How to watch every ‘Star Trek’ movie in order

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture remains the franchise’s most misunderstood movie. Many fans criticize Robert Wise’s film for being slow and plodding, with some declaring it “the motionless picture” compared to later action-packed entries. In reality, this is basically an extended episode, only with a huge budget. There’s plenty to enjoy for anyone who loved the episodic adventures Gene Roddenberry delivered in the ’60s.

The TV cast returns in a film that broadens their personas and deepens their interpersonal relationships. It’s fun watching Spock (Leonard Nimoy) realize logic is not necessarily the answer to every problem, and equally fun seeing Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) rocking a disco suit and complaining about being drafted.

While William Shatner is generally remembered for hamming up the cosmos, he is both nuanced and magnetic in Captain Kirk’s first big-screen showcase. Just as Kirk’s first, best destiny is to trek through the stars, it’s clear Shatner was destined to play the most famous captain in this (or any other) world.

Where to watch Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Paramount+

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Nicholas Meyer brought the franchise back to life with The Wrath of Khan, which pits Kirk against his old nemesis (played to arch perfection by Ricardo Montalban). Thanks to the new uniforms, quotable lines, and epic space battles, Wrath of Khan is the best film with which to hook new fans. However, those who loved the show for its themes of exploration and diplomacy may resent how this film’s success began Star Trek’s slow transformation into an action franchise.

But the action doesn’t hinder the character-building, including Spock becoming a mentor to a new Vulcan protégé (Kirstie Alley). As usual, the chief focus is on Kirk, who wrestles with old demons, namely a long-forgotten nemesis and a long-lost son. He must also battle Starfleet’s own demon: Genesis, a device that can instantly terraform a dead world or, in the wrong hands, destroy an existing one. Throw in a climax that will leave you crying, and you’ve got what most consider the greatest Star Trek movie of them all.

Where to watch Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Paramount+

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

The Search for Spock picks up right where the previous film left off. In Nimoy’s directorial debut, Kirk is spurred into action by the revelation that McCoy might have Spock’s mind rattling inside his own brain (thanks to the quick-thinking Vulcan’s wacky mental powers). When Kirk learns Spock may have been brought back to life on the Genesis planet, he gathers his crew to do the unthinkable: Hijack the Enterprise and save his best friend, Starfleet orders be damned.

Though Kirk has a pop culture reputation for always breaking the rules, in truth he mostly followed Starfleet protocols to a T. So it’s great fun watching him go rogue, and we get strong moments from his mutinous crew, including Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura putting a young officer in his place and George Takei’s Sulu absolutely serving in a snazzy jacket. Of course, nobody is having more fun than Christopher Lloyd as a conniving Klingon Commander chewing every bit of scenery. (We can only assume it tastes better than gagh, the worm-like food favored by his people.) 

Where to watch Star Trek III: The Search for Spock: Paramount+

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

If Wrath of Khan is the gateway Star Trek film for sci-fi lovers, The Voyage Home is the gateway for everyone else. This sequel is affectionately known as “the one with the whales” due to its bonkers storyline. Once Kirk and Co. return to Starfleet Headquarters, they find Earth besieged by a mysterious alien that wants to chat with whales, which are extinct in the 23rd century. Fortunately, the solution is as simple as it is crazy: They’ll just time-travel to the 20th century, snag a pair of whales, and zip back to the future.

The plot is intriguing, but the real strength of the film is the comedy. We get scene after scene of Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the gang trying (and failing) to integrate into 20th-century society. The movie is surprisingly muted in its messaging, allowing its ideas about preservation and conservation to speak for themselves. That allows us to enjoy the antics of the fish-out-of-water crew and the one person who can help them: a cetologist (Catherine Hicks) with a crush on Kirk.

Where to watch Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Paramount+

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Directed by Shatner, The Final Frontier has a star-spanning plot involving Spock’s half-brother, Sybok, a fanatical terrorist on a mission to find God (no, really). His alien heritage allows him to heal the innermost pain of the Enterprise crew, transforming enemies into allies in his Quixotic crusade. While Sybok has the zealous faith of a true believer, even he doesn’t know what God will be like — or how the Almighty will judge his creations.

The film’s execution is far sloppier than its ambitious concept. But it offers great character moments, starting with an iconic opening in which Kirk, Spock, and McCoy go camping and sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

We also get surprising insight into the relationship between both McCoy and Spock and their fathers (even in the 23rd century, Freud stays winning). Interestingly, Final Frontier features a climactic “Kirk vs. God” moment reminiscent of Roddenberry’s unused script for the first movie, which featured the captain fighting Jesus Christ.

Where to watch Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: Paramount+

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

The Undiscovered Country is the final entry focusing exclusively on the original crew. It also serves as a delightfully unsubtle Cold War metaphor, thanks to a plot involving an energy crisis that prompts the Klingons to consider making peace with the Federation. As the most bitter foe of this warrior race (they killed his son, after all), Kirk is inexplicably chosen for a diplomatic meeting with the Klingon chancellor (David Warner). 

It doesn’t take long for things to go off the rails, as an attack from unknown assassins frames Kirk and McCoy for crimes they didn’t commit. The film has a bit of everything — action, adventure, mystery — and we get great guest performances from new players, including Christopher Plummer’s General Chang. He plays a Shakespeare-obsessed Klingon, which is fitting in a movie named after Hamlet’s description of the afterlife.

Then there’s Michael Dorn, playing an ancestor of his fan-favorite character, Worf. His presence reminds us that the torch has now passed to, well… the next generation.

Where to watch Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: Paramount+

Star Trek Generations (1994)

Generations is the first installment focusing on Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of The Next Generation. It also marks the final outing for Shatner, who appears alongside James Doohan’s Scotty and Walter Koenig’s Chekov.

While the latter two are in the film sparingly, Shatner has a suitably outsized cameo, giving fans what they had been waiting for: an onscreen team-up between Picard and Kirk. The two must work together against an unexpected new threat: Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell), who will kill just about anyone to get back to a place of cosmic nirvana known as the Nexus.

Stewart and Shatner have great charisma on their own, but shaky chemistry when they’re together. Similarly, McDowell has fun chewing the scenery, but his villain is just a traumatized guy trying to get back to his happy place… not exactly the equal of heavyweights like Khan or Chang. Still, there’s plenty to like, including Brent Spiner’s broad comedy and the funky mood lighting permeating the Enterprise-D.

Where to watch Star Trek: Generations: Paramount+

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Trek film history tends to repeat itself. Generations had much in common with The Motion Picture, feeling more like an extended episode than a cinematic event. The TNG crew’s second outing is much like The Wrath of Khan because First Contact trades diplomacy and introspection for almost nonstop action.

The plot is simple: the Borg attack Earth before vanishing into the past. The Enterprise follows in order to keep the bionic baddies from altering humanity’s past and destroying its future. Picard and his crew must ensure that Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) successfully pilots humanity’s first warp speed voyage.

The plot splits the team up, with Riker (Jonathan Frakes) leading efforts to ensure the flight goes off without a hitch. Meanwhile, Picard (teaming up with a local played by Alfre Woodard) must retake a ship infested by the Borg and their Queen (Alice Krige). The shipboard sequences are mostly an excuse to do Aliens by way of Star Trek. Maybe they should have gone with a simpler tagline: “In space, no one can hear you beam.”

Where to watch Star Trek: First Contact: Paramount+

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

Insurrection is a return to form, a relaxed adventure that feels even more like a long episode than Generations did. When the Enterprise heads off to retrieve Data after he goes inexplicably rogue, the crew discovers a planet with a remarkable secret.

As explained by newcomer (and new Picard crush) Anij (Donna Murphy), the planet has special properties that make its residents functionally immortal. Unfortunately, an evil Starfleet admiral (Anthony Zerbe) and a conniving alien (F. Murray Abraham) have teamed up to steal the planet’s mojo for themselves.

This all inspires Picard to do the unthinkable: Defy Starfleet orders and spearhead a desperate bid to save the residents of this cosmic Eden from being forcibly relocated. This arguably shows character growth, considering how the good captain refused to help residents being displaced back in TNG’s “Journey’s End.”

While Insurrection isn’t the action-fest First Contact was, it’s pretty cool watching Stewart kick butt, take names, and even get the girl. If you want old-school episodic vibes built around a cowboy hero, this film can certainly “make it so.”

Where to watch Star Trek: Insurrection: Paramount+

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

The Next Generation movie era came to a premature halt after Nemesis. More than any of this crew’s films, this movie tries to bite the style of The Wrath of Khan, right down to giving our captain a rival he has a personal connection with. In this case, it’s a younger genetic clone of Picard, Shinzon (an impossibly young Tom Hardy). He leads a kind of slave uprising against the Romulans, but when he points his ship and its superweapon toward Earth, it’s up to the Enterprise to save humanity.

Nemesis delivers some fun fan service, including Riker getting a new ship (the Titan) and a soon-to-be wife (longtime love Deanna Troi). They have time for one last adventure, which involves everything from dune buggy chases to a simple-minded android duplicate. Too many ingredients lead to a fairly muddled film, but those ingredients remain tasty. This includes Hardy, whose performance is every bit as quirky as later roles that made him one of Hollywood’s favorite weirdo movie stars.

Where to watch Star Trek: Nemesis: Paramount+

Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek serves as the inevitable reboot of this long-running sci-fi franchise. When you should watch this film is a matter of debate. The story takes place when Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the rest of the soon-to-be Enterprise crew are much younger, chronologically placing it before The Motion Picture. However, it exists in an alternate timeline — the “Kelvinverse,” partially caused by a post-Undiscovered Country Spock.

Regardless of when you watch, this film is pure fun. Pine and Quinto have killer chemistry, and they face off against an equally charismatic Romulan villain (Eric Bana) from the future who threatens to rewrite the past in his image. Bana is so good as a mustache-twirling bad guy that the next two films also revolved around a crazy Big Bad wielding a seemingly unstoppable weapon. Here, that formula is mostly an excuse to transport us from one breathtaking setpiece after another.

Where to watch Star Trek: Paramount+

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Part of what made Star Trek so fun was that it took creative risks and delivered something that felt fresh. Star Trek Into Darkness is, at minimum, the third Trek film to copy the Wrath of Khan formula. It’s also the most shameless, bringing Khan back in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch. The actor does his best to exude menace, but he’s hampered by a script filled with franchise cliches like an evil admiral (Peter Weller) and Kirk playing fast and loose with the Prime Directive. Everything is topped off with an eye-catching gal in a short skirt (Alice Eve).

Here, the familiar elements seem stale. That’s amplified by the puzzling presence of Khan, leaving audiences to ask: What’s the point of rebooting a fictional universe if you’re just going to do retreads of what came before?

Still, there are things for franchise diehards to enjoy, including information about the mysterious Section 31 and about the woman who would later call Kirk her baby daddy. Whether that makes up for angry, screaming Spock, though, is a matter of opinion.

Where to watch Star Trek Into Darkness: Paramount+

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Star Trek Beyond is the third and presumably final film in the Kelvinverse. It ends the trilogy in style, trading in the bombastic adventures of the first two movies for a more intimate story of the Enterprise crew trying to survive on a planet after being forced to abandon ship. The planet has an unexpected ally in Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) who might be able to get our heroes back into space. They’ll need all the help they can get against an intimidating new villain (Idris Elba) harboring a tragic backstory.

Beyond features a farewell to Nimoy’s Spock and an image of Shatner’s crew from The Undiscovered Country, and otherwise has terrific character moments (particularly between Quinto and Karl Urban) and great action beats (like Kirk saving the day with the help of the Beastie Boys). Ultimately, this is a passionate love letter from the cast and crew to the fandom at large.

Where to watch Star Trek Beyond: Paramount+