Summary

• The "Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy" consists of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End, all of which combine horror and comedy.
• The "Unholy Trinity of Folk Horror Trilogy" includes Witchfinder General, The Blood on Satan's Claw, and The Wicker Man, which are all British films that delve into creepy folklore.
• The "John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy" features The Thing, Prince of Darkness, and In the Mouth of Madness, each exploring potential apocalyptic scenarios.

Horror cinema has produced some excellent trilogies over the years, but those who have already seen all the popular titles might be interested in different, "unofficial" horror movie trilogies. The original best horror movies of all time.

Luckily, there are some "unofficial" horror trilogies - bundles of three seemingly unrelated films - that lovers of the genre might enjoy watching together because they fit together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle. Some of those movies were inspired by similar works of fiction, others may share creators and actors, whereas others had seemingly nothing to do with each other but still worked thematically as a trilogy. Rather than sharing continuity, these "unofficial" horror trilogies present similar experiences that complement each other.

8 Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy

Edgar Wright's brilliant Three Flavours Cornetto series is a recognized trilogy, but it's unofficial and, therefore, belongs on this list. It consists of 2004's comedy horror Shaun of the Dead, 2007's action comedy Hot Fuzz, and 2013's apocalyptic sci-fi comedy The World's End. Each movie has a horror element; zombies in Shaun of the Dead, a murderous cult in Hot Fuzz, and hostile aliens in The World's End. All three films are superb and star real-life friends Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in top form. Those looking for laughs to go with their scares on Halloween night should consider watching this trilogy.

7 Family Game Night Trilogy

This trio of movies has the concept of games or rituals in common, with the games in question having a horrific, disturbing, or bloody twist for the required horror element. 2005's Hide and Seek is the more psychological entry and follows a grief-stricken father and daughter down a disturbing path, while 2011's You're Next and 2019's Ready or Not fall closer to slasher territory, with individuals being mercilessly hunted at a family reunion and on a wedding night, respectively. Notably, the familial element is also common to these three movies, adding more weight to their unofficial but plausible trilogy status.

6 Unholy Trinity of Folk Horror Trilogy

Folk horror has provided some of cinema's creepiest movies, and there are few finer examples than 1969's Witchfinder General, 1971's The Blood on Satan's Claw, and 1973's The Wicker Man. This genre-defining trio is all British films, aiding the bond between them. Witchfinder General heavily fictionalizes Matthew Hopkins' real-life witch-hunting exploits, The Blood on Satan's Claw sees the young inhabitants of a rural village fall under demonic influence, and The Wicker Man follows a police officer to a remote Scottish island to find a missing girl, where he encounters a cult. They're all terrific films that any horror fan should watch, so binging them is a great idea.

5 The Shape Trilogy

Three completely unconnected horror movies that happen to have geometric titles would make a fantastic trilogy. 1997's Cube, 2009's Triangle, and 2015's Circle, otherwise have nothing in common, but they're all solid horror films in their own right. Cube is a sci-fi horror about a group of people trapped in a lethal maze of mysterious cube-shaped rooms, Triangle is a psychological horror about people stuck in a murderous temporal loop on board a derelict ship, and Circle is a psychological sci-fi horror about people trapped in a dark room who are killed every couple of minutes or when someone tries to leave.

4 Spielberg's Alien Encounters Trilogy

While they aren't necessarily horror movies, any film involving aliens is Halloween-worthy, making Steven Spielberg's trio of extraterrestrial movies perfect for an October 31 binge. 1977's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1982's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and 2005's War of the Worlds are all terrific productions. Close Encounters is a beautiful sci-fi drama, E.T. is a fantastical sci-fi adventure, and War of the Worlds rounds things off perfectly on All Hallow's Eve with a terrifying and thrilling portrayal of a hostile alien invasion. E.T. even throws in a Halloween scene approximately halfway through the binge, making the trilogy even more suitable for watching on that day.

3 Wes Craven's Horror History Lesson Trilogy

Wes Craven was a bona fide master of horror, and several of his movies are classics. There are a couple of official trilogies within his filmography, but a great alternative is to binge the opening installments in franchises he made famous. 1977's The Hills Have Eyes, 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street, and 1996's Scream epitomizes Craven's influence on horror across the decades. The first is a revenge exploitation flick, the second an iconic supernatural slasher, and the third an intelligent meta-slasher. Audiences looking to make Halloween night a terrifying one should consider this binge for a true lesson in the art of scaring people.

2 John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy

Although it's still not considered an official trilogy, this trio of movies is what John Carpenter himself likes to call his "Apocalypse Trilogy." It's made up of 1982's The Thing, 1987's Prince of Darkness, and 1994's In the Mouth of Madness, each of which depicts potentially apocalyptic scenarios, as the trilogy's name would suggest. The Thing is about an alien that threatens to assimilate all of humanity, Prince of Darkness sees Satan rising on Earth, and In the Mouth of Madness sees the planet overrun with monsters. If a suitably bleak Halloween night is wanted, this trio of movies is ideal viewing.

1 See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil Trilogy

This trilogy idea is based on the proverb "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" and includes 2016's Don't Breathe, 2016's Hush, and 2018's A Quiet Place. Don't Breathe is the "see" ingredient, focusing on a blind man killing home invaders. Hush is the "hear" ingredient, chronicling a deaf-mute writer's attempts to survive in silence when a masked murderer attacks her remote woodland home. A Quiet Place is the "speak" ingredient, depicting a world where humans can't speak for fear of attracting vicious blind aliens who've invaded. This unofficial horror trilogy features three genuinely brilliant films, each offering something unique for a deliciously creepy Halloween night.