The BourneComplete Watch Order Guide
The Bourne films are a series of action thriller movies based on the character Jason Bourne, a CIA assassin suffering from extreme memory loss who must figure out who he is. The character is based on novels by Robert Ludlum. The fourth film in the series introduces Aaron Cross, a Department of Defense operative who runs for his life because of Bourne's actions.
The Bourne Release Timeline
What order should you watch The Bourne movies?
Release order — click any era to expand or collapse. All 5 released films shown below.
3 films released between 2002 and 2007.
2 films released between 2012 and 2016.
Watch The Bourne in Order
Watch The Bourne movies in release order, starting with The Bourne Identity (2002) and continuing through Jason Bourne (2016). The series spans 5 films, released between 2002 and 2016. Audiences rate the franchise 7/10 on average.
What order should you watch The Bourne?
For most viewers, release order is the recommended way to watch The Bourne. 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.
The Bourne 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 Bourne
The Bourne films are a series of action thriller movies based on the character Jason Bourne, a CIA assassin suffering from extreme memory loss who must figure out who he is. The character is based on novels by Robert Ludlum. The fourth film in the series introduces Aaron Cross, a Department of Defense operative who runs for his life because of Bourne's actions.
Each film builds on the previous one, rewarding viewers who watch in sequence.
The Bourne by the Numbers
Every figure below is calculated from the full film list on this page.
- 5
- Films released
- 14
- Years running
- 7.0/10
- Average audience rating
- 7.5/10
- Highest rated
- 6.3/10
- Lowest rated
- -1.1
- Rating trajectory
- 5 years
- Longest gap between films
The Bourne has 5 released films, the first in 2002 and the most recent in 2016.
The series has been running for 14 years, from 2002 to 2016.
Across its 5 rated films, The Bourne averages 7.0/10 on TMDB, from 40,702 audience ratings.
The highest-rated entry is The Bourne Identity (2002) at 7.5/10 on TMDB.
The lowest-rated entry is The Bourne Legacy (2012) at 6.3/10 on TMDB.
Its first 2 films average 7.4/10 on TMDB and its most recent 2 average 6.3/10, a fall of 1.1 points across the series.
The longest gap between consecutive films is 5 years, between The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) and The Bourne Legacy (2012).
Computed by Movies in Order from The Movie Database (TMDB) collection data for The Bourne, covering all 5 released films. Last recalculated November 2026.
The Bourne Fun Facts & Trivia
The Bourne franchise spans 14 years, from 2002 to 2016.
The highest-rated entry is The Bourne Identity with a 7.5/10 audience score.
Across all films, the franchise averages a 7.0/10 rating from audiences.
The Bourne films have collected over 41k audience ratings combined.
The most recent entry, Jason Bourne (2016), continues a franchise that began 14 years earlier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best order to watch The Bourne?
What is the first The Bourne movie?
What is the most recent The Bourne movie?
How many The Bourne movies are there in total?
How long does it take to watch all The Bourne movies?
What is the highest-rated The Bourne movie?
Can I watch The Bourne movies without watching them in order?
Where can I watch The Bourne movies online?
More Movies in Order
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See the original timeline, full stats, and editorial intro on the franchise overview page.
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