Summary

• The American Pie franchise has had a lasting impact due to its cast, originality, and memorable moments, making it the quintessential teen comedy.
• The best way to watch all the American Pie movies is either by release date or chronological order, simplifying the decision-making process.
• American Pie and American Pie 2 are the most successful entries in terms of box office gross, while American Wedding had the lowest earnings and weakest group dynamic.

Whether in chronological order or by release date, all nine movies in the American Pie franchise are sure to give viewers a good laugh. While the teen comedy genre has faded, American Pie left a strong impression on audiences largely because of its cast, originality, and ridiculously memorable moments. Even though other teen comedies, like Not Another Teen Movie, She's All That, and Get Over It, have their supporters, American Pie reigns supreme as the quintessential teen comedy franchise.

American Pie debuted in 1999 and has had at least one entry per decade since. While the main entries in American Pie consist of four movies, five spin-offs have been released between 2005 and 2020, thus maintaining its legacy throughout the years. With that many movies in the series and few of them numerically titled, it can be difficult to decide how to watch them. As such, the definitive way to watch all the American Pie movies, either by release date or chronological order, will simplify things.

American Pie Movies In Release Order

Directed by Paul Weitz and written by Adam Herz, 1999's American Pie was a massive commercial success, grossing over $235 million dollars against a budget of just $11 million. After a series of commercially successful sequels, the producers of the American Pie franchise eventually introduced a series of spin-offs with mostly new characters that kept things going well beyond what anyone expected. While the direct-to-video spin-offs aren't as popular, American Pie is one of the best '90s teen comedies. It's also the first entry in the American Pie franchise by release date.

American Pie Movies In Chronological Order Of Events

American Pie (1999)

Box Office: $235.5 million | Runtime: 95 minutes

Cast: Jason Biggs (Jim), Chris Klein (Oz), Eugene Levy (Jim's Dad), Natasha Lyonne (Jessica), Thomas Ian Nicholas (Kevin), Seann Willian Scott (Stifler), Tara Reid (Vicky), Mena Suvari (Heather), and Eddie Kaye Thomas (Finch)

Centering around a group of five teenagers, American Pie follows a group of high school friends who all make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation. As ridiculous as that may seem, the original is still the best of the American Pie movies for its raunchy humor and fairly accurate depictions of high school life. Moreover, the movie's success at the box office all but guaranteed audiences would eventually see more of the protagonists in a future installment.

American Pie 2 (2001)

Box Office: $287.6 million | Runtime: 100 minutes

Cast: Jason Biggs (Jim), Shannon Elizabeth (Nadia), Alyson Hannigan (Michelle), Chris Klein (Oz), Natasha Lyonne (Jessica), Thomas Ian Nicholas (Kevin), Tara Reid (Vicky), Seann William Scott (Stifler), Mena Suvari (Heather), Eddie Kaye Thomas (Finch), and Eugene Levy (Jim's Dad)

American Pie 2 follows the same five characters from American Pie, only this time, they're looking to have the best summer vacation ever at a rented beach house. Despite featuring much of the same brand of humor as seen before, American Pie 2 brought in just under $300 million dollars, making it the highest-grossing movie in the franchise. Whereas the first movie represents the spirit of high school bliss and angst, American Pie 2 perfectly captures the feeling of seeing old friends for the first time in a long time, all while being a blast to watch.

American Wedding (2003)

Box Office: $232.7 million | Runtime: 96 minutes

Cast: Jason Biggs (Jim Levenstein), Alyson Hannigan (Michelle Flaherty), January Jones (Cadence Flaherty), Thomas Ian Nicholas (Kevin Myers), Seann William Scott (Steve Stifler), Eddie Kaye Thomas (Paul Finch), Fred Willard (Harold Flaherty), and Eugene Levy (Jim's Dad)

Also known as American Pie 3: The Wedding and American Pie: The Wedding, American Wedding holds the distinction of being the last movie in the series written by franchise conceptualizer Adam Herz. The movie focuses on Jim and Michelle's wedding and the multiple shenanigans Stifler goes through to sabotage it. Perhaps the most notable change in the third installment was that many of the characters in American Wedding were new to the franchise, and they weren't as positively received. This led to the movie's weak group dynamic and the lowest box-office earnings of the original series.

American Reunion (2012)

Box Office: $235 million | Runtime: 113 minutes

Cast: Jason Biggs (Jim Levenstein), Alyson Hannigan (Michelle Flaherty), Chris Klein (Chris "Oz" Ostreicher), Thomas Ian Nichols (Kevin Myers), Tara Reid (Vicky), Seann William Scott (Steve Stifler), Mena Suvari (Heather), Eddie Kaye Thomas (Paul Finch), Jennifer Coolidge (Stifler's Mom), and Eugene Levy (Noah Levenstein)

At 113 minutes, American Reunion is the longest entry in the original American Pie series of movies. It is also recognizable for bringing back the original cast that made the franchise so popular. Even though American Pie is not as popular as it once was, the fourth movie's $235 million gross proved that enough people were still emphatic about seeing the gang again, even if they were full-grown adults at that point. Despite its mixed reception, American Reunion resonates because of how it handles the reality most people face from friends drifting apart. Despite the franchise's raucous humor, American Reunion works because of its surprising amount of depth.

American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005)

Runtime: 92 minutes

Cast: Tad Hilgenbrinck (Matthew "Matt" Stifler), Arielle Kebbel (Elyse Houston), Jason Earles (Ernie Kaplowitz), Crystle Lightning (Chloe), Jun Hee Lee (James Chong), Chris Owen (Chuck Sherman), and Eugene Levy (Noah Levenstein)

American Pie Presents: Band Camp is the first installment in the straight-to-video American Pie Presents series of movies. Although Eugene Levy and Chris Owen reprise their roles as Noah Levenstein and Chuck Sherman, respectively, the movie didn't bode well with longtime supporters of the original series, and while one would be hard-pressed to consider any of the original movies critical darlings, they have an undeniable charm to them. In the case of American Pie Presents: Band Camp, the movie received harsh reviews (17% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes) as it was considered low-brow even by the franchise's standards, and sorely lacking from the beloved cast of the original series' absence.

American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile (2006)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Cast: John White (Erik Stifler), Jessy Schram (Tracy Sterling), Steve Talley (Dwight Stifler), Christopher McDonald (Harry Stifler), and Eugene Levy (Noah Levenstein)

The second installment in the American Pie Presents series, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile, features Stifler's cousins as the central characters, and it follows them as they engage in acts of hedonism at a fraternity house. Whereas American Pie Presents: Band Camp retained some of the charm seen in the original series, this movie was completely lacking in it, thus leading to its overwhelming negative reviews (0% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes). Despite this, Eugene Levy's continued presence in American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile was the movie's only saving grace.

American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Cast: John White (Erik Stifler), Steve Talley (Dwight Stifler), Christopher McDonald (Harry Stifler), and Eugene Levy (Noah Levenstein)

American Pie Presents: Beta House is the highest-rated entry in the series and that's largely due to the filmmaker's decision to follow the first American Pie's formula more than the previous two entries did. The movie follows Erik and Dwight Stifler as the siblings engage in raunchy sex acts at the University of Michigan. While the movie doesn't necessarily provide anything fresh, its decision to follow an already-proven formula worked out to the movie's benefit.

American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Cast: Bug Hall (Robert "Rob" Shearson), Brandon Hardesty (Marshall "Lube" Lubetsky), Kevin M. Horton (Nathan Jenkyll), Beth Behrs (Heidi), Jennifer Holland (Ashley Lawrence), John Patrick Jordan (Scott Stifler), Rosanna Arquette (Madeline Shearson), and Eugene Levy (Noah Levenstein)

American Pie Presents: The Book of Love follows three virgin high school students in their pursuit of losing their virginity. While perusing the aisles at their school's library, they stumble upon a legendary sex book with contributions from previous male students, resulting in over 40 years' worth of tips for losing one's virginity. The boys then misappropriate much of the information in the book, thus resulting in outrageous scenarios involving sex and potty jokes.

American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules (2020)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Cast: Madison Pettis (Annie), Lizze Broadway (Stephanie Stifler), Piper Curda (Kayla), Natasha Behnam (Michelle), Darren Barnet (Grant), Zacahry Gordon (Emmett), Barry Bostwick (PeePaw), Ed Quinn (Kevin), Sara Rue (Ellen), and Danny Trejo (Janitor Steve Garcia)

American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules is unique in that it doesn't feature any nudity, and it is the only movie in the series with a predominantly female cast. Additionally, American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules doesn't feature Eugene Levy as it is a standalone sequel and boasts brand-new characters. Despite its negative reviews (30% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes), American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules does its part to keep the franchise alive, and as the latest entry, it is the last movie viewers should watch if they want to see the American Pie movies in order.