Star Trek is one of the oldest franchises in the history of American pop culture. Ever since Gene Roddenberry's original television series made its debut in 1966, Star Trek's characters, alien worlds, and galactic adventures have captured the imaginations of millions of viewers.
In addition to its hours of televised content, Star Trek has a long lineup of films to its name. The Star Trek films have a rich history of highs, lows, and everything in between. That said, here is where you can watch every Star Trek movie and experience it all.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
The Motion Picture follows Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as they are sent after a mysterious alien starship that has left destruction in its wake and is now headed for Earth.
Despite reviving a franchise that had not received any new content for many years, this film almost single-handedly killed the Star Trek brand after being panned by critics. Still, it is one of the highest grossing films in the Star Trek franchise, and many fans find it to be an enjoyable watch.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Director's Edition: Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, FandangoNOW
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)
The Wrath of Khan continues the adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew as they come face to face with an old enemy.
The Wrath of Khan proved to be a much greater success than its predecessor, gaining critical acclaim and making a profit for the studio. Many decades later, it is still considered by fans to be one of the best Star Trek films ever made.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Director's Cut: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)
Two years after the release of The Wrath of Khan, Paramount followed up on that film's cliffhanger ending with a direct sequel that sent the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise on a mission to search for Spock's body.
The film was generally well received by critics and audiences, though it did not gain as much praise as the previous film. Even though it does at times pale in comparison to its predecessor, The Search for Spock is still a worthy sequel and necessary viewing for any Star Trek fan.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
The Voyage Home begins with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise returning home to face the consequences for their actions in the last movie. However, they are given a chance to redeem themselves when they receive a distress call from Earth.
This film took the franchise in a more comedic direction. The result was a film that received some of the best reception of any Trek film thus far.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
The fifth film in the franchise, The Final Frontier, continued the adventures of Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew as they pursue a fanatical Vulcan who is on a mission to find God.
This film was initially very successful at the box office, but quickly started to lose business as audiences and critics began to react negatively to the film. It is still considered one of the worst films in the series, but die hard Trekkies may still want to check it out.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
In the sixth film, Captain Kirk and his crew are tasked with overseeing peace negotiations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. This quickly becomes much more complicated when a conspiracy threatens the negotiations.
This film had a significantly more positive reaction than its predecessor and is still considered to be one of the best of the original series cast films.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Director's Cut: Amazon, Vudu, FandangoNOW
Star Trek: Generations (1994)
With Generations, Paramount made a passing of the torch installment which saw Captain Kirk team up with TNG's Captain Picard to save the people of an entire planet from being destroyed.
The reaction among critics to Generations was mixed, but fans seemed to really enjoy it. It may not be the best that Star Trek has to offer, but it is still worthy of any Trekkie's time.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
First Contact featured the villainous Borg Collective as they attempted to defeat the Federation by changing the past.
First Contact was released to overwhelming positive reception, becoming the best reviewed Star Trek film at that point. Fans and critics alike loved this film, and it continues to hold up as yet another of the franchise's best films.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
In Insurrection, Captain Picard and his crew go rogue when they discover that Starfleet is working with an alien race called the Son'a in an operation that will do great harm to another alien race, the Ba'ku.
Despite being a commercial success, Insurrection proved to be a rather divisive film. This is a film that fans should therefore watch and form their own opinions on.
Available on: Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
Nemesis sees Captain Picard and his crew on one last voyage together, this time to celebrate the marriage of Commander Riker and Counselor Troi. The party is cut short, however, when a mysterious signal turns what should have been a happy occasion into a battle for survival.
The critical reaction to this film was even worse than that to Insurrection, making Nemesis to worst reviewed movie of all of The Next Generation films. Nevertheless, this is a film that many fans enjoy and is still worth watching.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, Redbox
Star Trek (2009)
This film tells the story of how the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise under James T. Kirk came together. Taking place in an alternate timeline created by a villainous Romulan named Nero, Star Trek set the stage for new stories to be told with the original cast of characters.
Star Trek was met with praise from critics and audiences alike. It became the best reviewed Trek film of all time and was smash hit at the box office. Fans eager for a new kind of Star Trek will surely find this film an enjoyable ride.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, AMC On Demand, Redbox
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
In Into Darkness, Captain Kirk and his crew must capture a terrorist who has attacked Starfleet Command.
Into Darkness was received positively by critics and fans and became the highest grossing film in the franchise. Fans of Abrams's previous film will surely find this a thrilling followup.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, AMC On Demand, Redbox
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
For the third film in the rebooted continuity, Justin Lin took over directing duties with a story about an early adventure in the U.S.S. Enterprise's five year mission.
Despite garnering the same positive reviews as the previous two films, Beyond struggled at the box office and ultimately underperformed. Fans should take the time to sit down and watch this voyage into the final frontier.
Available on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FandangoNOW, AMC On Demand, Redbox