In 1982, Poltergeist spooked its way into cinemas. The supernatural horror movie, about a family terrorised by malevolent spirits, was a box office smash which led to a series of movies.

But how many Poltergeist movies are there and what is the viewing order?

Advertisements

_____

The Poltergeist movies in order

Image: ©MGM

To date, there are four Poltergeist movies. The Poltergeist movies – which were produced between 1982 and 2015 – were released in this order:

  • Poltergeist (1982)
  • Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
  • Poltergeist III (1988)
  • Poltergeist (2015)

_____

Are all of the Poltergeist movies part of the same series?

Poltergeist ’82, Poltergeist II and Poltergeist III three are all part of the same series, with events told in chronological order. Poltergeist 2015 is a remake of the original movie, and therefore can be viewed separate to the other movies in the series.

Advertisements

_____

Who are the cast of the Poltergeist films?

Image: ©MGM/20th Century Fox

The cast of the Poltergeist films varies across the four movies. Notable actors in the Poltergeist series include Heather O’Rourke, Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Dominique Dunne, Oliver Robins, Zelda Rubinstein, Beatrice Straight, Julian Beck, Tom Skerritt, Nancy Allen, Lara Flynn Boyle, Nathan Davis, Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Jared Harris.

_____

Is the Poltergeist series the work of the same director?

The Poltergeist films are the work of multiple directors. Tobe Hooper directed Poltergeist ‘82, Brian Gibson directed Poltergeist II, Gary Sherman directed Poltergeist III, and Gil Kenan directed Poltergeist 2015.

Advertisements

_____

What is the best Poltergeist film?

Image: ©MGM

Poltergeist ‘82 is generally considered to be the strongest film in the collection, while Poltergeist III is regarded as the weakest entry.

According to IMDb the Poltergeist films are ranked as follows:

  • Poltergeist (1982) – 7.3/10
  • Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) – 5.7/10
  • Poltergeist (2015) – 4.9/10
  • Poltergeist III (1988) – 4.7/10
Advertisements

_____

I hope this information about the Poltergeist film series has proved useful. Should you wish to know more about other long-running movie series, please check out one of the recommended reads below.

Read more:

Advertisements
Advertisements