All 3 Back to the Future Movies in Order
Back to the Future is a science fiction movie franchise with the first movie being released in 1985. Since then this franchise has become so popular and is considered one of the best classics of all time. The franchise follows the story of a teenage boy Marty and ‘mad scientist’ Doc who invented the DeLorean, a car-shaped time machine. After the initial excitement about the possibility of time travel, Marty and Doc soon realize that time travel can be very tricky and have some serious consequences. They must do anything in their power to rectify some mistakes they made along the way.
In this article, you can find answers about how many movies are there in the Back to the Future franchise and read about Back to the Future movies in order.
How many Back to the Future movies are there?
Back to the Future franchise is a trilogy which means that there are three Back to the Future movies. The first movie was released in 1985, the second in 1989, and the third in 1990. Each of these movies follows Marty McFly and Doc on their adventures traveling in the past, future, and then back to the present all while stumbling upon adventures of all sorts. These three movies make one consecutive and round-up story.
Back to the Future movies in order (at a glance)
Back to the Future movies were released relatively fast one after the other considering that the first installment was released in 1985, the second in 1989, and the third in 1990. This was actually a good move from the producers as movies were immediately very popular and fans were crowding cinemas upon their release. These are Back to the Future movies in order of their release:
- Back to the Future ( 1985 )
- Back to the Future Part II (1989 )
- Back to the Future Part III ( 1990 )
The storyline in this trilogy is well developed so it is somewhat easy to follow it because every movie is practically starting with the plot just where the previous movie ended. Overall, the timeline is all around the place which is expected in a movie about time travel, but everything seems to be very well connected so it makes perfect sense in the end.
What is the best way to watch Back to the Future movies?
The Back to the Future movies is best enjoyed by watching them in order of release. This means starting with the first movie, then watching the second movie, and finally watching the third movie. By watching the movies in this order, you’ll be able to follow the story more easily and appreciate all of the references and Easter eggs that connect the films very cleverly.
You can also appreciate the upgrades and downgrades of the Delorean more in this way and character development also. By watching the movies in this order you’ll also understand why Doc never felt like he fits in or why Marty always loses it when someone calls him a chicken.
Back to the Future movies in order by release date
The movies are released as followed:
1. Back to the Future ( 1985 )
Marty McFly is a teenage boy and a good friend of Dr. Emmett Brown, the experimental scientist that invented the car-shaped time machine DeLorean. When these two were attacked by thieves, Doc is wounded and Marty manages to escape to the past in a time machine. When in the past, Marty has to deal with the misfortunes of running into his parents and making sure they fall in love so he could even be born while also tracking down a younger Doc and helping him find a way for DeLorean to work in order to bring them back to the future.
2. Back to the Future Part II ( 1989 )
In the second movie, Doc persuades Marty and his girlfriend to come along with him in the future in order to help their children. While in 2015, Marty learns how technology advanced but family issues remained. He also purchases a sports almanac with sports results from the past few decades. When the almanac comes into the wrong hands, it is used as a get-rich-fast betting tool by a guy named Biff who stole the time machine and gave the almanac to his younger self in the past advising him to bet on sports events that are in it. In order to rectify this, Marty and Doc must travel back to 1955 in order to prevent the young Biff from using the almanac and to restore the timeline to the previous order.
3. Back to the Future Part III ( 1990 )
In the final movie of this franchise, Marty receives a message that Doc is alive and lives in the old West in 1885. However, when he learns about the incident that gets Doc killed in the old West, he travels back in time in order to rescue him. Upon arriving in 1885, Marty realizes that Doc actually does not have any intention of going back to the future and is actually happy in the past. Unfortunately, various events occur and they are forced to find a way to make DeLorean go fast enough to bring them back to the future as both of their lives hang in the balance. The movie wraps up this franchise perfectly.
Where to watch Back to the Future movies?
Back to the Future movies are available to stream on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.
Do you need to watch Back to the Future movies in order?
In my experience, you can watch Back to the Future movies as a stand-alone movie and you will surely be entertained. But, in order to get the full experience of this amazing trilogy, it is advisable that you watch it by its release date. That way, you really get to understand in details Marty’s family issues that seem to follow them through generations, you get to understand that is not a coincidence that Doc liked being in the old West and all the Easter eggs are just so cleverly designed so it would be a shame that you miss them when watching these movies any other way. But, if you just want to watch an entertaining classic movie, any of the movies in this franchise is sure to be the right fit for you.
Are Back to the Future movies connected?
Yes, all three Back to the Future movies are very well connected, and each movie follows the storyline of the previous one. Through the movies, everything is perfectly connected including Marty’s family relationships and issues, Doc’s upgrade and downgrade of the DeLorean, etc. What is also very well portrayed in the movies is the fact that every action in the past has its own way to have some consequences in the future. These movies managed to portray that perfectly and connect minor details from every movie in a well-rounded story.
Will there be more Back to the Future movies?
When asked this question, Bob Gale, one of the franchise producers said that there won’t be any sequels or reboots of Back to the Future movies. He believes that they did a good job with three original movies and that the story of Marty and Doc’s adventures is completed. Due to the fact that decades have already passed since the last installment, we most likely won’t get a sequel. And that is all right if you ask me. Back to the Future movies are one of the most popular trilogies ever created and are considered to be one of the entertainment industry classics.
