Good movie franchises to binge-watch can be hard to come by. Some franchises havetwo to three films, and by the time you’ve finished watching them, you still have half of your day left. Or on the other hand, some big franchises will have six or more films, and you couldn’t even dream of watching all of them in just one day. It’s hard to pinpoint what a good number of movies is for a franchise if you’re looking to binge-watch it in an entire day, but five movies seem like the sweet spot.
Update July 31, 2025: This article has been updated to include even more great films with five entries, including a few new recent franchises to join the five-film franchise list.
Five movies in a franchise is enough time to get you through most of your day, but it also allows viewers to simply take a break to go to the bathroom or get some food, or even just rest your eyes after looking at a screen for an extended amount of time. Binging a franchise with five movies is also a good way to compare the different films and see how the franchise has evolved over time. The trilogy has been modeled after the three-act structure, so a five-picture movie franchise then could be said to be similar to Shakespeare’s popular five-act structure. Here are 20 movie franchises with exactly five entries that are perfect for you to binge-watch either by yourself or with some friends.
20Scary Movie
TheScary Moviefilms are far from cinematic masterpieces. They’re dumb spoofs that rely far too heavily on gross-out humor. However, sometimes mindless comedies that poke fun at the horror genre is exactly the thing one needs for the perfect binge.
Initially developed by the Wayan brothers, the films parody the tropes and clichés of some of the most popular horror films.Scream, The Exorcist, The Grudge, Paranormal Activity;they’ve all received theScary Movietreatment at some point or another in the five-film series. While you’re unlikely to learn anything from these films, they do offer a comfortingly immature sense of humor that provides the ideal escape from everyday life.
19Starship Troopers
When the firstStarship Trooperswas released in 1997, it received an overwhelmingly negative response from critics. Since then, however,the film has undergone something of a reevaluation, with many coming to appreciate its satirical nature and deliberately over-the-top tone. The franchise currently consists of five movies – three live-action and two animated – and boasts a rather large cult following.
Set hundreds of years in the future, when society has come under the rule of an oppressive military leadership, the series primarily focuses on Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) and his friends, who enlist in military service and fight in a war against giant bugs known as Arachnids. Full of excessive gore and questionable acting, theStarship Troopersfranchise isn’t to everyone’s tastes. But for fans of high-concept sci-fi, it’s an essential binge.
18Underworld
The first entry in theUnderworldseries hit movie theaters way back in 2003. Starring Kate Beckinsale as Selene, a vampire Death Dealer who hunts werewolves (or Lycans, as they are referred to here), the original movie was a moderate box office success that spawned three sequels and one prequel film. As the series went on, the story explored how the vampires and Lycans came to be at war with one another, as well as Selene’s personal quest for justice.
Co-created by Len Wiseman, Danny McBride (not that one), and Kevin Grevioux, the action-horror franchise is notable for its gothic style, fast-paced action, and bloody fight scenes, as well as its memorable performances from big names such as Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Tony Curran, Theo James, and Charles Dance, among others. WhileUnderworldisn’t the most critically acclaimed film franchise, the five entries (Underworld, Underworld: Evolution, Under World: Rise of the Lycans, Underworld: Awakening, and Underworld: Blood Wars) all guarantee good old-fashioned dumb, werewolf-hunting fun.
17Insidious
With the recent release ofInsidious: The Red Door, a fifth chapter has been added to the supernatural horror franchise that started back in 2010. Since the first film, theInsidiousseries has grown and grown, earning over $660 million at the worldwide box office and becoming one of the most popular modern horror franchises.
Related:Insidious Movies in Order: How to Watch Chronologically and By Release Date
Comprising an original, two sequels, and two prequels, the films largely focuses on the Lambert family, who find themselves haunted by spirits from the astral world. Developed by James Wan – the man behind some of themost successful horror franchises of the past two decades– the series is big on the scares, putting a modern spin on the classic haunted house trope.
Can ya dig it? Starring Richard Roundtree as the eponymous police detective, John Shaft, theShaftfilm series is an underrated one. Kicking off in 1971 with the original film, simply titled,Shaft, the franchise has gone on to produce four sequels (two of which are confusingly also calledShaft).
Though earlier entries in the series were seen as examples ofblaxploitation filmsthat were popular in the 1970s, the series went on to traverse a number of different genres. The fourth film in the series, 2000’sShaft,is more of a thriller than previous entries and introduced audiences to John Shaft’s nephew, John Shaft II, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Meanwhile, the latest outing from 2019 (again, titled,Shaft)has more of a comically satirical tone. Whether it’s Roundtree or Jackson in the leading role as the man who would risk his neck for his brother, theShaftfilms are more than worthy of a binge-watch.
15Grindhouse
Originally set as just two films meant to be a double feature,Grindhousewas the filmsPlanet TerrorandDeath Proofcombined into one sitting, meant to be an homage to the old-school exploitation films of the 1970s. The name even came from old theaters called Grindhouses, which mainly played cheap horror flicks and exploitation films. The combined films even had fake movie trailers before the films, as even more of an homage to an age of film that has long since passed.
However, these “fake” movie trailers for films calledMacheteandHobo With a Shotgunwere eventually adapted into their own real films, with Danny Trejo starring inMacheteand its sequelMachete Kills,and Rutger Hauer starring inHobo With a Shotgun.While these three films are spin-offs, they are technically under the same umbrella asPlanet TerrorandDeath Proof.This franchise is certainly a weird one, but it’s a great way to watch a bunch of different, old-school-type films that have only been made in the past 15 years.
14Despicable Me
A perfect franchise for watching with the family, or even if you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted time during the day, look no further thanDespicable Me. We’re also including bothMinionsmovies, as they are still taking place in theDespicable Meuniverse. There are multiple ways to watch this franchise, where you could go into chronological order by watching bothMinionsmovies first before going into the threeDespicable Memovies, or you could watch all ofDespicable Mefirst instead, following it by theMinionsmovies to gain some context about the Minions and even Gru.
Or, you could watch all five movies in release order, going from the first twoDespicable Mefilms, followed byMinions,thenDespicable Me 3,and finally finish off withMinions: The Rise of Gru.Regardless of which way you want to watch, it is a great time, even if you area little tired of seeing the Minions.
13Die Hard
If you’ve seen theDie Hardfranchise, you know how strong the franchise starts, and you know how sadly it goes out. Regardless of your feelings on the final film, however,Die Hardis a great franchise to kick back and binge-watch with some friends. It’s also a great franchise to discuss with your friends ifDie Hardreally isa Christmas movie or not.
Following the saga of John McClane and his fight against the terrorists he encounters, watching blockbuster after blockbuster is a great way to spend the day and is a great way to remember why John McClane is still one of the best action heroes that have been put to film. Plus, it’s an even better way to see Bruce Willis in his acting prime, which he will always be remembered for.
12Pirates of the Caribbean
One of the absolute best adventure fantasy franchises to watch, thePirates of the Caribbeanseries takes viewers to the Golden Age of Piracy, where every person that ever dreamed of being a pirate got their start. Climb aboard with Captain Jack Sparrow and sail the Caribbean Sea as he and his crew navigate cursed pirates, ghost ships, evil lords of the sea, giant Kraken, magical tridents, and more.
Related:Pirates of the Caribbean: A Look Back at The Black Pearl, 20 Years Later
ThePirates of the Caribbeanworld is such a fantastical place that it is a perfect franchise to binge either with the family, with some friends, or even by yourself if you are looking forsome adventure-filled escapism. It truly is crazy to think how Disney was able to make such an expansive franchise simply based on the original Disney theme park ride.
11The Twilight Saga
Certainly a divisive film series about vampires, werewolves, and broodingly emotional teenagers,The Twilight Sagais a five-movie series that could be binged for a handful of different reasons. On one hand, you could be a huge fan of the original Stephanie Meyer novels and want to see how the books were adapted. On the other hand, you could have heard all the stories about the bad acting and cheesy dialogue, and you want to see just how bad these films are. Regardless of why you would want to watch this series, it can still make for an entertaining time with some friends that either love the series or friends that can’t wait to make fun of it.
