You've probably been there. You're sitting on the couch, remote in hand, ready to dive into the final frontier, but you realize there are thirteen—wait, fourteen now—films staring back at you. It’s a lot. If you're looking for star trek movies in order, you aren't just looking for a list of dates. You're trying to figure out how a franchise that started with cardboard sets in the 60s turned into a sprawling, multi-timeline cinematic beast that's still growing in 2026.
Honestly, the "right" way to watch them depends on how much you care about Spock's aging process versus how much you like J.J. Abrams' lens flares.
The Original Crew: Where It All Began
In 1979, Paramount was desperate. Star Wars had just changed the world, and they realized they had a dormant sci-fi hit in the basement. They took a defunct TV pilot and blew it up into Star Trek: The Motion Picture. It’s slow. Like, really slow. Some fans call it "The Motionless Picture." But if you want the true experience, you start here.
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979): Kirk is now an Admiral, the Enterprise is shiny and new, and there's a giant cloud named V’Ger heading for Earth. It’s more 2001: A Space Odyssey than Star Wars.
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982): Basically the gold standard. You've got Ricardo Montalbán chewing the scenery as a genetically engineered superman with a serious grudge. This is where the emotional core of the franchise really locks in.
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984): Directed by Leonard Nimoy himself. It picks up right where Khan left off. If you skip this, the next one makes zero sense.
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986): The one with the whales. Seriously. They go back to 1986 San Francisco. It’s a comedy, it’s fun, and it’s arguably the most "normie-friendly" movie they ever made.
- Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989): William Shatner directed this one. It involves finding God at the center of the galaxy. Most fans sort of collective-eye-roll at this entry, but it has some great campfire scenes between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991): A Cold War allegory in space. It’s a murder mystery and a perfect send-off for the 60s cast.
The Next Generation Era
By the mid-90s, the original crew was getting a bit long in the tooth. It was time for Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard to take the helm. This transition was... rocky.
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- Star Trek Generations (1994): They literally put Kirk and Picard in the same movie to "pass the torch." There's a Nexus, a bridge that falls on people, and a lot of emotional baggage.
- Star Trek: First Contact (1996): This is the peak of the Next Gen films. The Borg go back in time to stop humanity from ever discovering warp drive. It's an action movie through and through.
- Star Trek: Insurrection (1998): Sorta feels like a high-budget double episode of the TV show. It's fine, but it lacks the "bigness" of the previous film.
- Star Trek: Nemesis (2002): This nearly killed the movie franchise. A young Tom Hardy plays a clone of Picard. It was dark, a bit grim, and didn't really resonate with audiences at the time.
The Kelvin Timeline (The Reboots)
After Nemesis flopped, the big screen went dark for seven years. Then J.J. Abrams showed up in 2009 and decided to just rewrite history. By using a time-travel plot (classic Trek), he created an "alternate reality" where he could recast the original characters with younger actors like Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.
- Star Trek (2009): High energy, very loud, very fun. It’s the origin story we never saw in the 60s.
- Star Trek Into Darkness (2013): A remix of The Wrath of Khan. It was controversial among die-hard fans but did huge numbers at the box office.
- Star Trek Beyond (2016): Directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious fame). It feels more like a classic episode of the show—ship gets wrecked, crew is stranded, they have to work together to get off-planet.
The Modern Shift: Section 31 and Beyond
We’re in a weird, exciting spot now. For a while, the movies felt stuck. But as of 2025 and 2026, the strategy has shifted. We aren't just looking at theatrical releases anymore.
Star Trek: Section 31 (2025) changed the game. Starring Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou, this was the first "event film" made specifically for streaming on Paramount+. It's darker, grittier, and follows the Federation's black-ops division. It technically sits in the "Prime Timeline" but spans different eras.
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And then there's the chatter about the upcoming Untitled Origin Movie. Directed by Toby Haynes, this one is supposed to be a prequel to the entire franchise, set decades before Kirk ever sat in the captain’s chair. It’s a bold move, trying to ground the "utopian" future in something a bit more visceral.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Order
People get hung up on "chronological" versus "release" order.
If you watch chronologically, you’re jumping from the 2009 movie’s prologue (2233) to First Contact's 2063 scenes, then back to the 23rd century. It’s a mess. Don't do that to yourself. Release order is almost always better because the writers knew what came before. When First Contact mentions the Borg, you're supposed to know who they are from the TV show or the general cultural zeitgeist.
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Actionable Next Steps
If you want to actually enjoy this journey without getting burnt out:
- Start with The Wrath of Khan. Honestly. If you aren't a completionist, you can skip the first movie and lose almost nothing.
- The "Trilogy" Watch: Watch II, III, and IV in a weekend. They are essentially one continuous story.
- The Streaming Era: Keep an eye on Paramount+. The trend for 2026 is "movie-length" specials rather than just traditional 10-episode seasons. The Section 31 movie is the blueprint for how they’re handling the franchise now.
- Check the Timeline: Use the 2009 reboot as a "palate cleanser" if the older movies feel too slow. It’s a great way to see the characters without the 70s pacing.
Whether you're into the political intrigue of the Klingon peace talks or just want to see a starship explode in 4K, there’s a specific entry point for you. Just don't start with Nemesis. Trust me on that one.