GhostbustersComplete Watch Order Guide
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City who start a ghost-catching business. The second film, Ghostbusters II, was released in 1989.
Ghostbusters Release Timeline
What order should you watch the Ghostbusters movies?
Release order — click any era to expand or collapse. All 4 released films shown below.
1 film released between 1984 and 1984.
1 film released between 1989 and 1989.
2 films released between 2021 and 2024.
Watch Ghostbusters in Order
Watch the Ghostbusters movies in release order, starting with Ghostbusters (1984) and continuing through Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). The series spans 4 films, released between 1984 and 2024. Audiences rate the franchise 7/10 on average.
What order should you watch Ghostbusters?
For most viewers, release order is the recommended way to watch Ghostbusters. This is how the story was crafted and revealed to audiences — earlier films seed details, callbacks, and twists that pay off in later entries. Watching in release order preserves those reveals and matches the pacing the filmmakers intended.
Ghostbusters largely tracks its own in-universe chronology, so release order and chronological order overlap closely. You can use either without losing much, though release order is still the safest first watch.
About the Ghostbusters franchise
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City who start a ghost-catching business. The second film, Ghostbusters II, was released in 1989.
Each film builds on the previous one, rewarding viewers who watch in sequence.
Ghostbusters by the Numbers
Every figure below is calculated from the full film list on this page.
- 4
- Films released
- 40
- Years running
- 7.0/10
- Average audience rating
- 7.5/10
- Highest rated
- 6.4/10
- Lowest rated
- Flat
- Rating trajectory
- 32 years
- Longest gap between films
Ghostbusters has 4 released films, the first in 1984 and the most recent in 2024.
The series has been running for 40 years, from 1984 to 2024.
Across its 4 rated films, Ghostbusters averages 7.0/10 on TMDB, from 23,061 audience ratings.
The highest-rated entry is Ghostbusters (1984) at 7.5/10 on TMDB.
The lowest-rated entry is Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) at 6.4/10 on TMDB.
Its first 2 films average 7.1/10 on TMDB and its most recent 2 average 6.9/10, so audience ratings have held flat across the series.
The longest gap between consecutive films is 32 years, between Ghostbusters II (1989) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).
Computed by Movies in Order from The Movie Database (TMDB) collection data for Ghostbusters, covering all 4 released films. Last recalculated November 2026.
Ghostbusters Fun Facts & Trivia
The Ghostbusters franchise spans 40 years, from 1984 to 2024.
The highest-rated entry is Ghostbusters with a 7.5/10 audience score.
Across all films, the franchise averages a 7.0/10 rating from audiences.
Ghostbusters films have collected over 23k audience ratings combined.
The most recent entry, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), continues a franchise that began 40 years earlier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best order to watch Ghostbusters?
What is the first Ghostbusters movie?
What is the most recent Ghostbusters movie?
How many Ghostbusters movies are there in total?
How long does it take to watch all Ghostbusters movies?
What is the highest-rated Ghostbusters movie?
Can I watch Ghostbusters movies without watching them in order?
Where can I watch Ghostbusters movies online?
More Movies in Order
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