The Underworld franchise is yet another tale of vampires, werewolves, and other mythical creatures, but with a different tonality than the conventional vampire romances that we see on film. These films are more action-driven with stylized edits, slow-mo shots in the rain, and a snazzy background score to complement it all.
While the franchise isn’t as popular as other vampire franchises such as Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and others from the genre, it makes up for an entertaining binge if you’re not in the mood for anything profound or meaningful. It’s sort of an out of sight, out of mind kind of franchise and doesn’t try to be anything more than that.
So if you’re currently going through a vampire fever, this series is totally for you. Just don’t forget to grab a tub of popcorn and some cola to have the complete bingeing experience.
The Underworld franchise has 6 films in the series with two orders—chronological order and watch order. The franchise includes both live-action and animated movies and has a series of short films that add to the narrative.
However, the overall story is pretty easy to understand, and you do not have to go through much of a hassle to keep up with the character and story arcs.
So let’s jump right in, and I’ll take you through the complete binge experience and how you can have the perfect weekend binge.
Release Order
With 6 films in the franchise, you can watch the films in their release order. While most films are live-action, there is also a series of animated short films by the name of Endless Wars. Kudos to the team behind it because they sure do look pretty good. Overall, the action choreography is captivating, even if the story might fail to impress you from time to time.
Here’s the release order of the Underworld franchise.
- Underworld (2003)
- Underworld: Evolution (2006)
- Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
- Underworld: Endless War (2011)
- Underworld: Awakening (2012)
- Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)
Chronological Watch Order
The chronological watch order is slightly different from the release order. It takes you through the complete timeline in a straightforward manner.
This order gives you an insight into the origins, and for this franchise, it is important simply because, at times, you might find it hard to go through the stories if you don’t know the significance behind them.
- Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
- Underworld: Endless Wars (Part I)
- Underworld: Endless Wars (Part II)
- Underworld
- Underworld: Evolution
- Underworld: Endless Wars (Part III)
- Underworld: Awakening
- Underworld: Blood Wars
As you can see, the short films span across timelines, and it’s best to watch them in this chronological order so that the series, which was released at once, doesn’t seem too disparate.
Run-Time | Binge Duration
The franchise runs for about 9 hours and makes up for the perfect weekend binge. In fact, if you’re fast enough and decide to do nothing else at all, you’ll have room to binge another franchise like the Twilight saga.
Where to Watch
While no streaming platform hosts all the films in the series, you can buy or rent the films from either Amazon or Google Play Movies. The first three films which form the original trilogy are available on Netflix to stream.
Conclusion
The Underworld franchise must be watched in the chronological order that traces the complete timeline to get the best experience. This way, you will properly understand the various nuances of the stories, the characters, and their arcs.
The Underworld franchise is one of those that might be forgettable yet make up for an entertaining flick for a weekend when you don’t want to put too much effort into watching something heavy-handed.
About Underworld Franchise
Underworld is a series of dark fantasy action horror films created by Len Wiseman, Kevin Grevioux, and Danny McBride, that follows characters who are caught up in a war between vampires and werewolves (called “lycans” within the films). Most of the movies star Kate Beckinsale as the protagonist, Selene.
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