Every ‘Star Trek’ Movie, Ranked From ‘Nemesis’ To ‘The Wrath Of Khan’

Like its equally influential creative rival Star Wars, Star Trek is a series that continues to define the entire science fiction landscape.

Among the most famous examples of space opera media to ever arrive on the small screen, Star Trek forever changed the way audiences looked upon conventional sci-fi narratives. Lovably kitschy yet endlessly thoughtful in its portrayal of the mysteries surrounding the universe, it’s a series that will live on as a beloved staple of contemporary pop culture, scaling to the same heights as Star Wars, Dune, Game of Thrones, or The Lord of the Rings.

While Star Trek itself remains synonymous with its various TV shows, the series has also ventured into the realm of film time and time again. From early adventure movies like The Wrath of Khan to more recent franchise additions like Section 31, here is a definitive ranking of every Star Trek film ever made, as ordered from worst to best.

14. Section 31 (2025)

There’s a reason only a handful of people even know there was a Star Trek film released this past year. A harebrained, meandering, shoddily-made space opera film with barely any story to grab hold of or take an interest in, Section 31 is without a doubt the most disappointing form of media to ever bear the Star Trek name. It’s just . . . awful.

13. The Final Frontier (1989)

The Final Frontier never really had a chance to shine, dooming itself to failure the moment William Shatner took over directorial duties and a writers’ strike hampered the movie’s early production. As a result, the finished film alternates between surprisingly existential self-seriousness and inconsistent attempts at humor, leaving most viewers more confused than entertained when it came to its philosophical plotline.

12. Nemesis (2002)

Nowadays, most people tend to remember Nemesis for providing an early role for Tom Hardy. With the future Venom actor adequately portraying the young, evil Picard clone Shinzon, Nemesis feels like the equivalent of a Next Generation episode you kind of remember, but one that doesn’t stick out very clearly in your imagination. In other words, if Hardy hadn’t portrayed the villain, most people would forget this movie even exists (which is probably for the best).

11. The Motion Picture (1979)

Outfitted with a far bigger budget than they’d ever worked with before, it sometimes feels like Star Trek: The Motion Picture is more concerned with flexing its upscale special effects than it is with focusing on a coherent central story. A lesson in style over substance, it’s a slow-paced, often downright boring sci-fi film all too short on adventure, kicking off the Star Trek cinematic series with more of a simmer than a resounding bang.

10. Insurrection (1998)

More often than not, most people tend to describe Insurrection as little more than an extended episode of The Next Generation. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, some aspects of the movie fail to properly materialize on-screen. In what might have been a grand-scale epic in the same vein as The Voyage Home or The Undiscovered Country, Insurrection instead opts for a paler story that sputters out whenever it seems ready to get off the ground.

9. Generations (1994)

In theory, Generations could have been the greatest Star Trek film in the series’ history. Pairing the cast members of The Original Series and The Next Generation together into one oversized adventure, Generations sadly spends a little too much time referencing past events and meditating on the imminent departures of his older characters. While no doubt a bittersweet experience for fans of The Original Series, such a sentimental tone might prove grating or a tad slow for new viewers or dedicated Next Generation fans.

8. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Taking on a story as closely tied to the series’ name as The Wrath of Khan was bound to be a challenge. Fortunately, 2013’s Into Darkness finds a way to stick the landing, outfitting its narrative with enough hard-hitting realism to differentiate itself from its lovably campy precursor. With Benedict Cumberbatch giving it his all as the enigmatic Khan, Into Darkness tells an old story in a wholly new fashion, appealing to dedicated Trekkies and relatively new fans to the franchise alike.

7. The Search for Spock (1984)

The Search for Spock faced an insurmountable task when it came to measuring up to 1982’s The Wrath of Khan. At the time of its release, most fans viewed the film as a significant drop in quality from its predecessor. In more recent years, however, modern viewers have taken on a far more appreciative view of The Search for Spock’s sleek direction, ensemble focus, and wide array of astounding special effects, with many citing it among the most underrated installments in Star Trek’s extensive filmography.

6. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

We don’t exactly know what the future holds for Chris Pine’s iteration of the Enterprise crew, but if Beyond served as the last film in the series, it’s safe to say they went out on an altogether high note. The third and perhaps final entry in the rebooted Star Trek continuity, Beyond comes packed to the brim with plenty of memorable action sequences, delivering one exciting scene after another over the course of its two hour runtime.

5. The Voyage Home (1986)

On paper, The Voyage Home should have been an unmitigated disaster. (Let’s face it, a Star Trek movie about saving whales? Really?) But in a surprising turn of events, The Voyage Home manages to lean on its comedic subject matter to fantastic lengths, paving the way to a blessedly humorous sci-fi story that transposes the Enterprise crew to the mid 1980s: I.E., the day and age the film itself was released.

4. Star Trek (2009)

A stylish origin story for The Original Series, 2009’s Star Trek simultaneously acts as a prequel and a wildly alternative take on Kirk, Spock, and the various members of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Utilizing its time travel narrative to veer towards some wholly unexpected directions, Star Trek somehow feels like the perfect cross between the series of old and the radical, action-heavy series of tomorrow. For this reason, it’s a guaranteed good time for anyone fortunate enough to hit play, regardless of their personal knowledge of Star Trek’s expensive canon.

3. First Contact (1996)

The first outright solo adventure for Picard and the cast of The Next Generation, First Contact feels like a two-hour extended episode of its TV predecessor – in the best possible way, that is. Drawing on a time travel-inspired narrative involving the Borg’s attempts to alter the past, it’s an exceptionally well-crafted sci-fi film that has heart, humor, and plenty of incredible callbacks to The Next Generation’s best episodes (cough, cough, “Best of Both Worlds”).

2. The Undiscovered Country (1991)

The Wrath of Khan might get all the love and attention, but it’s impossible not to overstate the undeniable appeal of 1991’s The Undiscovered Country. A fantastic exploration of the ongoing hostilities between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, it also provides an in-depth study of Kirk’s own personal differences with his alien adversaries, testing his patience and understanding as the would-be arbiter of peace in the universe. A Hitchcockian whodunit on the one hand and a tense political thriller on the other, it’s the ultimate sendoff for the original Enterprise crew, allowing them one final solo adventure before the disappointing Generations.

1. The Wrath of Khan (1982)

What other film could it have possibly been? Like its space opera counterpart in The Empire Strikes Back, The Wrath of Khan offers up a darker take on the continuity of The Original Series, one where the steadfast crew of the Enterprise meet their match against Ricardo Montalban’s vengeful superhuman antagonist. Paying ample homage to numerous aspects of The Original Series, The Wrath of Khan simply feels like a major leap forward in the overall story of James Kirk and his crew, illustrating their clear maturation from industrious young explorers into older, more seasoned adventurers longing for the glory days of their youth.

If you want to decide for yourself, you can watch the full Star Trek catalog on Paramount+.