The Right Order To Watch The Children Of The Corn Movies

If you're constantly on the lookout for scary movie franchises to binge watch, your path will eventually lead you to the "Children of the Corn" films. The surprisingly long-running series about rural children who start worshipping a strange entity in the corn fields is unlikely to make appearances on lists of the best horror movies of all time. Still, the concept of creepy kids sacrificing adults to a strange entity is a fascinating one, and a fan of the folk horror genre might very well find themselves sucked in the franchise's seemingly endless series of corn-themed terrors. 

There are many "Children of the Corn" movies out there, and if you're really investing in checking them all out, you might want to read up on their correct order before diving in. But you don't have to look far — we've put together a handy guide on how to watch the entire series.

The "Children of the Corn" series currently features 11 titles, spread out over an impressive 36 years. These have been released in the following order:

• "Children of the Corn" (1984)
• "Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice" (1992)
• "Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest" (1995)
• "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996)
• "Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror" (1998)
• "Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return" (1999)
• "Children of the Corn: Revelation" (2001)
• "Children of the Corn" (2009)
• "Children of the Corn: Genesis" (2011)
• "Children of the Corn: Runaway" (2018)
• "Children of the Corn" (2020)

Keep in mind that if you intend to tear through this entire list, you'll end up watching three versions of the same movie. The 2009 and 2020 "Children of the Corn" are both remakes of the original, reimagining and updating some aspects of the story.

Establishing the chronology of the "Children of the Corn" franchise can be tricky, since only few of the movies actually pay much attention to establishing a proper timeline. As such, it's probably safe to say that the chronological viewing order for the series is mostly the same as the release order, barring remakes:

• "Children of the Corn" (1984, 2009, or both — take your pick)
• "Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice" 
• "Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest"
• "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" 
• "Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror" 
• "Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return" 
• "Children of the Corn: Revelation" 
• "Children of the Corn: Genesis"
• "Children of the Corn: Runaway" 
• "Children of the Corn (2020)"

The events of "Children of the Corn II" kick off shortly after the first movie ends, and "Children of the Corn III" follows up on that. "Children of the Corn 666" features the first movie's villainous Isaac Croner (John Franklin) as an adult, so it's also part of that same established timeline. Beyond that, however, the sequels are often unrelated, and largely uninterested in establishing continuity. "Children of the Corn: Runaway" takes place over the course of a decade or so, which means at least some of its events may or may not take place before "Children of the Corn: Genesis." 

It's also worth noting that while the 2020 movie is a remake of the 1984 original, it mentions things like GMO crops — a term the term was unlikely to be in wide use among rural communities in the mid-1980s — which means the film's events likely take place around the time it was actually made. As such, the 2020 film exists as its own beast outside the canon proper. 

The franchise has proven time and time again that it can remain dormant for years before reappearing with a new title — and since much of the central premise revolves around fields of corn and scowling children, the films don't cost a fortune to make. As such, there's a very good chance that there will be new "Children of the Corn" movies at some point down the line.

Whether there are actual "Children of the Corn" movies in production right now or in the immediately foreseeable future is another matter. At the moment, it looks like there are none on the way — but don't be surprised if "Children of the Corn" villain He Who Walks Behind the Rows finds a way to call his young disciples once more. 

You can currently stream the original 1984 movie on Prime Video and rent it on Apple TV+. It's also available on Shudder, AMC+, Arrow, Roku, Tubi, Hoopla, and Plex. "Children of the Corn II," "Children of the Corn III," "IV," and "V" are also available to rent on Apple TV+ and Amazon, and some of them can also be rented online from Microsoft Store. "Children of the Corn: Runaway" is available on Apple TV+, Amazon, and Starz, while "Children of the Corn: Genesis" is only available on Starz. The 2020 remake is on Hulu and can be rented on Apple TV+.  

Unfortunately, the lengthy series is a difficult watch for completionists. An aspiring viewer might find it challenging to track down the 2009 remake, "Children of the Corn 666," and "Children of the Corn: Revelation," which are currently not available to stream or rent online.