One of the greatest film trilogies of all time, the Back to the Future trilogy, has returned to Netflix and I couldn’t be more excited about it. The trilogy is an oft-used format for a film series, having graced both mainstream franchises like The Planet of the Apes and Spider-Man, as well as arthouse films such as Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy or the Three Colors films. Tracing characters over a three-film arc is often a great way to devote time to a story without a franchise overstaying its welcome.

Generally speaking, I find great movie trilogies hard to come by. While the scale of the storytelling of something like The Lord of the Rings is certainly impressive, nothing is worse than moments like the outstanding Spider-Man 2 being followed up by the goofy, wildly disappointing Spider-Man 3. As inconsistent as many trilogies can be, I was excited to learn that one of the greatest trilogies is now coming to Netflix.

All Three Back To The Future Movies Are Now Back On Netflix

You Can Watch Back To The Future Now On The Platform

That trilogy is Back to the Future. As of July 1, all three of the Back to the Future films are available to stream on Netflix. This includes 1985’s Back to the Future as well as Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990). As the original film turns 40 this year, I’m excited to revisit the franchise.

This 40th anniversary tie-in may help Back to the Future get views as it comes to Netflix. This week, it will have to compete with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the Eddie Murphy action-comedy sequel that hit the platform on Wednesday. As much as I love Marty McFly, I admit that the long-awaited Beverly Hills Cop sequel may outpace the viewership of those re-watching Back to the Future. Still, Netflix availability is great for the franchise.

Why Back To The Future Is One Of The Best Movie Trilogies Of All Time

Back To The Future Maintains A High Quality

As I mentioned earlier, the art of the trilogy is hard to master. Overcoming this challenge, the Back to the Future trilogy maintains its entertainment value throughout the series, making it one of the greatest trilogies of all time. The critical consensus endorses this statement, as all three Back to the Future movies have fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes. This includes a 93% for the first movie, a 63% for the second, and an 81% for Back to the Future Part III.

While there are multiple individually iconic aspects of the Back to the Future movies — such as the DeLorean or the “Johnny B. Goode” performance — part of what keeps the movies fresh is the vastly different timelines they cover. The first Back to the Future movie catapults Marty back 30 years, to 1955, while the second puts him in 2015. Seeing these different eras, including the “future” timeline that has since passed, keeps the Back to the Future films fresh as the trilogy manages to artfully expand on a relatively simple concept.

Another reason I love the Back to the Future films is because of the lead performance from Michael J. Fox. While he has several other great roles, Marty McFly is my personal favorite from Fox. His youthful charisma bleeds off the screen in each one of the trilogy’s films, bringing energy whether it be to a sloppy romance or guitar solo. Fox keeps the Back to the Future films great, and it will be so fun to re-explore this performance on a Netflix deep dive.

Which Back To The Future Movie Is The Best One?

You Can’t Beat the First Back to the Future

As iconic as the entire Back to the Future trilogy is, nothing can top the first film in quality. The first Back to the Future has the best scenes in the franchise, and benefits from the novelty of getting to introduce the idiosyncratic characters such as Marty and Doc Brown. Not only is Back to the Future the best in the franchise, but I would argue that it is Zemeckis’ best work as a director (my apologies to die-hard Forrest Gump fans… but can “Run Forrest Run?” really beat “Why don’t you make like a tree and get out of here”?).

Even though I find the first Back to the Future the most appealing in the franchise, I’m thrilled about them all being on Netflix. Rewatching Back to the Future will also be a great way to appreciate Zemeckis’ best movies before the release of his upcoming film Here, which is a family drama starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. Whether drawn in by Fox’s incredible performance or the esthetics of the ‘80s, Back to the Future is an audience favorite that will hopefully succeed on its new streaming home.