(Photo by Sony Pictures)

How to Watch Ghostbusters Movies In Order

If you want to un-cross the streams and see the Ghostbusters movies in order, here’s how they released, starting with the 1984 original:

95% Ghostbusters (1984)


55% Ghostbusters II (1989)


74% Ghostbusters (2016)


64% Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)


42% Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II have the most connected story, sharing the same cast (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson) and director (Ivan Reitman).

The 2016 remake set up its own continuity, but audience reaction and box office all but guarantee that’ll be a one-off.

2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife resumes the original storyline with Reitman’s son, Jason, directing, for a nostalgic ride starring Paull Rudd, Mckenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard. The sequel reins are handed over to director Gil Kenan for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which returns to the old New York City stomping grounds, with Murray, Hudson, Aykroyd, and Potts back in the mix.

#1

Ghostbusters (1984)
Tomatometer icon 95%

#1
Adjusted Score: 102403%
Critics Consensus: An infectiously fun blend of special effects and comedy, with Bill Murray's hilarious deadpan performance leading a cast of great comic turns.
Synopsis: After the members of a team of scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) lose their cushy positions at a... [More]
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver
Directed By: Ivan Reitman

#2

Ghostbusters II (1989)
Tomatometer icon 55%

#2
Adjusted Score: 58081%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to the cast, Ghostbusters 2 is reasonably amusing, but it lacks the charm, wit, and energy of its predecessor.
Synopsis: After saving New York City from a ghost attack, the Ghostbusters -- a team of spirit exterminators -- is disbanded... [More]
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Directed By: Ivan Reitman

#3

Ghostbusters (2016)
Tomatometer icon 74%

#3
Adjusted Score: 93140%
Critics Consensus: Ghostbusters does an impressive job of standing on its own as a freewheeling, marvelously cast supernatural comedy -- even if it can't help but pale somewhat in comparison with the classic original.
Synopsis: Paranormal researcher Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and physicist Erin Gilbert are trying to prove that ghosts exist in modern society.... [More]
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon
Directed By: Paul Feig

#4
#4
Adjusted Score: 79657%
Critics Consensus: Ghostbusters: Afterlife crosses the streams between franchise revival and exercise in nostalgia -- and this time around, the bustin' mostly feels good.
Synopsis: In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover... [More]
Starring: Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd
Directed By: Jason Reitman

#5
#5
Adjusted Score: 62196%
Critics Consensus: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire offers a certain amount of nostalgia-fueled fun for fans of the original, but a crowded cast and surprisingly serious tone prevent this sequel from truly sparking.
Synopsis: In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started -- the iconic New York City firehouse... [More]
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Directed By: Gil Kenan

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