Making a truly perfect film trilogy is not an easy task, as it is a challenge for just one sequel to improve on its predecessors. By the time that a third film comes around, the last entry in a trilogy needs to satisfy the story threads and character arcs that were introduced within its two direct predecessors, and end the narrative in a satisfying emotional place.
Releasing three excellent films in a row is a greater challenge than it may seem, as itjust takes one bad movieto throw off a trilogy; theSpider-Manseries fromSam Raimiwould have been perfect if it was not for the disastrousSpider-Man 3,and the brilliance ofStar Wars: The Force AwakensandStar Wars: The Last Jediwas undercut whenStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerproved to be the worst installment in the history of the galaxy far, far away. Here are the ten most essential movie trilogies, ranked.
10The Bill & Ted Trilogy
Films: ‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ (1989), ‘Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey’ (1991), ‘Bill & Ted Face The Music’ (2020)
TheBill & Tedfranchise is one of the few comedy sagas in which every single installments is good, which is a rarity considering how few comedy sequels are actually good. WhileBill & Ted’s Excellent Adventuremanaged to be one of the greatest time travel films ever made,Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journeydid more than just replicate its success; the 1991 sequel saw Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) cast into hell, as they were replaced by evil robot clones in the real world.
Although it spent so much time in development hell that some fans had given up hope that it would ever be released,Bill & Ted Face The Musicproved to be the perfect conclusion to the series,as it allowed both Bill and Ted to mature into their responsibilities as parents, and complete their destiny by creating music that will save the world and future.
9The Back to the Future Trilogy
Films: ‘Back to the Future’ (1985), ‘Back to the Future: Part II’ (1989), ‘Back to the Future: Part III’ (1990)
Back to the Futureis a franchise that benefited from its singular creator, asRobert Zemeckisfound the perfect mix between comedy, drama, science fiction, and adventure to make one of the greatest time travel stories of all-time. Although the franchise could have been thrown off course whenEric Stoltzwas originally cast in the role of Marty McFly,Michael J.Foxproved to be the perfect choice to playone of the coolest movie heroes ever.
Back to the Futuredid a great job at leading into each installments, as the stingers at end of each films’ conclusions established where the story would go next.Back to the Future: Part IIImay have been the most far-fetched entry due to its western setting, but it also added a satisfying conclusion by finally giving Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) an opportunity to be happy.
While hisSpider-Mantrilogy was ruined when Sony Pictures ruined his third installment,Raimi had already delivered a perfect film trilogy with theEvil Deadfranchise, which he created alongside his childhood best friend,Bruce Campbell. In addition to their groundbreaking use of practical effects, Raimi’s films showed that they could be just as gruesome as they were hilarious.
TheEvil Deadseries worked becauseRaimi escalated the silliness with each installment; the originalThe Evil Deadwas a very disturbing “cabin in the woods” horror story,Evil Dead IIwas an energetic funhouse of action and gore, andArmy of Darknesswas a quirky medieval adventure that had a lot in common withMonty Python and the Holy Grail. While there have been otherEvil Deadfilms made since, Raimi’s trilogy served as the perfect encapsulation of Ash’s story.
7The Apu Trilogy
Films: ‘Pather Panchali’ (1955), ‘Aparajito’ (1956) and ‘The World of Apu’ (1959)
Satyajit Ray created a perfect coming-of-age storywith his trilogy of films centered around the character of Apu Roy, an Indian boy who learns to accept his family responsibilities in the 20th century.Pather Panchalishows the events of his early childhood,Aparajitoexplores his late adolescence as he seeks a career, andThe World of Apushowed him coming to grips with his family legacy.
It is very impressive that Ray was able to create such a brilliant series on such a shoestring budget, as all three installments inThe Apu Trilogycan be ranked among the greatest independent films of all-time. Although it offers a very individualized experience, Ray’s films also show insight regarding the social, political, economic, and cultural shifts within India within such an important period in history, in which the nation’s global standing began to change rapidly.
6The Man With No Name Trilogy
Sergio Leoneessentiallycreated the “spaghetti western” genrewith his series of films that focus on an enigmatic “Man With No Name,” who was turned into a global icon thanks to the iconic performance byClint Eastwoodin his breakout role.A Fistful of Dollarsserved as a reimagining of theAkira KurosawafilmYojimbo, andFor A Few Dollars Morecomplicated the franchise thanks to the incredible villainous turn byLee Van Cleef.
Leone’s trilogy ended on a high note withThe Good, The Bad and the Ugly, which is often cited as one of the greatest films of all-time, regardless of genre. Between the amazing score byEnnio Morricone, the iconic final fight scene, and Eastwood’s stern performance,The Good, The Bad and the Uglyhas been more influential than nearly any other western in the entire history of the genre.
5The Dark Knight Trilogy
Films: ‘Batman Begins’ (2005), ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008), ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
Christopher Nolan created thebest superhero franchise of all-timewith his dark and gritty reimagining of theBatmanstory, which explored the life of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) from his initial training with the League of Shadows to the epic battle for the soul of Gotham City.Batman Beginswas the first film to peer into Batman’s origins,The Dark Knightwas instantly canonized as an American classic, andThe Dark Knight Risesbrought the series to a poignant closing note, giving each of the side characters satisfying conclusions.
The Dark Knighttrilogy is often remembered for its villains, as whileHeath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance as the Joker is one of the greatest in history, other strong antagonists included Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson), his daughter Talia (Marion Cotillard),Bane (Tom Hardy), Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), and Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).
4The Before Trilogy
Films: ‘Before Sunrise’ (1995), ‘Before Sunset’ (2004), ‘Before Midnight’ (2013)
Richard Linklater did something truly unprecedented with his trilogy of filmscentered on the decades-spanning romance between the American writer Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and the French girl Celine (Julie Delpy), as each installment took place nine years apart.Before Sunriseexplored the first interactions between the young lovers in Paris,Before Sunsetexplored their re-encounter with one anothernearly a decade later, andBefore Midnightexamined their lives as a married couple.
Linklater succeeded thanks to the creative involvement of his actors, as both Delpy and Hawke contributed to the scripts for the subsequent entries in the series. Although a trio of films that consists entirely of conversations might seem boring at first, Linklater captured love in a way that no other filmmaker ever has been able to before, as he showed what it was like to watch a relationship develop over time.
3The Godfather Trilogy
Films: ‘The Godfather’ (1972), ‘The Godfather: Part II’ (1974), ‘The Godfather: Part III’ (1990)
The Godfatheris often cited as the greatest film ever made by cinema scholars, and for good reason;Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus redefined what the depiction of the American mafia looked like, told a timeless story of family and legacy, became the highest-grossing film of all-time during its initial release, andwon the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The Godfather: Part IIbecame the greatest sequel ever made, and the only to win the Best Picture Oscar; while part of the film continued the exploits of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), it also showed the backstory of a young Vito (Robert De Niro), the character thatMarlon Brandoplayed in the first film. Although it may have been considered a mild disappointment due to the unmitigated expectations,The Godfather: Part IIIwas still a solid film that concluded Michael’s story on an interesting note.
2The Original Star Wars Trilogy
Films: ‘Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope’ (1977), ‘Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980), ‘Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi’ (1983)
Star Warschanged the film industry forever, asGeorge Lucasmanaged to combine the influences of radical 1970s political thinking, the philosophy ofJoseph Campbell, the stories of Greek mythology, the style of science fiction serials likeFlash Gordon, the adventures of classic westerns, and a fully-fleshed out universe into the most iconic film saga of all-time.
Star Warsis a masterpiecethat became the biggest hit in cinematic historyat the time of its initial release, but many fans would argue thatThe Empire Strikes Backwas even better because of the dark, unexpected direction that it took the series thanks to the now iconic plot twist. Nonetheless,Return of the Jediwas also a great film that ended the series on a high note, yet still left room for future stories to be told in the galaxy far, far away.
1The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Films: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001), ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers’ (2002), ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)
It is very rare that brilliant novels are turned into perfect films, but it is hard to imagine anyone butPeter Jacksonbeing able to pull off an adaptation ofJ.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy seriesThe Lord of the Rings. By shooting all three films simultaneously in New Zealand, Jackson turned Middle-earth into a real place, and did some of the greatest worldbuilding in cinematic history due to the extensive efforts paid to perfecting the costumes, sets, and makeup.
All three films inThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy are equally great, so to rank them in terms of quality would just come down to the personal preference of the viewer.Nonetheless, it wasThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingthat took home eleven Academy Awards, which tied the all-time record withTitanicandBen-Hur.
