There are very few franchises that are as schlocky an endearing as the Tremors franchise. Beginning in 1989 and continuing on until 2020 (so far), the monster worm franchise has captivated audiences with its unique set of characters, gross-out humor, and throwback western locations. This unique blend has made it one of the Hollywood's weirdest yet most endearing franchises, gathering a loyal audience of Graboid enthusiasts and chugging in sequel after sequel. Although its seventh installment, Tremors: Shriekers Island, appears to be the last, its unique position in film history will be duly noted by its true aficionados. Here is a ranking of the franchise:

7 Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell (2018)

Considered by fans as the weakest of the bunch, the story takes place in an underwater research facility in Canada. While the change of scenery brings a fresh perspective into the mix, the story and characters felt off throughout, offering little entertainment and appearing mostly bland on screen. Michael Gross' constant presence is what makes the film have a semblance of redeeming qualities, and his ever-so-perfect rendition of Burt shines through every single moment of screen-time.

6 Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015)

After a more than 11 year hiatus between films, the Tremors franchise returned in 2015 with a fifth installment, one that is more focused on creating new monsters and characters. Following the exploits of a webseries centered around surviving nature, a parody of works like Man vs. Wild, a group of adventurers seeks to explore the South African jungle, only to be caught up in a battle between rival tribes and a couple of Graboids and their many variations, introducing a new member along the way. While entertaining and setting-changing, it lacked the fun quality of the other films, offering small comedic relief and less of a personality. It was a step in the right direction, though, one that freed the franchise from the desert and into new locations it could use for its creatures.

Related: Kevin Bacon's Best Horror Roles, Ranked

5 Tremors: Shriekers Island (2020)

The final installment of the Tremors franchise happens to be the best out of the three later films made. A group of mercenaries find themselves stranded on a Graboid-filled island called Dark Island; they call up Burt, who is currently living off the grid after his many bloodied exploits with the monsters, for a little help. The monsters in this movie are smarter and genetically modified, allowing them to wreak more havoc onto our characters and the surrounding areas. The movie plays off with an interesting combination of Predator and Aliens, inserting elements of both franchises into the story (a queen and hunt from weakest to strongest). The franchise is at its most schlocky and creative, giving a proper send-off to the adventures with a more than memorable sacrifice and tribute.

4 Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)

The third film follows the well-established Burt Gummer, a peculiar character with a passion for guns and explosives who played secondary to the rest of the cast. Burt would go on to become the main protagonist of the franchise from this point on, establishing himself as one of the most iconic cult characters recently put to screen. After hearing Perfection is in disarray due to a land purchase and poor management, Burt pays a visit to his old town in the hopes of helping out. It just so happens that Graboids and Shriekers decided to also pay a little visit at the same time. However, as they're being slowly hunted down, a new monster is introduced, aptly dubbed by Burn as Ass-Blasters, pterodactyl-like creatures who lurk in the sky and also attack in groups. While the action is all you could expect by now out of the franchise, the story lacked sufficient energy and interest, lacking the necessary suspense mostly prevalent in the previous two films before.

3 Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)

After three films in almost the same location, the fourth installment went back in time to the Wild West, where the formula is repeated with a more primitive approach. Following the tale of Burt Gummer's great-grandfather Hiram Gummer, as he begins to uncover the mystery of just what the Graboids are exactly, it brings a fresh coat of tropes into the franchise, from stare-downs to saloons and railways. The set of characters is of particular endearment, playing well off each other and forming the strong ties which hold the town together even 100 years after the events that take place. It also has the best soundtrack out of the entire franchise, a call-back to the triumphant, and commanding music of the old Hollywood westerns.

Related: Tremors TV Show Brings Back Fred Ward, But Forgets Michael Gross

2 Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996)

The sequel to the 1990 original introduces a new set of monsters while keeping up with the same formula. Earl is hired by a private firm to deal with Graboid problems in his oil fields. After a string of successful encounters, he and his partner are faced with a new type of monster called shriekers. Despite being small in size, their rapid reproduction and lust for food makes them a formidable foe, compromising their camp site and scrambling our characters to hide in safety. The movie featured the franchises' slapstick trade-mark humor while maintaining a level of suspense the subsequent movies began to lose. The characters do a great job at playing off each other, keeping the banter going even in the face of difficult odds. It has everything prevalent in the original with a few steps behind, managing to maintain a level of composure and plot-focus the other ones teetered out of.

1 Tremors (1990)

Nothing is going to beat the original. After a few mysterious occurrences in the small town of Perfection, local boys Earl and Val insist on taking charge in their uncovering. It is only when the threat to be revealed is giant worms springing from the ground that their focus shifts to extermination. Played at a slow-burn for the first 45 minutes of the film, the plot quickly scuttles to a tale of survival and outmaneuver, where our characters are forced to play a complicated game of high ground and explosives. The creativity behind the effects and the absolute charm of our two main characters are what helps the film grow into the legendary status it has today. The Graboid monster was a fresh and interesting creature, joining the ranks of many other famous movie monsters. RedLetterMedia's Jay Bauman said it best when he described it as a lightning-in-a-bottle movie, where every element came together to form a fun and entertaining story that would've otherwise not worked if made on different conditions. The whole vibe is campy and stylistically pleasing, and it will remain so for as long as we have interest in pulp-like stories about monsters from the deep.