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Until the last few decades, when cinematic universes and legacy sequels became trendy in Hollywood, the trilogy was the preferred format to follow. There’s a simple storytelling symmetry in three entries that many filmmakers followed, and the result was a number of beloved movie trilogies. Some of these triptychs told one complete story across three films, while others were simply three complete standalone features. Whatever the case, they make for an easy weekend binge, with manageable runtimes that can be easily enjoyed at a leisurely pace over forty-eight hours.
The number of legitimate trilogies has dwindled over the years, as so many of the most popular have had addendums, extensions, or expansions in the form of belated sequels, television series or a variety of other franchise continuations. With that in mind, it’s only fair to give preference to those trilogies that have remained undisturbed or whose respective third film was clearly designed to be their final installment. Legitimate or not, there’s no doubting that these ten amazing trilogies would make for a perfect weekend binge.
10
The ‘Dollars’ Trilogy (1964-1966)
Sergio Leone‘s spaghetti Western trilogy features three incredible films connected only by Clint Eastwood‘s character of the Man with No Name, a laconic gunslinger central to each film’s plot. Each film is itself considered a classic within the subgenre and essential to it. From Leone’s signature visuals to Eastwood’s star-making performance to Ennio Morricone’s iconic musical scores, the Dollars trilogy is both influential and entertaining as hell.
A Fistful of Dollars is an unofficial remake of Akira Kurosawa‘s Yojimbo, pitting the Eastwood character against two rival gangs in a border town. For a Few Dollars More brought Lee Van Cleef into the fold as the black hat to Eastwood’s morally grey one, with the two actors facing off as dueling bounty hunters. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the epic Civil War-set conclusion, bringing both Eastwood and Van Cleef as the Good and the Bad, and adding Eli Wallach as the comic relief Ugly. From the iconic showdowns to the colorful characters, there’s a plethora of reasons to enjoy Leone’s trilogy, and they’re sure to make for a wild Western weekend.
9
‘Star Wars’ (1977-1983)
When it comes to movie franchises, none was more synonymous with the term trilogy than George Lucas‘ original Star Wars saga. For years, the three films were considered the ultimate cinematic hat trick. It could be argued that no film or series had more influence on the popularity of the trilogy format than these three space operas. They told a complete three-part story with compelling characters, iconic settings and groundbreaking visual effects. Few trilogies have come close to the overall success of the OG Star Wars films, including the franchise’s future efforts.
A New Hope introduced the world to Lucas’ vision, inspired by classic sci-fi serials, and it codified the blockbuster template originally set by Jaws two years earlier. The Empire Strikes Back received a more divisive response when it was first released, but has since been recognized as the franchise’s single greatest film and has become a major influence on sequels that skew darker than their predecessors. Return of the Jedi is the most flawed, with a tonally unbalanced plot that tries to combine the climactic confrontation between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader with cartoonish slapstick from the undeniably cute Ewoks. Even if it ends on an uneven note, the Star Wars trilogy will take you on an incredible weekend journey across the stars.
8
Indiana Jones (1981-1989)
Lucas wasn’t content with only one iconic franchise to his name, so, together with Steven Spielberg, he gave audiences a wholly different series-inspired adventure franchise focusing on the exploits of archaeologist Indiana Jones. While the series has since expanded to include two lesser entries, there’s no denying that the end of the third film in the franchise, which sees Jones literally ride off into the sunset, was meant to be his final adventure. No trilogy has had more impact on the adventure genre, with every film made after them attempting to recapture their fortune and glory.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is the greatest adventure film ever made, full stop. From the iconic introduction to the character of Jones to its equally memorable ending among rows of forgotten artifacts, it’s as perfect as popcorn movies get. Its prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, was far less beloved and far more problematic, but has earned a substantial number of fans since then who enjoy its weirder, darker charms. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is damn-near as good as the first film and introduces Jones’ father, as played by screen legend Sean Connery, which gives the film more personal stakes and a more affecting storyline. Separately, all three films make for a fine viewing experience, but together they are the best kind of binge-watch.
7
‘Evil Dead’ (1981-1992)
Before Sam Raimi became known for his Spider-Man trilogy, he gave audiences a very different series of three films that collided humor and horror with wildly inventive visuals and one of the most committed leading men in film history. The Evil Dead franchise has certainly expanded beyond the original three films directed by Raimi, but all other entries have been disconnected from the original trilogy, which itself played very fast and loose with continuity. Even if each entry doesn’t smoothly transition into the next, all three offer a unique brand of thrills, chills and chuckles.
The Evil Dead was a low-budget indie effort by Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and crew to make an earnest horror film that would appeal to drive-in audiences. It’s rough-around-the-edges, homemade aesthetic is what gives it a lot of its charm, while both Raimi’s gonzo visual style and Campbell’s go-for-broker physicality are showcased. Evil Dead II was an elevation over its predecessor in every way, bringing heavyweight humor to its cabin in the woods horror and coining the term splatstick. Army of Darkness was a horse of a different color altogether, transplanting Ash into medieval times for one big adventurous homage to Ray Harryhausen. Despite their wildly different tones and approaches, all three films still feel completely connected, thanks to Raimi and Campbell going full-tilt boogie together.
6
‘Back to the Future’ (1985-1990)
The Back to the Future trilogy is special for a number of reasons. Each film is its own beast entirely, its effect on pop culture immeasurable. With no sequels or follow-ups of any kind, the trilogy remains perfectly encapsulated, unlike virtually every other franchise that started in the same era. The three films are as different as they are the same, with each subsequent entry repeating as many motifs as it finds brand-new notes to play.
The original film uses its time machine to accomplish its clever premise of what might happen if a teenager met his parents when they were his age. Back to the Future Part II fully embraces its sci-fi foundation, with a plot that includes an iconic depiction of the future, a hellish alternate timeline, and a third act that ingeniously returns to the first film. Back to the Future Part III was made out of Zemeckis and Gale’s desire to make a Western. There’s a love in every frame of the final film, which is the most underrated of the trilogy, due in part to how perfect the first film is and how influential the second became. All three give us one of the most entertaining cinematic duos of all time in Marty McFly and Doc Brown, as played with inimitable chemistry by Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. Binging this trilogy will take you back in time to a better time in blockbuster history and make the weekend fly by in style.
5
The Mexico Trilogy (1993-2003)
Robert Rodriguez‘s Mexico Trilogy takes as much inspiration from Leone’s Dollars trilogy as it does Hong Kong action films from the ’80s and early ’90s. It’s a neo-Western action trilogy set in the seediest small towns of Mexico, where gun runners and gangsters run rampant, and gunfights are a common occurrence. The trilogy thrives on Rodriguez’s run-and-gun style of shooting, which gives them all a much scrappier feeling than their bigger-budgeted brethren. The films didn’t reinvent the action genre, but they launched Rodriguez’s career along with a number of its cast members.
El Mariachi was Rodriguez’s first film. Carlos Gallardo stars as the titular Mariachi, who is mistaken for a dangerous criminal who carries a guitar case full of guns. Antonio Banderas takes over the role for the sequel Desperado, which also introduced Salma Hayek to American audiences. Both stars returned for Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a much larger film with a more convoluted plot that brought in even more Hollywood stars, including Johnny Depp as a corrupt CIA agent and Willem Dafoe as a drug lord. All three are down-and-dirty action-packed fun that make for a thrilling weekend.
4
The Before Trilogy (1995-2013)
There’s perhaps no trilogy more mellow or comforting as Richard Linklater‘s three Before films starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as two individuals whose developing relationship is chronicled in three individual days each nine years apart. As essentially three feature-length conversations, the films are made engrossing by their sharp dialogue and the winning performances of the two leads, who also had their hands in developing the scripts. All three minimalistic masterpieces have been critically acclaimed and make for a binge-watch of unexpected warmth and depth.
Before Sunrise is set in Vienna and introduces Jesse and Céline as they meet and spend the night together in the city. Before Sunset finds the characters reconnecting almost a decade later in Paris, where they discover their feelings for each other haven’t dissipated. Before Midnight follows up years later, with both now married to each other, with children and on vacation in Greece. Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy are equal collaborators in the trilogy, which captures not only the years-long love of the characters, but also their personal evolution through aging, failing and succeeding. The arc of the Before trilogy isn’t some epic action or adventure plot, but the intimate story of one relationship.
3
‘The Lord of the Rings’ (2001-2003)
The most epic film trilogy since Star Wars, Peter Jackson and company’s massive undertaking of adapting J.R.R. Tolkien‘s seminal fantasy novel series The Lord of the Rings was an incredible risk that paid off. Shot back-to-back, all three films represent a high watermark for fantasy film franchises that hasn’t been matched since, neither by other filmmakers nor Jackson himself. As a weekend binge, the trilogy likely makes for the longest watch, varying in length from nine hours to twelve hours, depending on whether you prefer the theatrical or extended versions. Either way, they make for an absolutely epic viewing experience.
The Fellowship of the Ring is the introduction to the massive world of Middle-earth and its inhabitants, which the film manages through an impressive level of world-building expressed through light character moments, incredible production design, and gorgeous New Zealand location shooting. The Two Towers brought large-scale battle sequences into the trilogy, with the epic climax at Helm’s Deep still a showstopping sequence. The Return of the King is as epic a final journey as has ever been accomplished on film, and it will extend far into your weekend with multiple endings. There’s no blockbuster trilogy bigger than The Lord of the Rings.
2
Harold and Kumar (2004-2011)
Raunchy, offensive stoner comedies were once a lucrative and popular subgenre, but few ever expanded beyond a single film, much less a trilogy. Harold and Kumar managed a weed-fueled hat trick. From trips to White Castle to Guantánamo Bay to a 3D Christmas, John Cho and Kal Penn, along with the chaos god that is Neil Patrick Harris, have gotten into all kinds of hilarious shenanigans as the stoner duo and provided a remarkably high hit rate in comedic terms. There may be more thoughtful or better-made trilogies, but it’s doubtful you’ll find one that will make you laugh harder.
We first meet Cho’s uptight office drone, Harold, and Penn’s med-school dropout, Kumar, as roommates with the munchies in search of tiny, delicious burgers in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. The follow-up to that surprise hit, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, satirized the mid-2000s political climate and doubled down on the sex jokes. The third film is the surprisingly heartwarming A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, which includes the best use of the extra-dimensional format by having Danny Trejo go wild with a Christmas tree. If you’re looking for a weekend of high art, look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for art to watch while high, the Harold & Kumar trilogy is the best binge.
1
The Cornetto Trilogy (2004-2013)
A trilogy of films connected by its cast and creatives behind the scenes, the Cornetto Trilogy features the combined efforts of writer-director Edgar Wright, writer-actor Simon Pegg, and actor Nick Frost, as well as a recurring number of cast and crew members. Continuing the pop-culture-infused comedy of the series Spaced, which Pegg co-created, Wright directed, and Frost featured in, the films of this trilogy cleverly subvert the genres of horror, action, and science fiction with a uniquely British sensibility.
Shaun of the Dead is a rom-com meets zombie outbreak as Pegg plays the titular slacker who is shaken free of his arrested development when the undead begin to rise and attack. Hot Fuzz is a buddy-cop action movie that pairs Pegg’s big-city officer with Frost’s dimwitted small-town one, as they take on a murderer moving through the shadows of a sleepy hamlet. The World’s End finished the trilogy off with a surprisingly sobering look at addiction and depression amid the collision of a pub crawl and an alien invasion. The Cornetto Trilogy is made up of three fantastic comedy classics that will make for a jolly good weekend of blood, bullets and gut-busting laughter.
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William Smith
Almontather Rassoul
