A big appeal of the Indiana Jones franchise, besides Harrison Ford’s age-defying cool and the perfect theme song— is just how fun the premise is. Most of us have daydreamed about going on adventures in exotic locales and finding hidden treasures ever since we were little kids (I know I can’t be alone in this) and Indiana Jones expands on that innate human curiosity, taking viewers on the types of adventure usually only reserved for our dreams.
It’s only logical that Indiana Jones has inspired a number of films with a similar sense of adventure, using a narrative formula that’s been popular since what feels like the dawn of time. In celebration of the fifth film in the franchise, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, here are 10 movies that capture a similar feeling as Indiana Jones.
Honorable Mention: pretty much any James Bond film
Okay, I lied earlier when I said there were 10 entries on this list, but James Bond has a lot in common with Indiana Jones as a whole: there’s the adventuring, the cool fight scenes, and the complicated relationships with really hot women. When you put it like that, Indy fans would likely enjoy most movies in the James Bond cinematic universe.
10. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
While not the most Indiana Jones-like film out there, there’s a lot to love when it comes to the first few Pirates of the Caribbean films (in my opinion, they overstayed their welcome after the third one). We have a charismatic lead in the controversial Johnny Depp as the rogue pirate Jack Sparrow, some romance between Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley), and plenty of action with a horde of undead pirates on the loose. Throw in some legendary, cursed treasure and you have all the necessary ingredients for a great adventure movie.
9. The Lost City (2022)
One of the most recent entries in this list, The Lost City is like Romancing the Stone (also a good movie for those who like this genre) but if both leads were poorly equipped to handle life in the wild. In the film, Sandra Bullock stars as a romance novelist who is whisked away by an eccentric billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe) who wants her to find a lost city mentioned in one of her books. Her frequent cover model (Channing Tatum) vows to rescue her and the results are as hilarious as you’d expect — bonus points for a Brad Pitt cameo clearly meant to resemble Indiana Jones.
8. National Treasure (2004)
In my personal favorite Nicolas Cage film, Cage stars as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a treasure hunter, historian, and cryptographer who is obsessed with finding a treasure his grandfather told him about as a child. When a clue leads Ben to believe that the map to the treasure is hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence, he embarks on a journey to protect the map and treasure from crime boss Ian Howe (Sean Bean). It’s a goofy film filled with plenty of puzzles and dangerous exhibitions to keep any Indiana Jones fan happy.
7. Uncharted (2022)
Based on the video game franchise from Naughty Dog, Uncharted is a fun action film filled with promises of treasure, double-crossing deals, and plenty of battle sequences. Tom Holland makes for a fun Nathan Drake and thanks to all that Spider-Man training, he can believably kick some butt. Mark Wahlberg plays Victor “Sully” Sullivan, a treasure hunter who worked with Nate’s long-lost brother Sam, and recruits Nate to help him track down a hidden treasure. Along with beautiful locations and cool stunts, there’s some historical aspects woven throughout the story, making this a fun film for any adventure-lover to watch.
6. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Following the 1995 film Jumanji, the 2017 reboot sees four teenagers encounter the cursed game over two decades later, now transformed into a video game. With a stellar cast filled with some of our favorite blockbuster actors, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a funny homage to movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, filled with takes on some of the very tropes those films created. Watch it for thrills, excellent comedic timing, and some cute but dangerous animals.
5. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Indiana Jones movies, much like any good Dungeons & Dragons campaign, is filled with traps, treasures, and tricky situations for our heroes to navigate. Given that, it makes sense that Indy fans would find Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves an entertaining watch. Unlike previous attempts at adapting D&D for the big screen, this movie strikes the perfect balance of witty, nerdy, action-packed, and just plain fun. Although it’s the newest movie on the list, I can definitely see this becoming a classic among adventure movie-lovers in the near future.
4. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
One of Disney’s most criminally underrated films, Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an animated science fiction adventure film that can put most live-action films in the genre to shame. The film follows young intellectual, Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox), a linguist and cartographer who dreams of finding the lost city of Atlantis. Looked down on by his fellow academics, Milo ends up embarking on a mission to find the sunken city after his father’s old friend gifts him funds for the expedition as well as an ancient journal to help lead the way. The film both captures that childlike sense of discovery while telling a story that’s smarter than it gets credit for.
3. The Princess Bride (1987)
The Princess Bride is considered one of the best movies of all time (and not just by me, this time) because of it’s seemingly effortless blend of comedy, drama, and action. Based off the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman, the film is presented by a grandfather reading to his sick grandson. Filled with characters you can’t help but root for, comedic lines that never fail to land, and some of the most satisfying storytelling known to man, this is a movie every film-lover should watch.
2. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
In a lot of ways, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a combination of the comedy and action of The Princess Bride with a charismatic and resourceful devil-may-care protagonist like Indiana Jones. Yes, it’s animated and yes, the main character is a bipedal feline but the comparison still stands. People may look at you funny when you tell them this is one of the best adventure movies ever made but once they watch it, they’ll understand.
1. The Mummy (1999)
The movie that led this author to have a childhood crush on both Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, The Mummy (and it’s delightful sequel, The Mummy Returns) is probably the film on this list most similar to the Indiana Jones films. Protagonist Rick O’Connell (Fraser) has the same zest for adventure and comedic timing as a young Harrison Ford and Evelyn Carnahan (Weisz), a librarian and Egyptologist. Combining aspects of horror, comedy, action, and romance, The Mummy is a re-watchable classic sure to delight Indy fans of all ages.
