The Godfather comes closest to being a perfect trilogy

The perfect trilogy doesn't exist, but The Godfather comes closest

With GTA 6's release on the horizon, the question isn't how many hours will be spent on it, but what to put on in the background while grinding. And that's where the search for the perfect trilogy comes in: that saga you can watch back to back without the third installment ruining the whole thing. The search starts with a complaint: the Spanish film trilogy «El sustancia ilegal» loses quality with each installment. And that's the norm.

The Godfather: the candidate nobody dares to rule out

When asked about a perfect trilogy, The Godfather comes up as the standard. The first two installments are untouchable. The third, however, divides opinion. Some defend it as a good film, but acknowledge it's a notable drop compared to the previous ones. Michael Corleone's aged character and Coppola's presence in the production don't convince everyone. It's the classic case of a masterpiece that failed to close the circle.

Alternatives that do keep the level

Against that decline, there are options that maintain their consistency. The Cornetto trilogy —Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End— is an example of British humor that doesn't degrade. Back to the Future, mentioned twice, is another solid candidate. Toy Story 1, 2 and 3 are also defended as a well-rounded whole. And David Lynch's Los Angeles trilogy —Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire— is the riskiest bet, for anyone looking for something that isn't just a pastime.

The problem is that perfection is subjective. What for one person is a well-rounded trilogy, for another is just a series of films sharing a title. The search ends there: nobody has found a trilogy without a weak installment. Perhaps perfection doesn't exist, and what we're looking for is one that doesn't make us regret having started.