The Best Movie Series to Binge Watch

Are you looking for a list of movie series to binge watch while spending time at home? I’ve put together a list of films that make perfect movie marathons! These are the movies that require hours (days even!) to invest in order to see them all. But, the interesting movie worlds and fan base that you’re brought in to make it so worth it.

Several of these movies are family friendly and I’d say they are great movies for teenagers to watch too. Here are the best movie series to binge watch!

The Best Movie Series to Binge Watch

Here are my recommendations on the best movies to binge watch at home that are worth your time! This list was inspired by all those months spent at home a few years ago. But I’ve continued to reference it since then.

Sometimes it’s just fun to get lost in a story. It can inspire you, help you take a break from our day to day stresses or just give you a good laugh and some bonding time with others when you need it.

This list has been organized by these genres:

• Super-Hero
• Fantasy/Sci-Fi
• Scary
• Comedy
• Romantic
• Animated

Super Hero Movies to Binge Watch

Marvel Cinematic Universe, aka the MCU

I had maybe watched an MCU movie or two over the years, but I can vividly recall when Avengers: Infinity War premiered in theaters. There was such a commotion about this movie and some big cliff-hanger, crazy ending. I didn’t know what happened, but all the excitement over it had me intrigued.

So, in the weeks following, I watched all of the MCU movies I could find online and went to see Avengers: Infinity War in theaters weeks after it premiered. It was honestly so worth it. A few of the films in the series are boring, but overall it’s such an enjoyable, entertaining series to dive into.

They are action-packed, super-hero movies, but they are well-written and have good jokes. Plus, seeing Black Panther and Captain Marvel break the mold of the typical superhero movie was. so. good

My recommendation is to watch the films in chronological order based off of when the story is taking place. So you might be watching a movie that came out in 2019, but was set in 1995 before you watch the movies that came out in 2008.

How to Watch the Marvel Movies in Chronological Order

• Captain America: The First Avenger
• Captain Marvel
• Iron Man
• Iron Man 2
• The Incredible Hulk
• Thor
• The Avengers
• Iron Man 3
• Thor: Dark World
• Captain America: Winter Soldier
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Ant-Man
• Captain America: Civil War
• Spider-Man: Homecoming
• Doctor Strange
• Black Panther
• Thor: Ragnorak
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Ant-Man and The Wasp
• Avengers: Endgame
• Spider-Man: Far From Home
• Black Widow
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Eternals
• Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
• Thor: Love and Thunder
• Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantamania
• The Marvels
• Deadpool & Wolverine
• Captain America: Brave New World

You can also watch the films in order of their release date, which is also categorized by different “phases” by the creators.

The Infinity Saga: Phase One (2008-2012)

• Iron Man (2008)
• The Incredible Hulk (2008)
• Iron Man 2 (2010)
• Thor (2011)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
• Marvel’s The First Avengers (2012)

Phase Two (2013-2015)

• Iron Man 3 (2013)
• Thor: The Dark World ( 2013)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
• Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
• Ant-Man (2015)

Phase Three (2016-2019)

• Captain America: Civil War (2016)
• Doctor Strange (2016)
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
• Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
• Black Panther ( 2018)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
• Captain Marvel (2019)
• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

The Multiverse Saga: Phase Four (2021-2022)

• Black Widow (2021)
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
• Eternals (2021)
• Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2021)
• Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Phase Five (2023-2024)

• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
• The Marvels (2023)
• Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
• Captain America: New World Order (2025)
• Thunderbolts (2025)

Phase Six (2025-2027) – Something you can look forward to!

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25, 2025)
• Avengers: Doomsday (May 1, 2026)
• Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7, 2027)

My favorites from the bunch: All of the Iron Man movies because Robert Downey Jr. is so funny. Captain Marvel and Black Panther because it’s exciting to see women and minorities as the stars of superhero movies and the time spent in the 90’s is a fun throwback. I’ve also grown to love Guardians of the Galaxy. The third movie in that trilogy is just heart-wrenching.

Lastly, Spider-Man. I thought I was loyal to the Spider-Man movies of my teenage years, but Tom Holland is a great Spider-Man and Zendaya who’s amazing is also in the movies.

There is a lot of conversation about how Marvel has been performing in recent years – and I’d agree that a lot of Phase 4 and Phase 5 movies just aren’t their best. However, I’m excited for the future films and hope the people in charge at Marvel are listening to fan feedback.

Speaking of Spider-Man though…

The Spider-Man Films

This suggestion is a little different, but if you’ve already watched most of the Marvel movies and enjoy the story of Spider-Man, try watching all of the different iterations of Spider-Man movies over the last ~20 years.

You get to see Tobey Maguire’s version, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. For bonus points, watch the recent animated version too! Jake Johnson (aka Nick Miller on New Girl!) does one of the voices.

You’ll watch them in order from older to newer in terms of when they premiered.

Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man

• Spider-Man (2002)
• Spider-Man 2 (2004)
• Spider-Man 3 (2007) *I won’t lie, this one is so cheesy!

Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man

• The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Spider-Man with Tom Holland

• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
• Spider-Man 2: Far From Home (2019)
• Spider-Man 3: No Way Home (2021)

Animated Spider-Man

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

The Dark Knight Trilogy

This trilogy used to be my favorite “superhero” series and it’s honestly the bar by which I measure all others. The actors are so talented and it has a moody, dark vibe that’s a nice contrast to a lot of other superhero movies that try so hard to be funny. You’ll see the late Heath Ledger in his role as the Joker and it’s obvious why people were talking about it so much – he does a great job.

• Batman Begins (2005)
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

While it’s not part of this trilogy, I’d also recommend Joker (2019) movie with Joaquin Phoenix for a dark, uneasy movie that IMHO fits into the style of what Christopher Nolan started.

In addition to binging these movies, you could also plan a game night for adults and mix in related games and movie time.

Fantasy & Sci-Fi Movies to Binge Watch

The Harry Potter Films

If you haven’t read the book series, you’re missing out and I honestly recommend doing both if you have the time. It’s a great, immersive story that honestly made so many of my friends into readers!

I’ll always have a soft spot for these books & films and the joy they’ve brought into my life, even while being very disappointed in the creator. If you’re ever in London, the Harry Potter Studio Tour is a great place for fans as well as the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Hollywood!

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

If you want to continue with the Wizarding World, try:

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit

This is another fantasy series about a group of friends on a journey. You’ll find themes about courage and power. I certainly has similarities to Harry Potter, while being an amazing story of its own. If you’re going to commit to LOTR it’s a must to watch the extended versions. And you can add in The Hobbit series for even more movie magic.

• 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)
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)

Star Wars

Okay, so it’s highly likely some of these came out before you and I were even born, but it’s one of the longest-standing film series and a true saga. It’s also recommended to watch these in chronological order of the story, not the date that the movie premiered.

• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace / set 32 years before A New Hope (1999)
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones / 22 years before (2002)
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith / 19 years before (2005)
• Solo: A Star Wars Story / about a decade before (2018)
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story / ends moments before ANH (2016)
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back / three years after A New Hope (1980)
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi / four years after (1983)
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens / 34 years after (2015)
• Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi / 34 years after (2017)
• Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker / 35 years after (2019)

The Matrix Series

The Matrix Trilogy is one of the most well-known sci-fi franchises ever. The protagonist, Neo, is played by Keanu Reeves. The movie depicts a future in which the reality we perceive is actually created by machines. This is one series I have yet to watch, but know I’m missing out on. My goal is to watch them before The Matrix 4 comes out in 2021.

• The Matrix (2000)
• The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
• The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

Twilight

Twilight is a forever comfort series for me. Maybe it’s not the best writing or acting, but it has it’s moments and it’s just become iconic for me. I also can’t believe how successful some of the actors have become since these movies.

• Twilight (2008)
• The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011)
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (2012)

The Hunger Games Series

The Hunger Games was a very successful Young Adult book series and the movies are just as fun to watch. The series was a trilogy which was created into 4 movies. Then the author wrote a prequel which was also made into a movie.

Suzanne Collins has also just released another prequel that is set before the OG Hunger Games, but after The Ballad storyline featuring the beloved Haymitch Abernathy character, which is also being adapted to a movie expected to premiere in 2026. I recommend watching these in the order they were published.

• The Hunger Games: (2012)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: (2013)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1: (2014)
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2: (2015)
• The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes: (2023)

Moving on from superheroes and fantasy movies, I also have recommendations for scary movies, comedies and an animated family favorite.

Scary Movies to Binge Watch

I don’t love watching super scary movies, but enjoy ones that give some good jump scares and have some funny scenes. Below are two of my favorites, and if you want more scares, I’d suggest the Saw series and the Halloween movies.

The Scream Movies

I consider this a mix of satire and horror, and a lot of fun. The Scream movies revitalized the horror genre and brought a new twist to it back in the late 90’s.

• Scream (1996)
• Scream 2 (1997)
• Scream 3 (2000)
• Scream 4 (2011)
• Scream 5 (2022)
• Scream 6 (2023)

Final Destination

The movie that made me SO afraid of flying… or being behind a truck carrying a load on the highway. Watch at your own risk!

• Final Destination (2000)
• Final Destination 2 (2003)
• Final Destination 3 (2006)
• The Final Destination (2009)
• Final Destination 5 (2011)
• Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)

The Conjuring “Universe”

The Conjuring movies scare the crap out of me! They’re so good and Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are amazing actors. They make these movies even more believable because of their acting abilities.

In addition to The Conjuring films, they’ve incorporated other movies and storylines – so if you like to be creeped out, there’s plenty for you to enjoy.

• The Conjuring (2013), set in 1971
• Annabelle (2014), set in 1967
• The Conjuring 2 (2016), set in 1977
• Annabelle: Creation (2017), set in 1955
• The Nun (2018), set in 1952
• Annabelle Comes Home (2019), set in 1972
• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), set in 1981
• The Nun II (2023), set in 1956

And to look forward to, you can expectThe Conjuring: Last Rites to hit theaters in late 2025.

The Best Comedies to Binge Watch

The Hangover Series

The Hangover movies are so over-the-top and hilarious. They’re perfect for brightening your mood and thinking about wild adventures to have some day.

• The Hangover (2009)
• The Hangover Part II (2011)
• The Hangover Part III (2013)

Jump Street

This is a short and sweet series from recent years with jokes that still land. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill make a great pair.

• 21 Jump Street (2012)
• 22 Jump Street (2014)

American Pie

American Pie had so much scandal when it first came out. The pie scene! LOL. It’s a ridiculous series, but fun to revisit and watch through as the group grows up.

• American Pie (1999)
• American Pie 2 (2001)
• American Wedding (2003)
• American Reunion (2012)

Romantic & Lighthearted Movies to Binge Watch

Bridget Jones’s Diary

There aren’t many romantic comedy series out there, but the one we have is great.

• Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
• Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
• Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016)
• Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)

The Before Trilogy

This is a (so-far) 3 part series that follows the same characters through different stages of a relationship. I don’t want to give too much away, but you do see the same two characters in each film and how their lives have changed over the years. It’s one of my personal favorites, but one that I don’t often see shared or talked about. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it.

• Before Sunrise (1995)
• Before Sunset (2004)
• Before Midnight (2013)

The Best Animated Movie to Binge Watch

Toy Story

I had to include this one! This is the movie series we all grew up with. I love that they embraced the passage of time over the years and the cycle that toys go through. If you’re craving more Pixar and Disney movies, I’d recommend watching the animated original and then live-action version of your favorite (like Beauty and the Beast or Lion King!)

• Toy Story (1995)
• Toy Story 2 (1999)
• Toy Story 3 (2010)
• Toy Story 4 (2019)

There you go! I think this list could keep anyone busy at home with some great cinematic fun. Is there a movie series you like to binge? Share any recos I missed below!

You might also like these date night at home ideas!