How to watch

Daniel Handler's books, written under the pen name Lemony Snicket, follow Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire as they are pursued by the scheming Count Olaf, who wants their family fortune. The 2004 film starring Jim Carrey adapted the first three books with gothic flair, while Netflix's 2017 series, starring Neil Patrick Harris, adapted all thirteen books across three seasons, with Patrick Warburton as the ever-mournful narrator.

🕐 Release Order

Release order shows the two adaptations as they arrived, more than a decade apart.

1. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
2. A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 (2017)
3. A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 2 (2018)
4. A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 3 (2019)

The movie and the series are separate adaptations of the same books, so it's worth knowing how their stories line up before you choose.

📖 Story Chronology

The 2004 film covers The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room and The Wide Window, which the Netflix series retells in Season 1. The series then continues through The End, so it's the only adaptation that completes the story.

1. A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 1 (2017)
2. A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 2 (2018)
3. A Series of Unfortunate Events Season 3 (2019)
4. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Which Order Should You Choose?

If you want the complete story, the Netflix series is the clear choice and faithfully adapts every book. The 2004 film is a fun, stylish standalone that's perfect for a single movie night, but it ends without resolving the mysteries. Watching the film first and then the series is a good option too, since the show expands on everything the movie had to leave out.

🔗 Related Guides

• Harry Potter Movie Watch OrderGuide
• The Chronicles of Narnia Movie Watch OrderGuide
• Goosebumps Watch OrderGuide

Did we miss anything? Let us know and we'll keep this guide up to date!