How to watch the Fifty Shades trilogy — is it streaming on Netflix?

Gabriela Silva
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey caused a frenzy back in 2015 as an erotica movie trilogy based on E.L. James novels, but is it available to stream?

On the surface, Fifty Shades of Grey is the romantic story of a quiet and shy 21-year-old literature major who captures the interest of a handsome millionaire. But Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey’s romance becomes something more, fulfilling fans’ hidden fantasies.

E.L. James’s books and the movie franchise gained attention for their use of erotica and BDSM between the two characters. There are whips, chains, and unmentionables galore as Anastasia is introduced to a world she never knew about.

The Fifty Shades trilogy is a guilty pleasure for some despite the fact that it didn’t review all that well, and it’s available to stream.

Is the Fifty Shades trilogy on Netflix?

Yes, all three installments of the Fifty Shades franchise were added to Netflix and are available to stream.

Fifty Shades of Grey, the first installment from 2015, introduced Anastasia to the cold and aloof CEO Christian Grey. She meets him when she does a favor for her best friend and interviews him for their school paper.

It’s only the start of their whirlwind romance as Christian has a dark past and BDSM secret that opens up Anastasia to a new world of sexual fantasies. The movie was Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan’s first major leading roles, and the success spawned a franchise.

But Fifty Shades of Grey wasn’t well-received by fans or critics despite its $569.7 million box office compared to its $40 million budget.

“We paid our money and we took our seats. The film began; and I have to say that the wooden acting, the cruddy screenplay, the corny dialogue, the ridiculous script, the highly improbable storyline, were all just TOO much for us,” said one viewer on Rotten Tomatoes.

Still, a sequel was made, Fifty Shades Darker, following James’s second novel. This time, Anastasia and Christian rework the terms of their relationship while someone in Anastasia’s life threatens to tear them apart.

Fifty Shades Darker did well with a $55 million budget and $381 million at the box office. But it didn’t stop the obvious bad reviews claiming there was still a lack of chemistry and poor writing.

The final installment was Fifty Shades Freed, in which Anastasia and Christian say “I Do” and embark on married life together. Despite marital bliss, turmoil ensues when Anastasia learns how Christian really feels about having a family and having a stalker problem.

If fans are hoping for a new installment, the chances are slim. James did release a standalone book titled Grey telling the storyline from Christian Grey’s point of view.

But it’s no secret that Dornan has no desire to return to the franchise that he felt diminished his career at the time.

With BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, he explained he went into “hiding,” and while his recent work gets praise, Fifty Shades is always brought up in comparison. But neither Dornan nor Johnson regret having starred in the Fifty Shades trilogy.

The Fifty Shades trilogy is available on Netflix. You can catch up on other movies available to stream this month, everything to know about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and Netflix thriller fans can’t stop talking about.