series, is resurrected by some other person. After waking up from death, Jason does what he does best, kill.

He starts killing people at Crystal Lake, where he is left to be drowned by the carelessness of two staff members, although it was his mother in the first installment who was killing people. Later in the series, her head was found, and Jason has been killing people since then.

Although in the fifth installment, we also get a copycat killer who steals Jason’s identity and takes his revenge. You know what? Jason also went to a spaceship, killed people there, and came back.

The 11th installment, F Vs. J, is a crossover between Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street which features Freddy Krueger resurrecting Jason to create horror amongst the people of Springwood. Friday the 13th (2009) is a reboot movie that re-starts the movie following the basic plan again. Jason is on a killing spree.

Movies in order of their release:

1. Friday the 13th (1980).
2. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981).
3. Friday the 13th Part III (1982).
4. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984).
5. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985).
6. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986).
7. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988).
8. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Take Manhattan (1989).
9. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993).
10. Jason X (2001).
11. Freddy vs. Jason (2003).
12. Friday the 13th (2009).

• Years: 1980-2009
• Genre: Horror, Slasher, Supernatural.
• Directors: Sean S. Cunningham (1), Steve Miner (2-3), Joseph Zito (4), Danny Steinmann (5), Tom McLoughlin (6), John Carl Buechler (7), Rob Hedden (8), Adam Marcus (9), James Isaac (10), Ronny Yu (11), Marcus Nispel (12).
• Cast: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Ari Lehman, Amy Steel, John Furey, Steve Daskewisz, Tom McBride, Walt Gorney, Dana Kimmell, Paul Kratka, Richard Brooker, Nick Savage, Larry Zerner, Ted White, Kimberly Beck, John Shepherd, Tom Morga, C. J. Graham, Kane Hodder, Scott Reeves, Ken Kirzinger, Robert Englund, Jared Padalecki, Derek Mears.
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon.

26. Mad Max

Mad Max is undoubtedly one of the best action movie franchises. Mad Max (1979) was the most profitable film of that time and has set a Guinness World Record for the same. The story is set in future Australia, where the world is facing a societal collapse. The story stars Max Rockatansky, who is seeking revenge on the biker who killed his wife and child.

Mad Max 2 (1981) is about Max rediscovering his humanity in the post-apocalyptic world as he helps some settlers to defend themselves from bandits. In Mad Mx Beyond Thunderstorm, Max is a lone rider, and he meets a child and the deceased captain of the crashed flight on the deserted wastelands.

Mad Max: Fury Road, Mel Gibson is replaced by Tom Hardy for the role of Max. Fury Road is one of the most successful films of the whole franchise. It follows the story of Max as he forms allies with Imperator Furiosa to defeat Immortan Joe which leads to a road battle.

In this movie, people are facing oil and water scarcity. The film was praised for its action sequence, cast performance, character portrayal, narration, direction, musical score, and more. 

The film franchise has been nominated for 248 awards in total, with Fury Road having 222 nominations of them. Out of 248, the franchise won 115 awards, with 102 under the fourth installment, Fury Road, including Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. A spinoff to Fury Road, Furiosa, is set to be released in May 2024.

Movies:

1. Mad Max (1979).
2. Mad Max 2 (1981).
3. Mad Max: Beyond Thunderstorm (1985).
4. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

• Years: 1979-2015
• Genre: Action, Post-apocalyptic, Dystopian.
• Directors: George Miller (1-4), George Oglivie (3).
• Cast: Mel Gibson, Tom Hardy, Max Fairchild, Joanne Samuel, Brendan Heath, Bruce Spence, Charlize Theron, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Coco Jack Gillies, Nathan Jones, Angus Sampson, Steve Bisley, Geoff Parry, Tim Burns, Angry Anderson, Richard Carter, Megan Gale.
• Where to Watch: Amazon, iTunes, Vudu.

Also Read: Best Films To Watch If You Liked Mad Max: Fury Road

25. The Incredibles

Okay, so, Where do we even start talking about this one? With only two films in the movie series, The Incredibles has earned a lot of money and love.

The first film was the fourth highest-grossing film of 2004, but the second film was not only the fourth-grossing film of 2018, but it was the second-highest-grossing animated and 15th-highest-grossing film of all time. Not only that, it was Pixar’s third film to cross $1 billion. It also took the title of Best debut for an Animated Film.

By that said, it already established that it was a commercial success but let us tell you, it was more than just commercial success for the movie series. It received a lot of praise, too, for its animation, visual, musical score, direction, narration, humor, action sequence, and everything making it the greatest superhero movie of all time.

The story revolves around a family of five who possesses supernatural powers and lives a simple undercover life because of an agreement by the government. Although the male of the house is eager to help people and put everyone in danger, they all fight together to defeat a fa who turns into an enemy.

The second installment focuses more on family values rather than on superpowers, but again they must fight together the enemy who is seeking revenge on every superperson out there.

The Incredibles (2004) was nominated for 66 awards and won 41, which included a lot for Best Animated Film, Best Score, Top Box Office, Sound, and more. Incredibles 2 was nominated for 40 awards, out of which it won 7, including Favorite Family Movie and Choice Summer Movie at People’s Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards in 2018, respectively.

• Years: 2004-2018
• Genre: Animation, Family, Comedy, Action, Superhero, Spy.
• Director: Brad Bird
• Voice Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox, Eli Fucile, Jason Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Pena, Brad Bird, Teddy Newton, Huckleberry Milner, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Jonathan Banks, Sophia Bush.
• Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar.

24. Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is based on the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Two films have been released now: Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

A third installment was intended to be made by Warner Bros. in 2011 but is stuck in development hell. Although in 2020, Downey and his team did mention that they are working on taking the franchise further by creating movies, tv-series (for HBO Max,) spin-offs, and more.

Both parts one and two of the movie series include Sherlock and his partner Dr. Watson solving crime and uncovering the truth. In the installment, they uncover the truth of a secret society that is supposedly using supernatural means to take over Britain.

In the second installment, they face their old acquaintance, Moriarty, and travel across Europe. The first installment was nominated for 5 awards out of which it won 3 while the second was nominated for 6 and won none.

• Years: 2009-2011
• Genre: Period, Detective, Mystery, Drama, Action.
• Director: Guy Ritchie.
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Mark Strong, Rachel McAdams, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan, Hans Matheson, Geraldine James, James Fox, William Hope, William Houston, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry, Paul Anderson.
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, Redbox.

23. John Wick

John Wick is considered to be one of the best action films ever made and a revival film for Keanu Reeves. The three installments revolve around a former hitman, John Wick, who was an orphan and was raised by a Russian Mafia.

The first installment shows his hunt for the people who broke into his house and killed his dog (which was the last memory of his deceased wife), and they also took his beloved car. The film that he hired as a hitman 5 years ago.

In the second installment, he is to repay his debt to an Italian crime lord; although he doesn’t want a do such a thing, he is forced and betrayed.

In the third installment, Joh Wick is using his contacts from his previous life to save himself and is on the run from the people of the high table as they have put up a $14 million bounty on his head. He is on the run because he broke one of the prominent rules to not kill on the Continental Hotel Grounds.

All three films were a commercial success and were praised for their action sequences, narration, direction, Reeves’s performance, visual style, and editing. John wick 3 was nominated for 39 awards in total, out of which it won 18 and 2 runner-ups, and one at 7th place. It was nominated for 5 awards at Golden Trailer Awards and won all of them.

Now three films: John Wick (2014), John wick: Chapter 2 (2017), and John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum (2019), have been released. A fourth installment, John Wick: Chapter 4, is scheduled to be released on March 24, 2023.

John Wick: Chapter 5 was supposed to be shot back-to-back with Chapter 4 but now is in the production stage. One spin-off movie, Ballerina, is also in production, which will show the events between Chapters 3 & 4 of the character Rooney.

• Years: 2014-2019
• Genre: Action, Thriller.
• Director: Chad Stahelski.
• Cast: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Bridget Moynahan, John Leguizamo, Thomas Sadoski, David Patrick Kelly, Randall Duck Kim, Laurence Fishburne, Tobias Segal, Riccardo Scamarcio, Robin Lord Taylor, Unity Phelan.
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Vudu.

22. Despicable Me 

Despicable Me has been a huge success in monetary terms and became one of the highest-grossing animated film series ever made. The movies were well received by the critics and by the audience too. It has 3 full-length feature films and two prequels. A fourth installment, Despicable Me 4, is scheduled to be released on July 3, 2024, and is directed by Chris Renaud.

The main feature film revolves around Gru, who is a former supervillain and now has adopted three girls to start a family. In the first installment, he is trying to steal the moon with the help of minions. In the second installment, Gru becomes a secret agent recruited by Lucy Wilde to investigate the stolen PX-41. During his investigation, he gets to meet his ideal supervillain, who faked his death.

In the third part, Gru is reunited with his brother Dru, and both go on a mission to save Hollywood from getting destroyed by the hands of Balthazar Bratt. The prequels show how minions found Gru and made him their master. The second installment followed after that, where Gru, in his journey to becoming the deadliest supervillain ever, destroyed the Vicious 6. Of course, with the help of minions. 

All five films have been nominated for 133 awards and won 16 (excluding nominations), plus one runner-up, and 3 are pending. Despicable Me won Top Box Office Film at British Academy Film Awards (2011), Favorite Animated Movie at Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards (2011), and Best Animated Females at the Women Film Critics Awards (2010). Despicable Me 2 and Minions both won Favorite Family Movie at the People’s Choice Awards in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

Films:

1. Despicable Me (2010).
2. Despicable Me 2 (2013).
3. Despicable Me 3 (2017).

Prequels:

1. Minions (2015).
2. Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).

Short Films:

1. Home Makeover (2010).
2. Orientation day (2010).
3. Banana (2010).
4. Puppy (2013).
5. Panic in the Mailroom (2013).
6. Training Wheels (2013).
7. Binky Nelson Unpacified (2015).
8. Competition (2015).
9. Cro Minion (2015).
10. Mower Minion (2016).
11. The Secret Life of Kyle (2017).
12. Yellow is the New Black (2018).
13. Santa’s Little Helpers (2019).
14. Minions Scouts (2019).
15. Minions & Monsters (2021).
16. Post Modern Minion (2022).

• Years: 2010-2022
• Genre: Family, Comedy, Animation.
• Directors (Main Series): Chris Renaud & Pierre Coffin (1-2), Pierre Coffin & Kyle Balda (3).
• Directors (Prequel Series): Pierre Coffin & Kyle Balda (1), Kyle Blada (2).
• Voice Cast: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Miaranda Cosgrove, Will Arnett, Julie Andrews, Pierre Coffin, Michael Keaton, Sandra Bullock, Lucy Lawless, Jean-Claude van Damme, Michelle Yeoh, Taraji P. Henson.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+.

Also Read: 10 Animated Movies To Watch If You Loved Megamind

21. Fifty Shades

Fifty Shades is one of the most talked about and known film series when it comes to the erotic genre of movies. The trilogy may have received negative reviews and Worst Picture Award (for the first part), but it was a commercial hit and was the gossip of the year.

The movies are based on the novel series of the same name by E. L. James. The music score was appreciated. Fifty Shades did have a lot of lawsuits and objections to its rating. Many protested in their countries not to release the movie in the theatre, although some modifications and cuts were made.

The story follows Anastasia Steele, who is a college graduate, and Christian Grey, who is a business tycoon. During an interview with Grey, Anastasia and Grey form a relationship, but Grey has difficult plans. They both signed a sexual contract where they were not allowed to fall in love, and their relationship was strictly for sexual pleasure only.

The second and third installments of the movie were even more heavily criticized. It was criticized for pacing, screenplay, narration, and acting. The stories only included strong sexual and nudity content, and I forgot to add the story. The series won a lot of “Worst” awards. Even with such heavy criticism, the series was a commercial hit, and one of the most talked about film series amongst young adults.

Movies:

1. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015).
2. Fifty Shades Darker (2017).
3. Fifty Shades Freed (2018).

• Years: 2015-2018
• Genre: Erotic, Adult, Romance, Drama.
• Directors: Sam Taylor-Johnson (1) and James Foley (2 & 3).
• Cast: Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Victor Rasuk, Luke Grimes, Marcia Gay Harden, Rita Ora, Max Martini, Andrew Airlie, Jennifer Ehle, Dylan Neal, Callum Keith Rennie, Eric Johnson, Bruce Altman, Robinne Lee, Amy Price-Francis.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video.

20. The Exorcist

The Exorcist, especially 1973 one, is the most talked about and most frightening horror movie ever made. It was the highest-grossing R-rated horror film ever made until It was released in 2017. Isn’t it odd that the film got an R-rating instead of an X, considering that the film contains many traumatic events? Well, a lot of controversies did surround the movie, including its ratings of it.

It was said that many people who went to watch the movie had heart attacks, some pucked and some fainted. Even though the film was R-rated to make it more successful, children were not allowed to see it.

One of the majorly talked about scenes of the movie is where Regan is possessed, and she masturbates with a crucifix. Weird, right?! Well, it is considered to be the most discussed topic on set, and filming was even more difficult (we will talk about it in a bit).

Coming to the story is about a young girl who gets possessed, and a group of priest exorcist that demon out of her. The story is based on the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, who also gave the screenplay of it. The film was nominated for 17 awards and won 6 out of them, becoming the first R-rated horror film to be nominated for Best Picture Award at the Academy Awards. 

The Exorcist created a wave and inspired many other movies in the same genre. It has been reviewed by many critics, and everyone deftly that one point in common it is the most disturbing and horrifying horror film ever made. The film was also rumored to be cursed as some of the deaths happened on set.

The director of the film, William Friedkin, had a different approach to the filming of the film and wanted everything to be realistic. For example, he cast real priests and medical personnel, and he made the temperature of the set go below 0 degrees; Dietz inserted a bloody-soaked sponge into her stomach to make the crucifix scene seem real.

The film also has three sequels, two prequels, and a television series. The second installment of the series, Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), was considered the worst film ever made but did receive a good box office collection. The story continued four years after the event of Exorcist (1973) and was about Regan recovering from past traumatic events.

In 1990, William Peter Blatty came to the rescue of the movie series and directed and wrote the movie himself, and gave us Exorcist III, which completely ignored the events of the previous installment.

The third installment followed directly after 15 years of the events of Exorcist (1973), ignoring the events of II, which revolve around William F. Kinderman, who is in Georgetown and investigating the deaths that occurred by a dead serial killer. It was the end of the Faith Trilogy.

Exorcist IV and V are prequels to the 1973 Exorcist. Exorcist: The beginning is the original prequel, but following the criticism, an alternative prequel, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, was released, which wasn’t much of a success either. The Exorcist TV Series was also aired on Fox in 2016 & 17 for 2 seasons and 20 episodes.

Films:

Faith Trilogy:

1. Exorcist (1973).
2. Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977).
3. Exorcist III (1990).

Prequels:

1. Exorcist: The Beginning (2004).
2. Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005).

• Years: 1973-2005
• Genre: Horror, Supernatural
• Directors: William Friedkin (1), John Boorman (2), William Peter Blatty (3), Renny Harlin (4), Paul Schrader (5).
• Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Scott Wilson, Brad Dourif, Stellan Skarsgard, Izabella Scorupco, James D’Arcy, Ralph Brown, Ben Cross.
• Where to Watch: HBO Max, Vudu, iTunes.

19. James Bond

James Bond is the biggest and oldest spy thriller action media franchise. Various actors played the role of James Bond in the films (names are listed below). They are 27 movies in total, out of which 25 were produced by Eon. In 60 and sixty years, they have been nominated for 38 awards in total and have won 15.

James Bond is British Spy for works for MI6, which is Secret Intelligent Service (SIS), where he has the codename 007. Throughout the films, he goes on a deadly mission and solves the mysteries and crimes with a touch of action and humor in it. James Bind is the 6th highest-grossing film franchise ever made.

Bond Films in order of their release (produced by Eon):

1. Dr. No (1962).
2. From Russia with Love (1963).
3. Goldfinger (1964).
4. Thunderball (1965).
5. You Only Live Twice (1967).
6. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).
7. Diamonds Are Forever (1971).
8. Live and Let Die (1973).
9. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
10. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
11. Moonraker (1979).
12. For Your Eyes Only (1981).
13. Octopussy (1983).
14. A View to a Kill (1985).
15. The Living Daylights (1987).
16. License to Kill (1989).
17. Golden Eye (1995).
18. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).
19. The World Is Not Enough (1999).
20. Die Another Day (2002).
21. Casino Royale (2006).
22. Quantum of Solace (2008).
23. Skyfall (2012).
24. Spectre (2015).
25. No Time to Die (2021).

Films not produced by Eon:

1. Casino Royale (1967).
2. Never Say Never Again (1983).

• Years: 1962-2021
• Genre: Spy, Thriller, Action, Adventure.
• Directors (Eon Films): Terence Young (1-2, 4), Guy Hamilton (3, 7-9), Lewis Gilbert (5, 10-11), Peter R. Hunt (6), John Glen (12-16), Martin Campbell (17,21), Roger Spottiswoode (18), Michael Apted (19), Lee Tamahori (20), Marc Forster (22), Sam Mendes (23-24), Cary Joji Fukunaga (25).
• Directors (Non-Eon Films): Ken Hughes, Jon Huston, Joseph, McGrath, Robert, Parrish Val Guest, Richard, and Talmadge directed Casino Royale, and Irvin Kershner directed Never Say Never Again.
• Cast (who played James Bond): Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, David Niven.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video.

18. The Divergent Series

The Divergent Series is a trilogy of films based on the novel series of the same name by Veronica Roth. The series revolves around Beatrice Prior, who was later named Tris. The series has been nominated for 25 awards in total and won 4.

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago, which is surrounded by a huge fence, and the people there are never allowed to cross it and are believed to be the only humans left in the world. Their ancestors, who created the wall, also created five fractions for the people to bring peace and harmony.

The factions are Abnegation, who are the most selfless people and govern the state, Amity who are the most peaceful and work in agriculture, Candor the most honest and run the law, Erudite the intellectual and know it all people and the last Dauntless, who are the most fearless and are the soldiers.

Every person in Chicago is supposed to choose one faction, or else they will be factionless, have no food or home, and live o the streets. While taking the test, Tris’s life changed. She didn’t fit any of the factions and was called a ‘Divergent,’ which she is supposed to keep a secret. The first installments of the series show how Tris and her love interest Four, the two Divergent broke out of the Dauntless area. 

In the second installment, they are on the run as the erudite’s people are killing abnegation as abnegation was hiding something. Four and Tris are seeking refuge. In the third part, Tris and Four, along with some friends, cross the fence to the other world only to find out that what they believed in was only a lie.

They have lied about their life, and all those people died in vain. They are an experiment. After getting to know, Tris and the team return to Chicago and challenge the outside world.

Although the film was not concluded in the third part, the makers canceled the fourth installment (The Divergent Series: Ascendant) because of the poor perforce and negative reviews from critics and audiences.

They did plan to go for television series that they wanted to go beyond the novels, but it was also canceled because of the lack of cast members returning. So, for now, we are assuming that the story will never be completed and will always be left on a cliffhanger.

The movies:

1. Divergent (2014).
2. The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015).
3. The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016).

• Years: 2014-2016
• Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Dystopian.
• Directors: Neil Burger (1) and Robert Schwentke (2-3).
• Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Ray Stevenson, Maggie Q, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Mekhi Phifer, Ben Llyod-Hughes, Justine Wachsberger, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Jonny Weston.
• Where to Watch: HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix.

Also Read: NFL Star Aaron Rodgers And Shailene Woodley Split-Up Yet Again

17. Mission: Impossible

Mission Impossible is based on the television series of the same name, which initially aired for 7 seasons & 171 episodes on CBS from 1996 to 1973. Later, the series also released two more seasons with 35 episodes on ABC in 1988. The whole Mission Impossible movie series is said to be the 18th highest-grossing film series of all time, with Fallout contributing the most.

The movie series mainly revolves around Impossible Missions Force (IMF) Agent Ethan Hunt. The movie series follows a different case and location in every installment. The most appreciated aspect of the movie series was its action sequence and Cruise’s performance, as most of the stunts were performed by him only.

The aspects like narration, direction, cast, and humor are just a plus to the franchise. It is considered the best spy action franchise.

MI: Ghost Protocol had been nominated for 14 awards and won 2 (excluding nominations). Rogue Nation was nominated for 10 awards and won none, and Fallout was nominated for 19 awards and won 6 out of them, including Best Action Movie and Best Action or Adventure Film at Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and Saturn Awards, respectively. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and Two are already set to be released in July 2023 and June 2024.

Movies in order of their release:

1. Mission Impossible (1996).
2. Mission Impossible 2 (2000).
3. Mission Impossible III (2006).
4. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011).
5. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015).
6. Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018).
7. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023).
8. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part Two (2024).

• Years: 1996-2018
• Genre: Action, Spy, Thriller.
• Directors: Brian De Palma (1), John Woo (2), J. J. Abrams (3), Brad Bird (4-5), Christopher McQuarrie (6-8).
• Cast: Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Andreas Wisniewski, Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan, Jeremy Renner, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin.
• Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Fubo TV, Paramount+.

16. Train to Busan

Train to Busan is a zombie apocalypse movie. The first installment follows Su-an, a girl, and Seong-kyeong, a pregnant lady, who are the only two people who survived the attack by zombies on the train from Seoul to Busan.

The second installment is considered a bit inferior to the first one. The story follows a group of people who are led by a former soldier to the Korean peninsula to rob a truck of money. The twist is that that place is full of zombies.

The first installment was nominated for 31 awards and won 10 out of them, while the second was nominated only for 5 and won 1 out of them for Best Technical Awards at the 26th Chunsa Film Art Awards (2021). A prequel animated film, Seoul Station, was also released in 2016. An American remake of the film, The Last Train to New York, was also scheduled to be released in April 2023 but was later removed from the schedule.

• Years: 2016-2020
• Genre: Action, Horror, Zombie, Heist.
• Director: Yeon Sang-ho
• Cast: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Sohee, Kim Eui-sung, Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Kwon Hae-hyo, Kim Min-jae, Lee Re, Bella Rahim.
• Where to Watch: Disney+

15. Cars

Cars is one of a kind movie and probably one of the best movie series produced by Pixar. It has 3 full-length main movies, many spin-offs, television series, short films, video games, theme parks, and more. When Disneytoon ended, it canceled a lot of prequels and sequels to the Cars spin-off film Planes. Disney was also trying to expand the car media by exploring other modes like the metro, trains, and boats.

The Cars trilogy is set in a fictional world where there are anthropomorphic cars and other vehicles. The story revolves around Lighting McQueen, who is a new-age Rookie racing car and is on his way to California to race in the Piston Cup against his rival Chick Hicks.

On his way there, he gets lost and reaches a small town, Radiator Springs. His time there helped him to understand a lot of things. Doc Hudson helped and mentored him and became his crew chief.

During McQueen’s time in Radiator Springs, he got a best friend and a love interest. He also made a headquarter there to help in the business of the people there. The second installment features a three-race event in Japan, Italy, and England in which McQueen competes against Francesco Bernoulli.

The story features ‘lemons’ who are history’s biggest loser cars. The event, in turn, was done by Axlerod, and his truth was discovered by McQueen’s best friend, Mater, who was mistaken as a spy.

The third installment shows the struggle of Lightning to compete with the new-age racers. His trainer Cruz Ramirez always wanted to be a racer herself but never got the confidence.

While training with Lightning at Hudson’s old place, Ramirez improved, and at the race, Lighting gave a chance to her to compete there and became her chief. He trained her and competed with her. He also painted himself in memory of the Late Doc Hudson.

Cars trilogy has been nominated for 64 awards in total and won 17  till now, including Best Animation Film and Best Song (Our Town) at Golden Globes and Grammy Awards, respectively. It also won Favorite Family Film at People’s Choice Awards.

The makers have said that there might be a possible sequel to the movie if there is a good story to tell. If Cruz is a breakthrough character like Mater was, then they would include her in the fourth film. Nothing had been confirmed, though. 

Other Media:

Television Series:

1. Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales (2008-2012).
2. Cars Toons: Tales from Radiator Springs (2013-2014).
3. Cars on the Road (2022).

Short Films:

1. Mater and the Ghostlight (2006).
2. Miss fritter’s Racing Skoool (2017).
3. Pixar Popcorn Shorts: Unparalleled Parking & Dancing with the Cars (2021).

• Years: 2006-2017
• Genre: Sports, Comedy, Animation, Racing.
• Directors: John Lasseter (1-2), Brian Fee (3).
• Cast: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Guido Quaroni, Cheech Marin, Jenifer Lewis, Paul Dooley, George carlin, Michael Wallis, Katherine Helmond, Richard King, Jeff Gordon, Cristela Alonzo, Armie Hammer.
• Spin-offs: Planes (2013), Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014).
• Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar

14. Evil Dead

The plot of the first installment of Evil Dead follows a group of five friends who go to a cabin in the woods for a vacation. They found a video there that unleashed demons and processed four of them. Ash Williams is the only one who is not possessed and must survive the deadly outbreak to return home.

The second movie is also on the same lines, but instead of the group,  William goes to the cabin with his girlfriend and gets possessed himself, which leaves him tormented. In the third movie, William is stuck in the medieval period and has to fight demons to return to the present. Evil Dead (2013) is just a remake of Evil Dead (1981).

The fifth installment of the series, Evil Dead Rise, is scheduled to be released on April 21, 2023, in the US. A tv series, Ash vs. Evil Dead, was released between 2015-2018 for 3 seasons and 30 episodes. Evil Dead II was nominated for 6 Awards and won none. Evil Dead (2013) was nominated for 22 awards in total, out of which it won 5.

Movies:

1. Evil Dead(1981).
2. Evil Dead II (1987).
3. Army of Darkness (1992).
4. Evil Dead (2013).
5. Evil Dead Rise (2023-TBR).

• Years: 1981-2013
• Genre: Horror, Supernatural.
• Director: Sam Raimi (1-3), Fede Alvarez (4).
• Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly, Sam Raimi, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Kassie Wesley, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gibert, Richard Grove, Angela Featherstone, Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas, Rupert Degas. 
• Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video.

13. The Terminator

The Terminator is a futurist sci-fi film where a killing machine robot, Terminator T-800, is sent back to 1984 from 2029 to kill Sarah Connor, who will be the reason for the end of the company Skynet. To protect Sarah, the Resistance (people who fight against Skynet) sent a soldier, Kyle Reese, to 1984 too. The movie was well-received critically and commercially. 

In the second installment, Skynet sends T-1000 Terminator to 1995 to kill John Connor (son of Sarah), and Resistance sends a reprogrammed T-800 to protect him. The third installment features a female terminator, T-X, sent by Skynet to kill other members of the Resistance. As John’s location is unknown, the Resistance sends T-800 to protect John and Kate.

The fourth film is set in the future of the series instead of the past, making it a soft reboot of the series. It features John Connor and the other Resistance fighting against the cyborg. It is the only film that doesn’t feature Arnold and shows the origin of the Terminator T-800.

Terminator Genisys, the fifth installment, is the reboot of the series, which again features the original story where Kyle Reeves is sent to 1984 from 2029 but with a twist. This time, T-800 didn’t kill Sarah instead he re-programmed and is raising Sarah.

The sixth installment is a direct sequel to the second one ignoring the events of the third, fourth, and fifth, which is set 25 years after the events o Terminator 2, where Sarah and T-800 are seeking revenge against Skynet for killing Sarah’s son in 1998. Along the mission, they meet, Grace, a soldier from the feature sent by Resistance to protect Dani while Rev-9 is sent by Skynet to kill Dani.

While the first three movies of the series are well acclaimed by audiences and critics, the others failed to amuse them. Even Cameron accepted that bringing back Arnold and Linda for Dark Fate had been a mistake and will possibly work to reboot the series with a new cast and story. The series had been nominated for 29 awards in total and won 3 out of them.

Movies in order of their release:

1. The Terminator (1984).
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
3. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003).
4. Terminator Salvation (2009).
5. Terminator Genisys (2015).
6. Terminator: Dark Fate (2019).

• Years: 1984-2019
• Genre: Action, Thriller, Time Travel, Cyborg.
• Directors: James Cameron (1-2), Jonathan Mostow (3), McG (4), Alan Taylor (5), Tim Miller (6).
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Earl Boen, Lance Henriksen, Sam Worthington, Kristanna Loken, Mackenzie Davis, Robert Patrick, Emilia Clarke, Claire Danes, Michael Edwards, Helena Bonham Carter, Jai Courtney, Christian Bale, Tom Hopper.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu.

Also Read: Terminator Anime Series Confirmed for Netflix

12. Rocky

The rocky franchise is one of the biggest and best sports franchises ever made. It is also the highest-grossing sports franchise. Each installment of the movie broke records at its time. There are 6 main feature films released to date. Two spin-offs with Sylvester Stallone reprising his role as Rocky in Creed with Creed III to be released on March 3, 2023.

Sylvester may have hinted to fans about a seventh Rocky movie, a spin-off on Drago, and a prequel tv series (for Amazon, as they bought the rights to Rocky). The whole series has been nominated for 51 awards and won 15 out of them including Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing for Rocky I but the last movie was not nominated for any awards and the fourth and fifth got nominations in the worst category.

Now, the story revolves around Rocky Balboa, who is a small-time boxer and is trying to make a living with his love Adrian Pennino. His life changed when heavyweight Champion boxer Apollo Creed challenged him to match. Although Rocky loses the match, he gains respect.

Rocky II shows the afterlife of Rocky after the events of the first installment. Rocky has spent all the money and is struggling to make a living again. On the other, Creed is also facing criticism, so he challenges Rocky again. Rocky wins, and Creed wins his fans again.

In Rocky III, Balboa is challenged by James Lang, but because of the serious condition of Rocky’s trainer Mickey he is not in his right mindset and loses the match. Mickey dies after the match. Seeing this, Apollo Creed offers his help and trains Rocky to fight in his old way, but with techniques and skills, a rematch happens. Rocky wins. Apollo and Rocky are friends now.

Rocky is again challenged in Rocky IV, but this time by a USSR, Ivan Drago, who trains with all the new-age gym equipment. Apollo takes the beating for Rocky and dies. To honor Creed, Rocky asks for a match on Christmas Day. Rocky trains in an old-fashioned way. On Matchday, Rocky takes the beating and wins the match and the heart of the foreign audience.

Rocky V starts by discovering that Rocky has brain damage and finally retires from boxing. He and his family return to their old life. Rocky, however, was struggling financially and decided to reopen Mickey’s old gym, where he met Tommy Gunn and started training him. Tommy leaves Rocky for Duke, wins the title, challenges Rocky, Rocky leaves and challenges him on the streets. Rocky wins.

Rocky Balboa, the sixth installment, takes place 20 years after the events of the last film in which Balboa’s wife had died, and he opened a restaurant in her memory. After seeing a fight on ESPN between him and Mason Dixon, he decides to get into the ring, almost wins, and loses the way he did in the first film. He visits his wife’s grave and says, Yo Adrain, we did it (which became an active topic for the meme community on social media).

Movies:

1. Rocky (1976).
2. Rocky II (1979).
3. Rocky III (1982).
4. Rocky IV (1985).
5. Rocky V (1990).
6. Rocky Balboa (2006).

Spin-off Movies:

1. Creed (2015).
2. Creed II (2018).

• Years: 1976-2018
• Genre: Sports Drama.
• Directors: John G. Avildsen (1, 5). Sylvester Stallone (2-4,6).
• Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Tony Burton, Lavelle Roby, Joe Spinell, Pedro Lovell, Geraldine Hughes, Saga Stallone, Mr. T, Dolph Lundgren, Tommy Morrison, Brigitte Nielsen, Antonio Tarver.
• Spin-offs: Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), Creed III (2023-TBR).
• Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar.

11. Raimi’s Spider-Man

Another San Raimi movie series. I bet you were waiting for this one. Many spidermen may come and go, but Tobey Maguire is gonna be our favorite for life. He taught us to eat our greens, right?! Btw, I don’t know about you, but I am still standing with #MakeRaimiSpiderMan4.

I mean, we need it, but as Raimi had said, he had no intention of directing such a film, so we think it’s not going to happen. The series has been nominated for 110 awards in total and won 24 out of them.

Spider-Man is considered to be the film that shaped the comics adaptation into films, and the fact is true. Spider-Man (2002) was in development hell since the 1980s, and when it finally came to the big screen, it became the highest-grossing superhero film, 3rd of 2022 and 6th overall.

Spider-Man 2 was also the 3rg highest-grossing film and the greatest superhero film ever made. The same goes with Spider-Man 3, although the part grossed the highest amongst the three films and was also the highest-grossing Spider-Man film till Far From Home was released in 2019. 

The movie has three installments following the life of Peter Parker, who was bitten by a genetically-altered spider, after which he gained superpowers like spider senses, the ability to crawl onto walls, super strength, and more.

The first part follows this origin as a Spider-Man who is fighting Green Goblin who is terrorizing New York City. At first, it was Peter’s duty to protect the city, and later, after the death of his Uncle Ben, it became personal for him to take revenge.

The second part continues his story, where he is fighting with Otto Octavius, who has four mechanical tentacles and an alter-ego to destroy everything. Although, Peter is also struggling to maintain his hidden life as Spider-Man and is still in love with MJ.

In Spider-Man 3, Harry Osborn succeeds in taking the place of his father as New Goblin, a new villain. The Sandman escapes prison, and an alien symbiotic is transfused with Spider-Man to create an all-new alter-ego for him. So, in this film, Peter has three villains. Although, Raimi added Venom (Eddie Brock) later at the request of the producer.

A Venom Spin-off, three direct sequels to Spider-Man were canceled after being in development hell for years. What is it with Sider-Man and canceled sequels? All the films have been commercial hits and well-received by audiences and critics, but Spider-Man 3 did receive slightly mixed reviews on the plot. The films have been praised for their action sequence, cast performance, direction, costume, special effects, musical score, and more.

• Years: 2002-2007
• Genre: Superhero, Action.
• Director: Sam Raimi.
• Cast: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, Rosemary Harris, Alfred Molina, J. K. Simmons, Daniel Gillies, Christine Estabrook, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Cromwell.
• Where to Watch: Hulu+, Netflix.

10. The Hangover

The Hangover trilogy is about a group of friends: Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug, known as the wolfpack. The first installment, The Hangover (2009), involves them going to Las Vegas to have a bachelor party for Doug. Although they might have a little too much fun as the next morning, the groom is missing, and no one remembers a single thing.

The second installment, The Hangover Part II (2014), revolves around the same lines when they all travel to Bangkok for Stu’s wedding but keeping in mind what happened when they had Doug’s bachelor, Stu didn’t take any chances and went for a nice little brunch with his guys, but of course, t didn’t turn out the way he thought it would.

They get a hangover again. Someone goes missing again. No memories again. Only this time, no one from the wolfpack got missing. It was Stu’s to-be brother-in-law, Teddy.

The third installment, The Hangover Part III (2013), is all about getting that brotherly love and wolfpack back. Alan is the only one who is not settled in the wolfpack. After the death of his father, he decides to put everything behind him, even his wolfpack and marries Cassandra. However, things are not so different as he thought as he goes on an unexpected adventure funny road trip with the boys.

All the movies in the series have been well-received by audiences and critics. It was a critical and commercial success. It had been nominated for 14 awards, out of which 3 were won. The Hangover (2009) also made it to the Top 10 films list issued by the American Film Institute.

• Years: 2009-2013
• Genre: Comedy.
• Director: Todd Philips.
• Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Sondra Currie, Sasha Barrese, Gillian Vigman, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Grant Holmquist, Mike Valley, Rachael Harris, Mike Tyson, Jamie Chung, Nirut Sirjanya,
• Where to Watch: Peacock, HBO Max, Netflix, Prime Video.

9. The Matrix

The revolutionary series. The Matrix changed the visions people had for action movies, especially of its bullet time effect. It introduced the concept of the red pill and blue pill, choice vs. control, brain in a vat, and more. The Matrix Reloaded (2003) was the highest-grossing R-rated film until Deadpool (2016). All the films are well received by critics and audiences and were praised for their action sequence, story, direction, musical score, and more.

The Matrix is based on the future of AI, where machines have kept humans in a pod and are extracting their bioelectricity and thermal energy to provide themselves with the solar energy they need. They have trapped humans in a virtual reality called The Matrix, and the people stuck there are unaware of it.

Although those who get aware and get free from the pods revoked a revolution against the machines, the people have attained some kind of superpower while inside the matrix by understanding the laws of physics there.

All the films were received, but the first two films are said to be more significant for the series’ success. They were praised for their action sequence, direction, story, emotional weightage, narration, special effects, cast performance, and more. The two parts were praised on the same lines but were sightly trolled for their storyline and plot.

The series had been nominated for 112 awards in total, out of which it won 37. The Matrix was nominated for 4 Academy Awards and won all of them, which were Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and Best Visual Effects. The comics, video games, and animations that The Matrix series have spawned are important as some of them tell the origins of the story and some of them carry the legacy forward.

Movies:

1. The Matrix (1999).
2. The Matrix Reloaded (2003).
3. The Matrix Revolutions (2003).
4. The Matrix Resurrections (2021).

Direct-to-Video:

1. The Matrix Revisited (2001).
2. The Animatrix (2003).

Video Games:

1. Enter the Matrix (2003).
2. The Matrix Online (2005-2009).
3. The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005).
4. The Matrix Awakens (2021).

• Years: 1999-2021
• Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Cyberpubk, Dystopia.
• Directors: The Wachowskis (1-3), Lana Wachowski (4).
• Cast: Keanu Reeves, Steven Roy, James McTeigue, Carrie-Anne Moss, Sarah McTeigue, Laurence Fishburne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Harold Perrineau, Harry Lennix, Clayton Watson, David Roberts, Nathaniel Less, Hugo Weaving, Robert Taylor, Matt McColm, Priyanka Chopra Jones.
• Where to Watch: HBO Max.

Also Read: Lara Dutta Reveals the Real Reason Behind Rejecting Keanu Reeves ‘The Matrix

8. Die Hard

Die Hard has five movies in the franchise, and four of them are adaptations. Die Hard is based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever (1979) by Roderick Thorp, Die Hard 2 is based on the novel 58 Minutes (1987) by Walter Wager, Die Hard with a Vengeance is based on the script Simon Says by Jonathan Hensleigh, Live Free or Die Hard is based on article A Farewell o Arms (1997) by John Carlin.

Die Hard franchise is about John McClane, who is a police detective. In the first part, McClane stops a terrorist attack at the Nakatomi Plaza. In the second part, he stops by a partnership between ASF Colonel Stuart and a Latin American dictator at the Washington Dulles International Airport.

The third part starts with him being suspended and being an alcoholic until one day, he is threatened by terrorists to play Simon Says. That terrorist was the brother of the terrorist McClane killed in the first part.

The last two parts are about family and duty. The terrorist kidnaps McClane’s daughter so that he brings them the hacker Matt Farrell so that they can use him to start cyber warfare. In the end, McClane saves the day. In the last part, McClane discovers that his son is an undercover CIA operative and helps him in completing the task.

Movies: 

1. Die Hard (1988).
2. Die Hard 2 (1990).
3. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995).
4. Live Free or Die Hard (2007).
5. A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).

• Years: 1988-2013
• Genre: Action, Cop.
• Directors: John McTiernan (1,3), Renny Harlin (2), Len Wiseman (4), John Moore (5).
• Cast: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton, Taylor Fry, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Noah Land, Jai Courtney, De’voreaux White, Alan Rickman, Paul Gleason.
• Where to Watch: iTunes, Vudu.

7. Toy Story

Toy Story is one of the highest-grossing animated films ever made. Every installment broke a lot of previous records making it the highest-grossing animated film of that year. Toy Story, the first installment, created history by being the first film to be made purely by using CGIs.

Toy Story, the whole, as a movie series, is the 19th highest-grossing and 3rd highest-grossing animated film franchise ever made. Toy Story was the first animated film to gross $1 billion and was the highest-grossing film of 2010. 

Toy Story is about anthropomorphic toys who have feelings and lives to make their kid, their owner, happy. The first installment features Andy, who bought a new toy, a space figure, Buzz Lightyear making his old toy Sheriff Woody, a cowboy who feels that he has been replaced by him.

Accidentally, Woody throws Lightyear out of the window and ends up at the neighbor’s kid’s house and tortures toys. Woody goes on an adventure to save Lightyear.

The second installment follows when Woody is stolen by Al McWhiggin. Lightyear and others journey to save Woody. On their journeys, they discover the truth about Woody and Lightyear’s origin. New characters are introduced.

The third installment takes place 10 years after the events of the second one, where Andy’s toys accidentally get dropped into the charity box while he packs to go to college; upon reaching the orphanage, they got know about Lotso, who is greedy and is the leader of the toys. Although Woody stays with Bonnie. In the end, Andy hands over his toys to Bonnie.

Fourth, we said farewell to Woody, which got us crying. Woody feels old and out because he is not Bonnie’s favorite. During a road trip, Woody meets his old friend Bo Peep and, in the end, decides to leave others and Bonnie and overcome his fear of being a ‘lost toy’ and go with Bo Peep.

The movie series has been nominated for 214 awards in total, out of which they won 100 awards, including the Academy Award for Special Achievement (John Lasseter) for Toy Story (1995), Best Animated Feature & Best Original Score for Toy Story 3 and Best Animated Feature for Toy Story 4.

• Years: 1995-2019
• Genre: Family, Comedy, Animation, Adventure.
• Directors: John Lasseter (1-2), Lee Unkrich (3), Josh Cooley (4).
• Voice Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Blake Clark, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Annie Potts, Jeff Pidgeon, John Morris, Jodi Benson, Emily Hahn, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks.
• Spin-offs: Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins (2000), Lightyear (2022).
• Where to Watch: Disney+

6. Jurassic Park

Okay, let’s talk about some numbers first. Jurrasic Park is one of the highest-grossing film series ever made. Jurassic World (2001) is currently the highest-grossing film of all time, and the other movies of the franchise have also reached the $1 Billion mark worldwide, but why haven’t we put the series above? Because the stats might be good, but the new trilogy that started in 2015 failed to have a good narrative and storyline.

The first installment starts with John Hammond opening a theme park where his team has created breathing, lining clone dinosaurs by using a mixture of fossil fuel and cross-breeding. When one of the lead programmers cuts the power, the dinosaurs escape, and the people in the park run for their life.

The second installment is somewhat on the same line and is set four years after the events of the first installment. In this part, on the one hand, John Hammond, the business, asks Malcolm to go to the Isla Sorna island, where they used to keep the dinosaurs, before bringing them to the park and making that island a preserve where the dinosaurs are not disturbed by any outside force.

On the other hand, Hammond’s nephew has sent a team of hunters to bring the dinosaurs back to San Diego. When the two teams clash, and the dinosaur chases them, they had to work together to make it out alive on the island.

The Kirbys hire Alan Grant to take them to give a tour of the Isla Sorna but later force him to land on the island. Little did Alan know that Kirbys were there to find their son Eric who was lost while parasailing now; they have to survive the deadly dinosaurs on the island and find Eric too.

Jurassic Park has been named one of the best dinosaur movies ever made. They have made CGIs be used more in movies. They had to create really big dinosaur sculptures. They have used motion-controlled artifacts and people in dinosaur costumes, too for the shootings.

Jurassic Park Movies:

1. Jurassic Park (1993).
2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997).
3. Jurassic Park III (2001).

Jurassic World Movies:

1. Jurassic World (2015).
2. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018).
3. Jurassic World Dominion (2022).

Short Films:

1. Battle at Big Rock (2019).
2. Jurassic World Dominion Prologue (2021).

Animated Series:

1. Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (2020-2022).

• Years: 1993-2022
• Genre: Sci-fi, Action.
• Directors: Steven Spielberg (1-2), Joe Johnston (3).
• Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, B.D. Wong, Joseph Mazzello, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Vanessa Lee Chester, Vince Vaughn, Ariana Richards, Mark Harelik, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Bruce A. Young, William H. Macy.
• Where to Watch: HBO Max, Prime Video, iTunes.

5. Kill Bill

Initially, Kill Bill was supposed to be a single film, but Tarantino being Tarantino, decided to cut the film into two parts to avoid any cuts as it was having a runtime of 4 hours. Well, I guess that’s how you become the greatest director of all time by refusing to fit in a certain time frame because you want everyone to see the beauty of art that you have created. Yup, that was me, having my fangirl moment for Tarantino.

Coming back to Kill Bill, the story is written by Quentin Tarantino himself in which Beatrix Kiddo, also known as The bride and Black Mamba, is on her way to Kill Bill and take revenge on him as he tried to kill her, her groom and her unborn child. The backstory? Bill is her former lover and the leader of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad.

Kill Bill is undoubtedly one of the best action movies ever made. The movie is dedicated to grindhouse cinema, samurai cinema, blaxploitation, martial arts film, and spaghetti westerns. Both the installments were a huge commercial hits and critically acclaimed too. The films have been nominated for 44 awards in total and won 11 out of them.

• Years: 2003-2004
• Genre: Martial Arts, Action.
• Director: Quentin Tarantino
• Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Gordon Liu, Michael Parks, Lucy Liu, Samuel L. Jackson, Larr Bishop, Vivica A. Fox, Sonny Chiba, Julie Dreyfus, Chiaki Kuriyama, Michael Bowen, Kenji Ohba.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Redbox., Apple TV, Vudu.

Also Read: Quentin Tarantino Reveals That He Is A Big Fan Of Peppa Pig

4. Avatar

Avatar is the greatest film franchise ever made and also the most expensive one. It is the 14th highest-grossing film series of all time. It had been praised for every aspect of it.

The first film was released in 2009, and almost a decade later, in 2022, the second installment was released. Three other installments are already lined up to be released in the coming years. All the films have their conclusions that lead to something big and something beyond.

Avatar is titular for the remotely controlled (actually brain-controlled) humanoid Na’vi bodies, which are used by the human characters of the film to interact with the people of Pandora. Why the humans need to do so, you may ask?

Well, Pandora is an Earth-sized moon made of Polyphemus where the natives of the planet are fighting over its resources, and human colonists are the ones fighting with the natives of Pandora. The story takes place in 2154 and turns its events when Jack Sully, a paralyzed ex-marine officer, is incorporated into the program and becomes close to the Na’vi and fights for them.

The Way of Water is about the people of Pandora exploring water resources and animals to keep themselves and the planet safe. The first film was merely an introduction to the characters, the plot, and the story. The second installment is where the characters grow, and the story turns its events. 

Together both movies have been nominated for 227 awards in total, out of which they won 77 awards, including the Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects for Avatar (2009). 44 nominations for Way of Water are pending. The movie series has been praised for its direction, cinematography, visual effects, narration, screenplay, plot, musical score, cast performance, and more.

Two movies of the series Avatar (2009), and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) have already been released. Avatar 3, Avatar 4, and Avatar 5 are set to be released in 2024, 2026, and 2028 as they are in their post-production, filming, and pre-production stages, respectively.

• Years: 2009-2022
• Genre: Epic, Sci-fi.
• Director: James Cameron.
• Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, CCH Pounder, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Wes Studi, Laz Alonso, Kate Winslet, Jemaine Clement, Jack Champion, Britain Dalton.
• Where to Watch: Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV.

3. Indiana Jones

Well, there is surely a lot of history surrounding Indiana Jones, Spielberg, and Lucas, but we are glad Lucas came up with Indiana Jones and Spielberg agreed to make it instead of a Bond film. There are four released parts of the movie series, and the fifth installment is set to be released on June 30, 2023, and directed by James Mangold.

The first installment of the movie is set in 1936 when Indiana Jones and his team are set to find the stolen Ark of the Covenant, which is something Nazis are also looking for. When Indiana and his team locate the Ark, the Germans reach there too. Held them captive, opened the Arks, and died by the wrath of it. Indiana and Marion survive and take the Ark to the US.

The second installment of the movie is where Indy’s Uni or any other political agenda is not featured. The movie is already so dark, and Spielberg and Lucas wanted it to be darker. The story follows when Indiana ends up in a village in India after he escapes from Chinese gangsters with an actress and his sidekick.

The story takes place one year before the events of the first installment, i.e., in 1935, and that’s why it is just an emotionally dark movie. The plot follows Indiana and the team rescuing the children and Sankara Stones from Mola Ram, who was gonna use them to take over the world.

The third installment is all about father-son relations. Indiana is hired by a businessman named Walter Donovan to find the Holy Grail. That is a relic that his father was already trying to find. Later, Indiana discovers that Henry has had his father held captive and is not dead. He saves his father instead of finding the relic and realizes that their relationship is more important than a stupid Grail.

The fourth installment takes place 19 years after the previous installment. Indiana is a professor and now is against the Soviet Union to find the Crystal Skull. In his quest, he is reunited with his son and former lover.

Indiana Jones is a cult classic and had references at many places throughout the history of movies and tv. It has spawned many video games, novels, books, and spin-offs. It also spawned some controversies and lawsuits. Besides that, it had been nominated for 66 awards in total and won 18 out of them.

Movies:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).
3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

• Years: 1981-2008
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Period.
• Director: Steven Spielberg.
• Cast: Harrison Ford, Karn Allen, Johnn Hurt, Amrish Puri, Denholm Elliot, Rona,
• Denholm Elliot, John Rhys-Davies, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, Wolf Kahler, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri, Raj Singh, Roshan Seth, Sean Connery, Julian Grover, J. J. Hardy, Johnn Hurt.
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+, Vudu.

Also Read: 40 Best Classic 80s Movies to Watch Right Now

2. The Dark Knight Trilogy

The Dark Knight Trilogy is one of the best action superhero movies ever made. The Drak Knight (2008) is the 4th highest-grossing film of all time and its sequel, The Dark Knight, is the 12th highest-grossing film of all time. Movies are considered to be one of a kind and have set various records throughout their run in the theatres. 

The films have been praised for their direction, tone, narration, story, emotional aspect, cast performance, dialogues, and more. The films were a success because Nolan’s plan wanted the trilogy to have a much darker tone and wanted to show the aspect of Bruce Wayne and Batman stories equally, which worked.

The first installment followed the original plot and showed how after the death of his parents, Wayne became Batman and trained under the League of Shadows. In this film, he is fighting against Ra al Ghul.

In the second installment, Batman, James Gordon, and Harvey Dent are trying to capture Joker, but Joker is smart and uses Harvey Dent against Batman and terrorizes the city as we have never seen before. In the third installment, Bruce has taken retirement from being Batman and is living his life with his love, but now he is forced by Bane to return and save Gotham City from his terrors.

The movie series was also a success because Nolan used realistic stunts instead of special effects and CGIs. The Dark Knight Trilogy gave birth to the reboot era of the movie series and made a great impact on the films with a much dark and realistic tone.

Batman Begins was nominated for 97 wards in total and won 17 out of them. The Dark Knight was nominated for 178 in total and won 107 out of them. The Dark Knight Rises was nominated for 66 awards and won 22 out of them.

• Years: 2005-2012
• Genre: Action, Superhero, Dark Satire.
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Cast: Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Katie Holmes, Joseph-Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Anne Hathaway, Heath Ledger, Ben Mendelsohn, Liam Neeson, Tom Hardy, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Aaron Eckhart, Rutger Hauer, Cillian Murphy.
• Where to Watch: HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV.

1. The Godfather

The film is a sight to the sore eyes. A film loved by people who appreciate filmmaking as an art and also loved by people for the entertainment it provides. The Godfather is the first film trilogy to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars and to win two (for I & II). Although,  Lord of the Rings is the only second trilogy to do so.

The Godfather Part I, II & III are the story of mafia don Michael Corleone and tell about his rise, stay and demise from the underworld. He belongs to the Corleone family, whose head Vito Corleone is one of the most feared and prominent figures at the crime scene.

Part I is about Vito Corleone’s death and Michael’s rise. Part II is a prequel as well as a sequel. It featured the story of Michael after the events of Part I and the story of Vito when he founded the Corleone family. Part III is an abstract and summary of the previous two parts.

There were plans for making a fourth part of the series, which was later canceled. The Godfather movie series has been nominated for 46 awards in total and has won 24 (excluding the nominations count), along with some great recognition.

Movies:

1. The Godfather (1972).
2. The Godfather Part II (1974).
3. The Godfather Part III (1990).

• Years: 1972-1990
• Genre: Crime
• Director: Francis Ford Coppola
• Cast: Al Pacino, Tere Livrano, Sofia Coppola, Richard Bright, Janet Savarino Smith, Tom Rosqui, John Cazale, Diane Keaton, Simonetta Stefanelli, Al Martino, Jeanne Savarino Pesch, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Joe Spinell
• Where to Watch: Prime Video, Netflix.

Also Read: 52 Best British Movies That You Should Consider Watching