Men in Black - Watch Order: Release Order

1997 - 20194 Films6h 47m3.7 Average

The Men in Black franchise follows secret agents who monitor and police extraterrestrial activity on Earth, blending science fiction with comedy in a unique and entertaining way. The series centers primarily on the partnership between Agent K and Agent J, played by Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith respectively.

This watch order presents all four films in release sequence, beginning with the original trilogy that follows the J and K partnership through their adventures, including a time-travel storyline that enriches their backstory. The final film, Men in Black: International, shifts focus to new agents but remains within the same universe, referencing the legacy of the original duo.

Linear Timeline: Release Order = Story Order

1
Men in Black poster

Men in Black

19971h 38m4.2
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rip Torn

After a police chase with an otherworldly being, a New York City cop is recruited as an agent in a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth: the Men in Black. Agent K and new recruit Agent J find themselves in the middle of a deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies.

ActionAdventureComedyScience Fiction
2
Men in Black II poster

Men in Black II

20021h 28m3.5
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Rip Torn, Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville

Kay and Jay reunite to provide our best, last and only line of defense against a sinister seductress who levels the toughest challenge yet to the MIB's untarnished mission statement – protecting Earth from the scum of the universe. It's been four years since the alien-seeking agents averted an intergalactic disaster of epic proportions. Now it's a race against the clock as Jay must convince Kay – who not only has absolutely no memory of his time spent with the MIB, but is also the only living person left with the expertise to save the galaxy – to reunite with the MIB before the earth submits to ultimate destruction.

ActionComedyScience Fiction
3
Men in Black 3 poster

Men in Black 3

20121h 46m3.7
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson

Agents J and K are back...in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him - secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.

ActionComedyScience Fiction
4
Men in Black: International poster

Men in Black: International

20191h 55m3.2
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rafe Spall

The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest, most global threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.

ComedyScience FictionAction