Collections
Picked by the evening you are having rather than the genre shelf it sits on. Every entry says why it is there, and if you want to sort by how long something takes instead, that is a different page.
Start here
Six franchises that ask nothing of you up front. Short, self-contained, and none of them require a chart.
6 picksHalloween night
October
Six horror series sorted by the night you are actually having; a crowd, a date, or the lights off on your own.
6 picksOne film from each
If you only ever watch one film from a franchise, watch this one. Eight picks that need nothing before them and resolve on their own.
8 picksFrom the page
Six franchises adapted from novels, and what the films did with the source. Including the two that improved on it.
6 picksSunday afternoon
Six franchises for when you want something on that you do not have to concentrate on and will not regret.
6 picksChristmas
December
Six franchises chosen for a room with several generations in it and half your attention on the food.
6 picksSummer
June to August
Six franchises made for the season that invented the blockbuster, back when that meant something specific.
6 picksThe long one
January to February
Six franchises big enough to see you through to spring, for the weeks when there is nothing on and nowhere to be.
6 picksWith the kids
Six franchises that hold a child’s attention without insulting yours, and the ages each one actually lands at.
6 picksBetter the second time
Six franchises whose second film is the one people mean, and what changed between the two.
6 picks