Underworld Movies Ranked: Best to Worst
Underworld movies ranked from best to worst, in my opinion: Underworld (2003) first, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans second, Underworld: Evolution third, Underworld: Awakening fourth and Underworld: Blood Wars fifth. The first film wins because it sets up the war between vampires and Lycans cleanly and gives Kate Beckinsale's Selene a story that fits its size, while Blood Wars lands last because its stakes feel the thinnest of the five.
Key Takeaways
- Underworld (2003), directed by Len Wiseman, is the best Underworld movie in this ranking, and it is the right starting point for new viewers.
- Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a close second and the best written film in the series, even though Selene does not appear in it.
- Underworld: Awakening made the most money of the five, about $160 million worldwide, and still ranks fourth, because box office is not the same as quality.
- Underworld: Blood Wars ranks last because it has the thinnest stakes, but it is not a disaster and it has real atmosphere.
- The ranking is not the watch order: Rise of the Lycans is a prequel set long before the others.
Hot Takes
- Rise of the Lycans is better written than Underworld (2003), and the only reason it sits second is that the first film is better built. Callan Brooks, opinion.
- Awakening is the most overrated entry in the series, because the box office hid how little of the mythology it kept. Callan Brooks, opinion.
- Viktor is a better villain than any creature in the series, and Bill Nighy is the reason the first and third films work. Callan Brooks, opinion.
Opinion, by Callan Brooks.
- 1
Underworld
Underworld (2003), directed by Len Wiseman, sets out the war between vampires and Lycans with the cleanest rules in the series. Kate Beckinsale's Selene gets a story that fits her, with Bill Nighy's Viktor as a cold ruler and Michael Sheen's Lucian as a real threat. A $22 million budget went a long way in Budapest, and the film still looks like a practical build. In my opinion, it is the best film in the series and the one to start with.
- 2
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, directed by Patrick Tatopoulos in his first feature as director, is the best drama in the series. Rhona Mitra's Sonja, Michael Sheen's Lucian and Bill Nighy's Viktor give the war a human cause, and the New Zealand shoot suits the stone fortress. It has no Selene, which costs it a place, but at 92 minutes it is tight. I would call it the best written of the five.
- 3
Underworld: Evolution
Underworld: Evolution, also directed by Len Wiseman, spends a $45 million budget on a bigger mythology, with Tony Curran as Marcus and Derek Jacobi as Alexander Corvinus. The rock and metal soundtrack gives it a loud identity, with tracks from Puscifer, My Chemical Romance and Lacuna Coil. At 106 minutes the middle sags. In my opinion, it has the best ideas and not quite the best pacing.
- 4
Underworld: Awakening
Underworld: Awakening, directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, is the shortest film at 88 minutes and the biggest earner at about $160 million worldwide. It brings in Eve, played by India Eisley, and moves the war into a human city after a purge. That gains speed and loses the gothic mood and the mythology of the earlier films. I rank it fourth because it plays more like a chase than a saga.
- 5
Underworld: Blood Wars
Underworld: Blood Wars, directed by Anna Foerster, returns to vampire politics with Lara Pulver's Semira and Tobias Menzies as the Lycan leader Marius. The Czech shoot gives it atmosphere, and Michael Wandmacher's score is a change from Paul Haslinger's. The stakes are the thinnest of the series, and it earned about $81 million worldwide. It ranks last in my opinion, with reasons and without scorn.
How I Ranked the Underworld Movies, Best to Worst
I ranked the five Underworld films on how well each one uses its monsters, its world and its lead, and the result puts Underworld (2003) first and Underworld: Blood Wars last. This is opinion. It could be argued that the middle three sit so close together that a different viewer would shuffle them, and that is fair, because the gaps between second and fourth are small.
What did I actually measure? Four things. First, the craft of the creatures and set pieces, meaning how much of the action looks like a practical build and how much looks like a render. Second, how well the film develops the rules of the war, which the Underworld vampires and Lycans page explains in full. Third, whether Selene in Underworld (Kate Beckinsale) has something to do beyond firing guns. Fourth, pacing against runtime, which runs from 88 minutes for Underworld: Awakening to 122 for Underworld (2003).
A single consensus score tells you how a film landed with audiences overall, but it says little about why a scene works. In my opinion, the reasons matter more than the number. Budget and box office are context only, and every figure sits on the Underworld box office page. Underworld: Awakening cost $70 million and took about $160 million worldwide, the biggest gross of the five, according to Box Office Mojo, and I still rank it fourth. At the other end, Underworld: Blood Wars grossed about $81 million on a $35 million budget, the lowest total, and money did not decide its place either. Full written verdicts will go on the Underworld reviews page as they are finished.
The director line matters more than people admit. Len Wiseman directed the first two films. Patrick Tatopoulos, who handled creature design on the first three films, made his debut as a feature director on Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, with Wiseman producing, according to Screen Daily. Underworld: Awakening was directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, and Underworld: Blood Wars by Anna Foerster. In my opinion, that handover is why the first three feel like one design and the last two feel like separate attempts at a reboot.
There is a practical point on order, too. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a prequel set long before Underworld (2003), so a ranking from best to worst is not a viewing plan. If you are new, use the Underworld movies in order guide, and if you want one film only, start with the first. If you want the story laid out by era, the Underworld timeline does that, and if you have finished all five and want to know what comes next, read about Underworld 6.
FAQs
Which Underworld movie is considered the best?
In this ranking, Underworld (2003), directed by Len Wiseman, is the best Underworld movie, with Underworld: Rise of the Lycans a close second. The first film has the cleanest setup of the war between vampires and Lycans, a strong lead in Kate Beckinsale's Selene, and a gothic look that the Budapest shoot gave it. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans has the best drama, with Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy. This is opinion, and other fans may well put Underworld: Evolution first.
What is the worst Underworld movie?
In my opinion, Underworld: Blood Wars is the weakest of the five. The council politics of the Eastern Coven carry a lot of the story, and the stakes feel thinner than in the earlier films. It is still watchable, with Tobias Menzies as the Lycan leader Marius and a shoot in the Czech Republic. It also earned the least of the series, about $81 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
Is the Underworld series over?
No sixth Underworld film has been confirmed, so the series is dormant rather than officially finished. The last film, Underworld: Blood Wars, reached US theaters on January 6, 2017. No studio has announced a title, cast or date for a new film. A sixth trailer that circulated online was made by fans with AI and is not a real project. The latest status sits on the Underworld 6 page.
Who is the strongest character in the Underworld series?
Selene, played by Kate Beckinsale in four of the five films, is the strongest character in the series, in my opinion. She is the only character who carries the story from the first film through to Underworld: Blood Wars, and she is a Death Dealer, a vampire trained to hunt Lycans. If you want the family history behind the Corvinus name, read about the Corvinus bloodline.
Should I watch the Underworld movies in release order or story order?
Release order is the better choice for a first watch. Underworld (2003), Underworld: Evolution, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Underworld: Awakening and Underworld: Blood Wars is the order the films came out, and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans works as a prequel for people who already know the war. Story order puts Underworld: Rise of the Lycans first, because it is set long before the first film. Both lists are on the Underworld movies in order page.