Good movie franchises to binge-watch can be hard to come by. Some franchises have two 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 seems like the sweet spot.
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 to 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 to see how the franchise has evolved over time. Here are 15 movie franchises with exactly five entries that are perfect for you to binge-watch either by yourself or with some friends.
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15 Grindhouse
TWC
Originally set as just two films meant to be a double feature, Grindhouse was the films Planet Terror and Death Proof combined 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.
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However, these “fake” movie trailers for films called Machete and Hobo With a Shotgun were eventually adapted into their own real films, with Danny Trejo starring in Machete and its sequel Machete Kills, and Rutger Hauer starring in Hobo With a Shotgun. While these three films are spin-offs, they are technically under the same umbrella as Planet Terror and Death 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.
14 Despicable Me
Universal Pictures
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 than Despicable Me. We’re also including both Minions movies, as they are still taking place in the Despicable Me universe. There are multiple ways to watch this franchise, where you could go into chronological order by watching both Minions movies first before going into the three Despicable Me movies, or you could watch all of Despicable Me first instead, following it by the Minions movies to gain some context about the Minions and even Gru.
Or, you could watch all five movies in release order, going from the first two Despicable Me films, followed by Minions, then Despicable Me 3, and finally finish off with Minions: The Rise of Gru. Regardless of which way you want to watch, it is a great time, even if you are a little tired of seeing the Minions.
RELATED: Despicable Me: Best Minions in the Franchise, Ranked
13 Die Hard
20th Century Fox
If you’ve seen the Die Hard franchise, 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 Hard is a great franchise to kick back and binge-watch with some friends. It’s also a great franchise to discuss with your friends if Die Hard really is a 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.
12 Pirates of the Caribbean
Walt Disney Pictures
One of the absolute best adventure fantasy franchises to watch, the Pirates of the Caribbean series 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.
The Pirates of the Caribbean world 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 for some adventure-filled escapism. It truly is crazy to think how Disney was able to make such an expansive franchise simply based off of the original Disney theme park ride.
11 The Twilight Saga
Summit Entertainment
Certainly a divisive film series about vampires, werewolves, and broodingly emotional teenagers, The Twilight Saga is 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.
10 The Purge
A film franchise that kicked off with a very interesting concept, The Purge made a horror movie out of the idea that any ordinary person could become a ruthless killer/criminal, so long as what they were doing was considered legal by the government. While the momentum of the franchise has certainly slowed down as more movies have been released, The Purge franchise can still be a thrilling series to watch and can be an excellent series to binge-watch as if you’re hunkered down and all crime is legal. It is also a great franchise to watch and ask yourself, “What would you do if the Purge was real?”
9 The Exorcist
Warner Bros.
If you are looking for a film series that kicked off with one of the most iconic horror movies of all time, The Exorcist franchise is exactly what you are looking for. However, none of the subsequent films can really live up to the original, if we’re being honest. There are a few ways to watch this franchise, where you could either watch the franchise based on their theatrical releases, or you could watch the franchise in chronological order of the films as well.
The fourth and fifth films in the series, Exorcist: The Beginning and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist are both a prequel to the original Exorcist, but they essentially tell the same story in different ways. This series can be an entertaining watch, just keep in mind that it probably won’t get any better than the original, though.
8 Final Destination
New Line Cinema
If you’re looking to binge-watch a horror franchise that likes to get creative with the way that it kills off its characters, Final Destination is the franchise for you. These films take an interesting approach with its “villain”, as it’s not a physical person or thing, it’s more a manifestation of Death itself. Each movie revolves around its cast of characters trying to escape Death after avoiding an event that was originally supposed to kill them, such as missing a flight for a plane that ends up crashing. The characters subsequently die off in strange, bizarre ways as they attempt to cheat death and stay alive. This is a perfect franchise to play all day and even just play in the background until a character ends up dying in a crazy way.
RELATED: Final Destination: 9 Best Character Deaths in the Horror Franchise, Ranked
7 Bourne
Another highly regarded action franchise, the Bourne movies use real stunt work and little amounts of digital effects. Centering around amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne as he tries to remember who he is and find out why the CIA is trying to kill him, this franchise is an action-packed ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat all day long. Each of the five movies have received generally positive reviews, so if you want to binge a movie franchise that is able to keep you entertained with each movie that you watch, definitely check this one out. You may even be able to learn a move or two in hand-to-hand combat by the time that you’re done as well.
6 Dirty Harry
Certainly an old-school action franchise, the Dirty Harry series of movies revolves around homicide inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan, who uses any means necessary to catch the criminals and killers that he has to go after. With Clint Eastwood starring in the main role throughout all five films, this franchise was incredibly popular in the 1970s and 1980s. These films are also characterized by Eastwood’s multiple different iconic catchphrases during the films, such as “go ahead, make my day,” in Sudden Impact, which is the fourth installment in the franchise. If you want to see Clint Eastwood in his acting prime, taking down criminal after criminal, definitely check these movies out.
5 Evil Dead
Okay, this one is kind of cheating, as the fifth film in the Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise, has yet to be released. However, the film will be released some time in April 2023. So, when the fifth film finally is released, this is a great horror-action-comedy franchise for any viewer to watch. The first three films follow protagonist Ash Williams after an ancient text known as the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis unleashes demons and zombies upon him and his friends. The fourth film was released over 20 years after the third and follows a new character, and the fifth film will do the same upon its release. Any lover of classic horror movies should definitely check this franchise out and should be excited about the newest release coming later this year.
RELATED: Army of Darkness: Why it May Be the Best of the Evil Dead Franchise
4 Cars
Pixar
Another franchise that is perfect to watch with the family or even to just relive some of the nostalgic moments of the earlier films, Cars is filled with characters that you know and love, such as race car Lightning McQueen and his best friend Tow Mater. We’re also including the two Planes spin off films, as they are taking place within the same universe that the Cars story happens.
While you could watch the Planes movies before jumping into the better, more fleshed out story of Cars, it would be better to at least watch the original Cars first, to get a feel for the world that you are getting into and the rules of the universe. Regardless of viewing order, however, this franchise is perfect for binge-watching, even if you don’t love the spy theme of Cars 2.
3 Jack Ryan
Paramount Pictures
This action-thriller franchise takes a bit of a different approach to its movies, with a different actor playing the title role of CIA agent Jack Ryan in almost every single movie. The first film has Alec Baldwin in the role, while the following two films have Harrison Ford as the titular character. Then, the fourth film features Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan and finally the fifth film in the franchise has Chris Pine in the role.
The first four films have gotten generally good reviews, with the fifth film being the most mixed. This is a great series to binge-watch for two reasons, with one being the action sequences throughout all the movies that will keep you entertained all day, and the second being that it is a great way to compare the four different actors that played Jack Ryan and decide your favorite.
2 Rambo
TriStar Pictures
An iconic action character that may have overstayed his welcome a bit too much, Rambo is still a great franchise to binge-watch and see John Rambo, the one-man army, taking down enemy after enemy. While the first film has gotten the best reviews out of all the films, the remaining four have not been nearly as well received, despite Rambo: First Blood Part II being the highest grossing movie of the bunch. Regardless of critical reviews, this franchise is a perfect one to put on in the background all day and watch John Rambo simply be John Rambo.
1 Scream
Finally, we have the Scream franchise. Technically, this franchise still counts as five movies, as the sixth film will not be released until March 2023. But until then, you could watch Ghostface terrorizing the world for five straight movies in preparation for the newest film’s release. Each movie has mostly received good reviews, with Scream 3 being the lowest of the bunch. So, kick back, grab some snacks for a long day of horror and see who’s behind the mask in each movie.
