10 Most Rewatchable Sci-Fi Movie Franchises of All-Time

The science-fiction subgenre has mass appeal for any number of reasons, but one thing that makes great sci-fi movies into pillars of the genre is how easily we can get lost in them time and time again. E.T., The Martian, Inception, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 12 Monkeys, District 9, and countless others are films that have arrived and not only defined science fiction for their era but have been completely self-contained movies. Despite being singular stories, they’re classics that we keep going back to for what they offer us as the audience, such as the unique worlds and characters they create.

Sometimes, though, the sci-fi movies that we love break beyond their original barriers and give us complete franchises with even more stories. The unfortunate side effect of this is franchises where the first film is a stone-cold classic and everything that has come after it fails to even be half as entertaining, making you wish they’d stopped at one. Men in Black, Jurassic Park, RoboCop, and countless others have seen a beloved film birth a franchise where almost every follow-up is better ignored. That said, sometimes we get lucky, and everything that follows still keeps us invested. Not every sci-fi movie spawns a franchise, but some of the best ones remain our favorites because of how rewatchable the entire series is.

10) Alien

Arguments can be made about the quality in some of the sequels, but the sheer entertainment value that is found in the first two Alien movies cements this as not only one of the best sci-fi franchises but one of the best multimedia franchises of all time. Even just from Alien to Aliens, the series marks itself as a series where reinvention and new ideas will always be welcome and tried out, meaning that even if you don’t like some of the sequels compared to others, you’re at least going to see a style, tone, or monster that you’ve never seen in any of the other films. When looking at the series as a whole now, with seven feature films that don’t include crossovers, it’s a giant tableau with distinct connections that make watching every movie worthwhile for finding more details about the entire world.

9) Avatar

James Cameron’s trilogy of films (which could still grow to five movies or more) is truly an epic that has a clear central narrative across all its movies. What makes the films so worth rewatching is the density throughout each film, two of which clock in at over three hours, with details, character moments, and story bits that are scene in each and only make the narrative and characters deeper. Some complain about the simplicity of the story arcs in the film, but given the visuals and pure bombastic action, those hold no water after spending nine hours on Pandora.

8) Back to the Future

Over time, the rewatchability of the Back to the Future movies has become mandatory. In part, so that all of the little connections, blink-and-you-miss-it jokes, and bigger story ideas are all noticed, but also just to appreciate the craft on display across the three films. The entire trilogy tells a great story that has defined time travel in the decades since its premiere, but the filmmaking on display changes in each film to inhabit the tone that Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis have chosen. On top of all that? The performances are top-notch, with the cast being given more unique twists for their character with each sequel.

7) Godzilla

The greatest thing about Toho’s long-standing kaiju franchise is its maleability. There have been so many variations and tones done with Godzilla and his pals that there is a flavor for every mood you might be in. Do you want a serious, dramatic take on Godzilla that treats it all with realism? 2014’s Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One are there for you. Do you want a Godzilla that is sillier and features guys in suits beating each other up? The ’70s Showa era is at your fingertips. Do you want something in between those, with a dramatic bend that is also satirical? Shin Godzilla is available. There’s a timeless quality to the majority of Godzilla movies, but the series is a rewatchable icon because of how different each movie really is from the last one.

6) Mad Max

George Miller’s dystopian, post-apocalyptic wasteland remains one of the most influential franchises of all-time, and it helps that the five movies are all distinct from one another. Though there is a chase element and bizarre cars in every film, they all have their own flavor, and by extension, each is some fan’s favorite. This franchise is especially unique compared to every other one on this list because it has one authorial voice, with Miller at the helm for every single movie. On top of that, the filmmaker returned to the series multiple times in different decades, bringing us a series with one director’s vision that manages to capture the exact era they were released in.

5) Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes is a film series that is incredibly rare, with classic and modern films that satisfy the audience with their storytelling, spectacle, and special effects. One could perhaps think this way about just the modern Apes movies, but the four new films all stand in a way that only enhances the world of the classic Planet of the Apes movies, taking nothing from them and only making the mythology deeper. As entertaining as the four new movies are, and they really, really are, there’s something equally as engaging about the classic movies, which all end in such a way that is almost a challenge to the next movie to figure out how it could justify its own existence. That alone makes them worth watching, but it also helps that they’re unique and weird films on their own.

4) Predator

Given the seven mainline films in the series, with only one that is an outright turd, Predator is truly the Little Engine That Could of sci-fi franchises. With an iconic first film and a second that was poorly received but has only gotten better with time, the series has had to find new ways to reinvent itself over time and with new weapons, beasts, and planets. Each new film in the series expands the scope of the series, drawing connections to each other and painting a more complete picture of what the titular intergalactic hunters are capable of. Worth noting that Predator may not have made the list if not for the heavy lifting of the most recent entries, which have seen three of its best films released in just the last three years alone.

3) Star Wars

No one could have predicted in 1977, especially George Lucas, that his new sci-fi movie would completely change the world. Filmmaking and franchise storytelling had to evolve because of the success of the original Star Wars and the two movies that followed, with the best part being that the series remains ongoing with fresh chapters and iconic new stories still being made (two more will be released over the next year and a half).

At its core, what makes Star Wars so iconic is a litany of things that work together: the iconic characters, the universal stories, the bizarre little creatures and aliens, the distinct weapons, and the unique spaceships. All of these things make Star Wars what it is, and they’re also what give the series something new to discover every time you watch. Even if you size this one down to just the original trilogy, Star Wars is one of the most rewatchable film franchises of all time; it’s just a bonus that there are even more movies (many of which are also certified bangers).

2) Terminator

Terminator might be unique on this list in that the rewatchability of the franchise is one that has a more anthropological appeal than a narrative one. Though James Cameron’s first two feature films are all-time great movies that redefined Hollywood filmmaking and pushed their genres to new limits, we can’t call just two movies a franchise. As a result of their success, all the sequels have largely been failed attempts to recapture the magic of the first two movies. Each successive entry has its own defenders and fans, while also those that despise them, leading to an amalgamation of continuities and universes where the connectivity is threadbare and the resolutions are nonexistent. We’ll always have the first two movies, but the films that follow are fun to watch because of their potential that isn’t fully captured.

1) Universal’s Frankenstein Films

James Whale’s 1931 classic Frankenstein and 1935 sequel Bride of Frankenstein remain some of the most influential horror movies of all time, but as noteworthy and entertaining as they remain over ninety years later, the fact that the series continues on and remains engaging is a feat that few other films of the era were able to accomplish (just look at the other Universal monster movies as an example. Through four movies, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, and Ghost of Frankenstein, there’s a clear narrative arc that tracks through all of them, plus gorgeous gothic filmmaking (and the root of major pop culture moments, like Frankenstein walking with his arms out). The best part? The story doesn’t end there, with the crossover film Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man picking up the torch from Ghost and fully acknowledging the continuity. Furthermore, though only loosely connected, the Frankenstein arc even continues across three movie appearances with House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein all following.

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