Back To The Future Movies In Order: FAQ, Overview (2024 Updated)

Written By Charles Eames
Last updated: November 21, 2022

The Back To The Future, an American science fiction comedy film series, tells the story of a high school student, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), and an eccentric scientist, Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd), as they use a modified DeLorean time machine to time travel to different points in history.

The trilogy mainly focuses on their adventures as they attempt to fix the problems that their time travel has caused. 

Back To The Future movie has a fantastic story and is filled with iconic scenes, quotable lines, and memorable characters. It is rightly considered to be one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time. 

If you are a fan of the Back To The Future movies, then you might be wondering in what order you should watch them. The answer is simple: you should watch them in the order they were released.

Back To The Future Trilogy is one of the most popular movie series of all time. The movie follows the story of a high school student, Marty McFly, who is sent back in time to the 1950s by an eccentric scientist, Dr. Emmett Brown. 

Marty is a high school student who is accidentally sent back in time to the 1950s by Doc Brown, his friend, and scientist. The movie starts with Marty trying to find a way to return back to the future.

He eventually meets Doc Brown in the past, and together they try to fix the problems that their time travel has caused. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles, including Biff Tannen, a bully from Marty’s high school who has followed him back in time. 

List of Back To The Future Movies in Release Order

Back To The Future Movies In Order
  1. Back to the Future (1985)
  2. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
  3. Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Back to the Future (1985)

Back To The Future Movies In Order

Director: Robert Zemeckis  | Writers: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson | Country of origin: United States  | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 56 minutes. | Release Date: July 3, 1985 | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are adventure, comedy, and sci-fi. | Filming Locations: Whittier High School – 12417 E. Philadelphia Street, Whittier, California, USA | Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, U-Drive Productions | Budget: The budget for the movie was $19 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $383 million.

The first movie was released in 1985, is considered one of the greatest movies of all time, and was named the greatest science fiction film by the American Film Institute.

The movie follows Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, who is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Doc Brown. Marty must find a way to return back to the future and prevent himself from being erased from existence.

The movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. The movie grossed over $383 million worldwide with a budget of $19 million.

After his Audition, Marty meets his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, and they quickly become friends. While walking home, they witness Dr. Emmett Brown being chased by Libyan terrorists in a DeLorean car.

The terrorists shoot at the car, causing it to crash. When Doc Brown opens the door to the DeLorean, Marty and Jennifer are shocked to see that he has built a time machine out of the car.

Doc tells Marty that he has built the time machine in order to save his future son from being erased from existence. Doc also tells Marty that he needs him to go back in time and stop the terrorists from killing him. 

Marty agrees to help Doc, and they travel back in time to 1955. In 1955, Marty met his parents when they were in high school. Marty also meets Doc Brown, who is working on the time machine. Marty helps Doc brown finish the time machine, and they test it out by traveling to the future.

In the future, they meet Marty’s future children, who are in danger of being erased from existence. They also meet Biff Tannen, who is a rich and powerful man in the future. Biff has a grudge against Marty and wants to kill him.

Marty and Doc travel back to 1955, preventing the terrorists from killing Doc. They also prevent Biff from getting his hands on the time machine. After everything is resolved, Marty and Doc say their goodbyes, and Marty returns to the future.

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Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Back To The Future Movies In Order

Director: Robert Zemeckis  | Writers: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Elisabeth Shue, Thomas F. Wilson | Country of origin: United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 48 minutes. | Release Date: November 22, 1989 | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are adventure, comedy, and sci-fi. | Filming Locations: Griffith Park – 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA | Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, U-Drive Productions | Budget: The budget for the movie was $40 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $332 million.

The second movie was released in 1989 and is considered to be one of the greatest sequels of all time. The movie follows Marty McFly and Doc Brown as they travel to the future to save Marty’s future children from being erased from existence.

The movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Elisabeth Shue, and Thomas F. Wilson. The movie grossed over $332 million worldwide with a budget of $40 million.

While Marty and Jennifer were together in 1985, they witnessed a car accident that sent them back in time to 1955. In 1955, they met Marty’s parents in high school. Marty also meets Doc Brown, who is working on the time machine.

When Marty, Doc, and Jennifer reach the future, Doc explains that the future is in danger because of Biff Tannen. In order to save the future, they need to travel back in time and stop Biff from getting his hands on the time machine. 

Marty, Doc, and Jennifer travel back to 1955, and they prevent Biff from stealing the time machine. They also prevent him from getting his hands on the almanack, which contains information about the future. After everything is resolved, Marty and Doc say their goodbyes and Marty returns to the future.

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Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Back To The Future Movies In Order

Director: Robert Zemeckis  | Writers: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson, Lea Thompson | Country of origin: United States | Runtime: The runtime of the movie is 1 hour and 58 minutes. | Release Date: May 25, 1990 | Language: The language is English. | Genres: The movie genres are adventure, comedy, sci-fi, and western. | Filming Locations: Sierra Railroad, Jamestown, California, USA | Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, U-Drive Productions | Budget: The budget for the movie was $40 million. | Box Office: The film grossed $245 million.

The third movie was released in 1990 and is considered to be the weakest movie in the trilogy. The movie follows Marty McFly and Doc Brown as they travel back in time to the Old West to save Doc Brown from being killed by Biff Tannen.

The movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson, and Lea Thompson. The movie grossed over $245 million worldwide with a budget of $40 million.

Marty and Doc travel back in time to the old west. In the old west, they meet a woman named Clara Clayton. Marty falls in love with Clara and they get married. However, their happiness is short-lived when Buford’s “Mad Dog” Tannen tries to kill Marty.

Marty and Doc manage to escape from Buford, and they travel back to the future. In the future, they meet Marty’s children, who are in danger of being erased from existence. They also meet Biff Tannen, who is a rich and powerful man in the future. Biff has a grudge against Marty and wants to kill him.

Marty and Doc travel back to 1955 and they prevent the terrorists from killing Doc. They also prevent Biff from getting his hands on the time machine. After everything is resolved, Marty and Doc say their goodbyes and Marty returns to the future.

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Movies in order by IMDB Rating

MoviesRating on IMDB
Back to the Future 8.5/10
Back to the Future Part II 7.8/10
Back to the Future Part III 7.4/10

Other Popular Trilogies to Binge Watch

Here are some suggestions if you’re looking for other popular trilogies to watch.

  • The Lord of the Rings trilogy
  • The Godfather trilogy
  • The Star Wars trilogy
  • The Dark Knight trilogy
  • The Toy Story trilogy
  • The Bourne trilogy

FAQs

Are All of The Back To The Future Movies Part of The Same Series?

The answer is yes. All the movies are part of the same series and follow the same characters. The first movie introduces you to the plot and the character, and the next two movies continue the story. You will understand the story better if you watch the movies in order. 

Do You Need To Watch Back to the Future Movies In Order?

The answer is no. You don’t need to watch the movies in order, but it will help you understand the story better.

What is the Back to the Future movies about?

The Back to the Future movie is about a teenager named Marty McFly who travels back in time. In the first movie, he travels back to 1955. In the second movie, he travels back to 1885. In the third movie, he travels back to 1955.

What Is The Best Back to the Future Movie?

The answer is subjective, but the general consensus is that the first movie is the best. Because it is the first movie, it is the most essential to understanding the story.

Is There A Connection Between The Back To The Future Movies and The Terminator Movies?

Yes, there is a connection between the two movie franchises. In the first Back to the Future movie, Doc Brown mentions that he owns a dog that has been sent back in time from the future. This is a reference to the Terminator franchise.
In the second Back to the Future movie, Marty McFly wears a shirt that says “Save the Clock Tower.” This is a reference to the Terminator franchise.
In the third Back to the Future movie, Marty McFly wears a jacket that says “Ensure your future,” which references the Terminator movies.

Do The Back to the Future Movies Have Any Sequels?

The answer is no. The movies don’t have sequels, but they have three short films and an animated television series.

Do The Back to the Future Movies Have Any Remakes?

The answer is no. The movies don’t have any remakes, but a stage musical is based on the movies.

Why didn’t Back to the Future 4 happen?

There have been rumors about BTTF 4, but According to Bob Gale (writer/producer of the trilogy), a fourth movie will never happen. 
“There will be no BTTF 4 because we want to leave it as it is and let people wonder what happened to Marty, Doc, and Jennifer after they left in 2015.” -said Bob Gale

Where can I watch Back to the Future?

Right now, you can watch Back to the Future on Peacock. You can stream Back to the Future by renting or purchasing on Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.

Conclusion

The Back to the Future movies is some of the best movies ever. They are entertaining, funny, and exciting. If you have never seen the movies, I highly recommend watching them. You will not be disappointed.

In this article, we answered the question, “In what order are the Back to the Future movies?” We also provided a brief overview of the movies and explained why you don’t need to watch them in order. Lastly, we recommended other popular trilogies that you can watch.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Thanks for reading!

Charles Eames

Hey, My name is Charles Eames, I am a designer, filmmaker, and lover of photographic arts. And I usually write about movies, Famous/Influential People. I am running this blog with my girlfriend Bernice.

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