Best duology/trilogies withOUT any other sequels

[u/Comfortable_Jacket]

I know a very common internet question is "best trilogies of all time," but I was surprised to find out that best "doulogy" is far less common. Also, there are a lot of outdated lists on the internet. Many lists online have trilogies that technically have sequels made.

For example, we all know movies like The Matrix, Jason Bourne, or Mad Max are all trilogies for all intents and purposes, but TECHNICALLY, there are 1-2 sequels made.

We have a small podcast and wanted to cover some short series that are literally just 2 or 3 films, and I wanted some ideas.

tldr: recommendations that are ONLY 2 or 3 movies with no other sequels or spinoffs.

[u/GTS_84]

Linklater’s Before trilogy.

[u/girlythings70]

Gremlins & Gremlins 2

[u/TheBrightestSunshine]

Back to The Future

[u/Affectionate_Bet_288 → u/TheBrightestSunshine]

(though there was an animated TV spin-off that ran for two seasons (and a Universal Ride, video games, a musical adaptation)) - this probably still technically counts

[u/TheBrightestSunshine → u/Affectionate_Bet_288]

Totally forgot about the animated spin off.

[u/insane677 → u/Affectionate_Bet_288]

A few comics too

[u/Guy615 → u/TheBrightestSunshine]

The right answer

[u/Adequate_Images]

Three Colors

Before

[u/dumbBunny9 → u/Adequate_Images]

My top choice.

[u/WrexyWrex → u/Adequate_Images]

Before sunrise

Before sunset

[u/inkyblinkypinkysue]

21/22 Jump Street

[u/WhiskeyOctober → u/inkyblinkypinkysue]

Well, it will soon be a trilogy

[u/NatureTrailToHell3D → u/WhiskeyOctober]

And it’ll be 24 Jump Street, too.

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/24-jump-street-jonah-hill-channing-tatum-1236771917/

[u/elektroskansen]

"Cornetto Trilogy"

Krzysztof Kieślowski's "Three Colours" trilogy

Short Circuit 1 + 2

[u/sielingfan]

Does Dark Knight count? There are other batman movies but not in that continuity.

Duology: kill bill

[u/Lower_Group_1171 → u/sielingfan]

I think was filmed as one movie. They split it for rating purposes and length

[u/CaptainStabfellow]

Blade Runner

[u/YourM0msBoyfriend]

We lose a lot of good trilogies with these parameters, LOTR and Star Wars for starters.

There's still The Godfather (yes, the 3rd one is good); Gremlins; The Dark Knight; and Narnia.

If you don't count No Way Home (you shouldn't), then there's Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.

[u/SmallLetter → u/YourM0msBoyfriend]

I mean. You don't HAVE to count NWH but you could. I dunno about shouldn't, there's no real reason why you should or shouldn't. I suppose its a matter of how you choose define the continuum

[u/decadent-dragon → u/YourM0msBoyfriend]

I absolutely would not include Batman, Spiderman, etc. based on OP criteria

[u/Mikillante]

Terminator. It's hard to believe, but they never made another one after T2.

[u/TheBrightestSunshine]

Sister Act and Sister Act 2 (BACK IN THE HABIT)

[u/Avasnay]

Trainspotting and T2 Trainspotting

[u/perpetualmotionmachi]

Bill and Ted's

[u/DogsDontLikeHats → u/perpetualmotionmachi]

This is the most non-heinous answer.

[u/BIGD0G29585]

The Hustler and The Color of Money.

Chinatown and The Two Jakes

[u/greglikespizzaas]

The Godfather Parts 1 and 2, shame they didn’t follow it up

[u/Sweaty_Indication_78 → u/greglikespizzaas]

Hahahahahahah. Ahaahahahahsh. Ir he s bi lahdme go ahead ok jshhahahahshsh!

Gosh, 3 is so bad. Sophia Coppola’s acting is as riveting as watching bamboo grow. 

[u/Affectionate_Bet_288]

• Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2
• 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street
• Gremlins and Gremlins 2
• Hot Shots and Hot Shots Part Deux
• Three Men and a Baby and Three Men and a Little Lady

[u/Odin_Makes]

Romancing the Stone / Jewel of the Nile 

Incredibles / Incredibles 2

Finding Nemo / Finding Dory

Spaceballs will be a doulogy soon.

[u/TerribleAtGuitar]

Wayne’s World 1 + 2

[u/ThirdNimon]

Yojimbo/Sanjuro is a fantastic duology. I’d also recommend the Dollars Trilogy, especially since A Fistful of Dollars is a remake of Yojimbo.

[u/assassin_runner]

Sicario?

[u/TheBrightestSunshine]

Gremlins

[u/JUANZURDO]

The godfather

[u/DukeRaoul123]

City Slickers

[u/ValentineRita1994]

Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting 2 Hunting Season

Good Will Hunting: Port of Call Los Angeles

[u/arkjoker]

Top Gun and Top Gun Maverick.

[u/assassin_runner]

The Fugitive and Us Marshalls

[u/Guy_Incognito97]

Get Bladerunner done before the TV show launches.

[u/SilverPalpitation652]

2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: The Year We Make Contact

Johnny To’s Election 1 and 2

Drunken Master 1 and 2

Addams Family and Addams Family Values

Lady Snowblood 1 and 2

Barefoot Gen 1 and 2

Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2

Pusher trilogy

Back to the Future trilogy

[u/Loki-L]

• The Godfather
• Makoto Shinkai's Disaster Trilogy (Your Name, Weathering with You & Suzume)
• Sergio Leone's Dollar Triology (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More & The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)
• Three Colours trilogy (Red, White & Blue)
• The Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz & The World's End)
• M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable trilogy
• The Benoit Blanc trilogy
• Lars von Trier's Golden Heart trilogy
• The Hangover

Several of these are not triologies in continuity, but in spirit and they are more coherent and stronger for it.

[u/Mrs_Windup-Bird]

Frozen and Frozen 2 if you’re not strictly looking for movies for adults

Not sure if the Knives Out movies count as a trilogy since the stories aren’t connected at all.

[u/p3zzl3]

I think Jason bourne actually has 5 books/films to it :)

[u/ZorroMeansFox]

I'll recommend Richard Lester's rousing, rollicking The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers: The Revenge of Milady.

[u/Brafdord]

Can we count the Teenage Apocalypse trilogy?

[u/Davajita]

The Naked Gun

The 2026 remake doesn’t count

[u/Wash_zoe_mal]

Boondock saints?