Men in Black movies in order
Three films with Smith and Jones, and one spin-off with neither.
Updated 6 August 2026 · 4 titles tracked
Four films: Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Men in Black 3 (2012) and Men in Black: International (2019). Release order is story order.
The only thing worth knowing before you start is that International is a spin-off, not a fourth chapter — it has none of the original characters and can be skipped entirely.
Men in Black, in order
Release order is story order — there is nothing to reshuffle here.
- 1Men in Black1997 · The Original Trilogy · Essential
- 2Men in Black II2002 · The Original Trilogy
- 3Men in Black 32012 · The Original Trilogy · Essential
- 4Men in Black: International2019 · The Spin-off
The first one is still the best
Ninety-eight minutes, and not a wasted one. A New York cop is recruited into an agency that polices alien immigration, and the film treats that as a workplace comedy rather than a spectacle. Rick Baker's creature work is practical and holds up.
It made about 590 million dollars against an 90 million budget, which is why there are three more.
Skip the second, keep the third
Men in Black II repeats the first film with the mentor and rookie roles swapped, runs 88 minutes, and is the one everybody agrees was a mistake.
Men in Black 3 is a genuine recovery. J travels back to 1969 to save a younger K, and Josh Brolin's impression of Tommy Lee Jones is good enough to carry the whole film. It is a time-travel plot told from the present, so watching it third is correct — it is not a prequel.
International is optional
Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in the London branch, released seven years after MIB3. It shares the world, the neuralyzer and the suits, and nothing else.
Nothing in it requires the earlier films, and nothing in the earlier films is improved by it.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Men in Black movies in?
Release order: Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Men in Black 3 (2012), then Men in Black: International (2019) if you want it.
Is Men in Black 3 a prequel?
No. Most of it takes place in 1969, but it is a time-travel story told from the present day. Watch it third.
Do I need to watch Men in Black: International?
No. It is a spin-off with an entirely new cast and no connection to the Smith and Jones films beyond the setting.
How many Men in Black movies are there?
Four — three with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, plus the 2019 spin-off International.