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Satisfy your wanderlust with 9 films you can watch on Netflix and Amazon RN

In light of all the travel restrictions and cancelled flights, it may feel mildly depressing to be stuck. After all, there’s only so much one can do at home. Rather than mellowing in sadness, satisfy your wanderlust with a movie or two. Take this time to get inspired for your next trip after the whole COVID-19 situation blows over. Here’s our full list of the best travel films on Netflix & Amazon prime –  

Before Trilogy 

prime travel movies

Those who have seen any one of the films from the ‘Before Trilogy’ (‘Before Sunrise’, ‘Before Sunset’, and ‘Before Midnight’) knows that location plays a big part. Each of the mellow, slice-of-life films revolve around a couple of hours in a specific location, making the backdrop just as much the main cast as the two lovers in the films. Go on a journey through Vienna , Paris , and Greece as you follow the love story of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) at three different times of their lives. 

The Grand Budapest Hotel  

best travel films

Wes Anderson ‘s films are some of the most celebrated in cinematic history. His penchant for visual motifs and symmetry makes every piece stunning to watch and ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ is one of, if not the most, famous work. The movie straddles numerous themes like friendship, fascism, and loyalty as well as richly layered plotlines that take place within the inspired-visuals of Europe. 

Titanic  

prime travel movies

The ending of ‘Titanic’ spells a frightening getaway on a cruise , but that doesn’t take away the fact that its morose scenes and opulent interiors are the perfect backdrops for the movie. A whirlwind romance meets luxurious cabins and beautiful scenery — who could ask for more? 

Notting Hill 

prime travel movies

1999 romantic comedy, ‘Notting Hill’, stars actors Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts as they navigate love and the watchful media eye. Much of the movie’s filming was on Portobello Road, in the quaint Notting Hill district of London , inspiring hordes of visitors each year to visit and recreate its scenes. Even without travelling, one can always live vicariously through this classic film for an overseas romance unlike any other. 

Spirited Away

best travel films

Hayao Miyazaki has been known to scout real-life locations for his films, and ‘Spirited Away’, one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved animated movies, is no different. The movie follows a young Chihiro as she gets pulled into the spiritual world while trying to save her parents. It captures beautiful scenes inspired by some of Japan’s most interesting landscapes, perfectly satisfying any wanderlust tendencies in these trying times. 

The Beach  

prime travel movies

One of the best travel films in 2000. The setting? ‘The Beach’. Leonardo Di Caprio stars in this film as a backpacker in search of a pristine, uninhabited island with a beautiful hidden beach and lagoon in the Gulf of Thailand. The clear waters and sandy white beaches featured in the movie were filmed in Ko Phi Phi, an archipelago of islands located in the Krabi Province of Thailand.

The Sound of Music  

prime travel movies

Who could ever forget all the lyrical tunes and belting notes in ‘The Sound of Music’? The movie’s rolling hills of Austria set the scene for the von Trapp family as they navigate love, duty, and the war during the Second World War. It may be difficult to travel now, but this film might inspire you to book the next available flight out to Salzburg for the original Sound of Music Tour.

Murder on the Orient Express  

films wanderlust travel

Before the world went into lockdown, slow travel was beginning to pick up again. Scenic routes make the journey part of your destination, and coupled with opulent decor and service, what more could anyone ask for? In case you’re hankering to get onboard, satisfy your wanderlust with a screening of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’. The luxurious trans-European train is home to a crime scene that will eventually be solved by Hercule Pierot, played by Kenneth Branagh. 

Eat, Pray, Love

prime travel movies

There’s no movie about travelling out there better than ‘Eat, Pray, Love’. Embark on a journey with Elizabeth Gilbert (played by Julia Roberts) as she, newly divorced and at a crossroads in life, finds herself travelling around the world in hopes of self-discovery. From India to Italy to Indonesia, this movie is bound to take you on a ride, all in the comfort of your own home. Suffice to say, it is one of the best travel films ever made. 

All images: Courtesy Netflix and Amazon.  The story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.  

Satisfy your wanderlust with 9 films you can watch on Netflix and Amazon RN

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24 BEST travel movies on Netflix or Prime (2024 updated)

Posted on Last updated: 26 March 2024

24 BEST travel movies on Netflix or Prime (2024 updated)

Is it movie night in your household tonight? Looking for best travel movies that you haven’t yet seen? Or perhaps you want to revisit some classic adventure movies? Then read on…

We are travel addicts in this family. When we’re not actually travelling, or planning travels, or even talking, writing and reading about travels, what do we do? We watch films about travel! We have watched every single travel film on this list, and every single one gets our personal recommendation.

And if you’re looking for the best travel movies on Netflix UK or best travel movies on Prime, you can find all these films on either or both!

But be warned, watching these travel films will give you a serious bout of itchy feet and may lead to flight purchases.

1. The Beach (2000)

Perhaps our all time favourite travel movie and a true classic. We can honestly watch this one over and over again. Richard, a backpacker in his 20s comes across a strange map that leads him and his friends to a solitary beach paradise. Anyone who has travelled Thailand can relate to the buzzing scenes of Th Khao San in Bangkok and the tropical island vibes in this evocative blockbuster adapted from Alex Garland’s book of the same name. Directed by Danny Boyle and starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio, this film may leave you questioning the costs your own travel adventures, despite the extreme ending.

2. Wild (2014)

Reese Witherspoon stars in this extraordinary true story based on the best selling novel. Cheryl Strayed, a girl in her 20s who recently lost her mother, decides to start a new life by hiking along the 1,100 mile-long Pacific Crest Trail in the USA. As with all travel with a purpose, the miles walked provides Cheryl with the time and space to reflect on her life and she begins to discover herself. Have the tissues handy.

3. Lost in Translation (2003)

Shot entirely on location in Japan, this is a heartfelt film about loneliness and human connection, and is easily one of the best films of all time. It beautifully captures the feeling of confusion and alienation which can affect travellers when they first arrive in a new country, stepping out of their comfort zone, and is a film you will be thinking about for days after watching.

4. The Way (2010)

After hearing the devastating news that his son was killed in a storm in the Pyrenees while walking The Camino de Santiago, Tom, an eye doctor from California, flies out to France to collect his son’s remains. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honour his son, leaving his ashes along the trail. Through the weeks of walking and the characters he meets along the way, Tom begins to understand his son’s passion for travel and in turn learns more about himself and what he wants from life. Another tear-jerker this one.

5. Into the Wild (2007)

Directed by Sean Penn, this is a true story pieced together from family accounts and journals from Christopher McCandless who was found dead in an abandoned bus in the depths of Alaska in 1992. He was a successful graduate and top student from Emory University, who abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 law school fund to Oxfam, and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. An outstanding travel movie, with an extremely sad ending.

6. Up (2009)

Easily one of the best travel movies for kids. This animated comedy adventure from Pixar Studios shows that you’re never too old or too young to travel. Carl Fredricksen, a 70 year old retired balloon salesmen, never made it to the wilds of South America with his wife, even though they always dreamed about travelling there together. His wife has sadly passed away, but he ends up fulfilling his dream with the help of balloons and a young scout.

7. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Our regular readers will know that we used to live in India and so we easily fell in love with this travel movie. There’s also a sequel! The film beautifully captures the chaos and colour of this contradicting country, where a group of British retirees travel to Jaipur to stay at the supposedly newly restored Marigold Hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways and will have you both laughing and crying at the same time.

8. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

A quirky one and perhaps not to everyone’s taste. But if you allow yourself be drawn into the vivid imagination of Walter Mitty, you will be transported to the vast open plains of Greenland, Iceland (which is one of our favourite family travel destinations ) and Afghanistan’s Himalayas. It’s beautifully shot, and has the powerful message that resonates with all travellers, in that travel changes you for the better.

9. Tracks (2014)

A remarkable true story of Robyn Davidson, a young woman, who leaves her life in the city behind to make a trek through 1,700 miles of sprawling Australian desert with just four camels and a dog for company. Expect epic Australian landscapes and beautifully raw acting.

10. Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

Some say this travel movie is excruciatingly corny, yet for others, including myself, it’s a feel-good movie that provides the warm and fuzzy vibes. Believing there’s more to life than a husband, house and career, Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) leaves New York and embarks on a yearlong journey travelling to Italy (for good food), India (to meditate) and Bali (to perhaps find true love). Based on the best-selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert.

11. Holiday in the Wild (2019)

The dialogue is cliché, the plot is predictable, and the repertoire of Kristin Davis is barely stretched, but if you love elephants, you love an African safari , and you’re looking for some easy viewing, this Netflix produced travel movie is worth a watch. Filmed in South Africa , a Manhattanite flies solo to Zambia for her second honeymoon (after her husband walked out on her, the same day her son leaves for college) and ends up working at an elephant sanctuary.

12. The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)

The Inbetweeners TV series is one of the most hilarious British comedies to grace our screen. There have been two spin off films made, but our favourite has to be when the misfit foursome head downunder. When Neil, Will and Simon arrive in Australia to find that Jay’s life in Sydney’s ‘sex capital of the world’ isn’t quite all he has been saying, Will decides they have an opportunity to do some ‘real’ travelling. Cue a romp through camp-fire singing, unintentional proposals, water-slide disgrace, dolphin feeding and a trip to the outback.

13. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Three American brothers (Francis, Peter, and Jack) who have not spoken to each other since their father’s funeral a year ago, set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other. Francis is recovering from a motorcycle accident, Peter cannot cope with his wife’s pregnancy, and Jack cannot get over his ex-lover. The brothers fall into old patterns of sibling behaviour and the spiritual quest gets rather complicated.

14. A Map for Saturday (2007)

A documentary of solo backpacker Brook Silva-Braga’s travels for one year across the globe. Follow his well trodden path from Australia, South East Asia, India, Nepal, Europe and Brazil and perhaps reminisce about your young backpacker days before you started travelling the world with kids in tow. It’s an honest account of life on the road for a young single traveller and very relatable. And why the title? Well, every day feels like a Saturday when you’re travelling!

15. 180° South (2010)

A Netflix travel movie that follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces a legendary 1968 trip to Patagonia undertaken by his heroes, Yvon Choinard and Doug Tomkins. This film may get you packing your bags and jumping on a sailing boat to South America. You’ve been warned.

16. Out of Africa (1985)

An oldie but goodie, and an absolute must if you’re planning a trip to Africa . Set in colonial Kenya, a Danish Baroness (Meryl Streep) has a passionate love affair with a free-spirited big-game hunter (Robert Redford). This epic travel movie won seven Oscars in 1986, including Best Picture and Best Director, so it must be good.

17. Thelma and Louise (1991)

Another Oscar-winning, classic travel film. Thelma and Louise set off on a girls road trip for some fun and excitement, but after Louise shoots dead a guy who tried to rape Louise, they decide they have no choice but to go on the run. One of the first true feminist films.

18. Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994)

It was actually seeing the stage show of this travel movie in Sydney that prompted us to watch this classic Aussie film. Two drag queens and a transsexual travel across the vast Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a battered old bus (called Priscilla) to perform their cabaret. It’s fabulously hilarious with wonderfully outrageous costumes, but surprisingly tender at times.

19. Before Sunrise (1995)

An American guys meets a French girl on a train, and they impulsively decide to get off the train and spend the evening together in Venice before he has to fly back to home the US. What this travel movie lacks in plot development, it gains in romantic charm, and if you really love it, this is just the first in a trilogy.

20. The Endless Summer (1966)

The ultimate surfing film directed by Bruce Brown follows two young surfers from California around the world in search of the perfect wave. In his narration, Brown muses that if someone had enough time and money, they could literally follow the summer around the globe, and he takes us to Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii and California.

21. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Two best friends, Vicky and Cristina, with opposing views to love, embark on a summer in Barcelona. The plot line of them falling for the same man sounds cliché, but the clever dialogue and superb acting make this romantic travel film something different; although the character that really seduces us all is Barcelona.

22. Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997)

No list of best travel movies is complete without a film about Everest. There are so many films and documentaries about this beast of a mountain to choose from, but my favourite has to be ‘Into Thin Air’; a personal account from Jon Krakauer of the horrific 1996 Mt Everest Disaster where eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a storm. Jay and I hiked to Everest Base Camp from the Nepal side pre-kids, and this film really hit home.

23. The Art of Travel (2008)

The Art of Travel is seemingly the ultimate travel movie for those who love to don their backpack and venture off the beaten track. We follow the journey of Conner, a young man who embarks on a solo adventure of self-discovery after leaving his cheating fiancé at the altar. Demonstrating the transformative power of travel, Conner experiences a challenging introduction to Nicaragua’s capital, Managua, and meets a group of travellers aiming to break the world record in crossing the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia, before venturing into South America. There is so much potential with this film, but it’s let down with a poor script that can be patchy and clichéd at times. It’s one to watch after you have travelled to Central and South America. Perhaps avoid watching before you go.

24. A Tourist’s Guide To Love (2023)

Firmly in the chick flick genre, this film lacks grit and a tight narrative. But as soon as the lead character sets foot in HCMC, you can’t help but smile, especially as she struggles to cross the road through the throng of mopeds. 

It’s an easy watch, with a handful of predictable cheese, following the story of a travel agency rep, Amanda Riley, falling in love with her local tour guide, Sinh, with a heavenly-sanitised and serene version of Vietnam as a backdrop travelling through HCMC, Hoi An, Da Nang, and Hanoi. 

The key message throughout is that we shouldn’t feel the need to tick off sites to experience a country. Be flexible, head off the beaten path, and see where your day takes you. 

So that’s a wrap on our best travel movies. There are A LOT more travel films around, but these are our ultimate favourites. If you have any favourite adventure films that aren’t on this list, then let me know, and we’ll have to check them out! I will be updating this post regularly as there are always new travel films coming out, or old classics still to find, so keep this page bookmarked.

You may also like to read: How to become a digital nomad family How we afford to travel with kids Unpaid Parental Leave: taking leave from work to travel with your kids

Travel lovers, here’s 17 romantic destination films to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime

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75+ Best Travel Movies to Inspire Your Wanderlust

Home » Blog » Travel » 75+ Best Travel Movies to Inspire Your Wanderlust

 curated a giant list of wanderlust-inducing movies that’ll make you feel as if you are on an adventure far, far away. This list of travel movies covers all genres, from comedies to dramas to documentaries and even a big section of travel series on Netflix!

Best Travel Movies

It’s not always possible to jump on a plane bound for a far-flung destination, but that doesn’t mean your wanderlust just quietly subsides. Nah, that’s when those itchy feet get even itchier. We know the struggle all too well, friends.

There’s no real cure, but sometimes looking at old travel photos does the trick and other times, getting wrapped up in a good travel book makes you almost feel like you did get on that plane after all…

But let’s be real, sometimes you just need to curl up on your couch and turn your brain off for a while. Finding a good travel movie (or Netflix series!) lets you escape reality andexperience the magic of traveling without ever leaving your living room.

We’ve curated a giant list of travel movies including some of our personal favorites as well as some films that are on our to-watch list. Some of these movies are specifically about travel, while others give you a glimpse into places around the world that might inspire your next big trip.

Whether you’re an avid traveler or someone who prefers to “explore” from the comforts of home, these movies will transport you to new and exciting locations around the globe. So bring on the popcorn and cozy slippers and get ready for your next travel adventure!

Types of Travel Movies

We’ve done our best to round up a variety of different kinds of travel movies — from comedic and light-hearted tales to action-packed thrillers to educational series. There is even a section of Netflix-produced films for easy accessibility! Whatever your movie genre preferences, you’ll find pretty much everything on the list.

Psst! Be sure to look for our personal notes, as we’re sharing our favorites on this list as well as a handful that are on our to-watch list!

Jump to the type of movie you prefer and see all the options we’ve gathered just for you:

Action & Adventure

Inspirational travel movies.

Travel & Romance

Outdoor Adventure Movies

Animated Travel Movies

Travel documentaries, netflix original travel series.

If you’re looking for a little comedic relief and some light-hearted travel inspiration, these movies are for you!

The Bucket List

Travel Movies | The Bucket List

Where: Around the world

What: This is the uplifting story of two strangers who decide to make the most out of life while facing their impending deaths. 

Two strangers nearing the end of their lives form a bond while sharing a room in the hospital. They decide to take a journey across the globe together checking off items on a list of things they want to accomplish before they kick the bucket. 

Watch trailer | Purchase | Rent

Crazy Rich Asians

Travel Movies | Crazy Rich Asians

Where: Singapore, New York City

What: A romantic comedy about love exceeding cultural barriers and family and societal pressures. 

TWS Favorite!

In this hilarious and heart-warming film, a girl from New York City, Rachel, agrees to go to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick to meet his family for the first time. She discovers his family is not only crazy-rich but he is also one of the country’s most eligible bachelors and she must fight off the competition – mostly his family – who don’t believe she is good enough for him. 

Watch trailer | Purchase | Rent  

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Travel Movies | The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Where: Iceland, Greenland, New York City

What: An inspiring film about stepping into the unknown and embracing unexpected adventures.  

Based on a short story, this movie is a blend of adventure, comedy and drama. The viewer follows the life of Walter Mitty, a man who is living an ordinary and often boring life but daydreams of more. Adventures begin to unfold when he steps out of his comfort zone, and he follows a hunch that brings him to Greenland and Iceland. A little predictable at times, but we like this movie a lot! The stunning landscapes and inspirational storyline are always a good pick-me-up. 

Psst! When this movie makes you want to pack your bags and travel to Iceland , we’ve got tons of tips and useful info for you!

Lost in Translation

Travel Movies | Lost in Translation

Where: Tokyo, Japan

What: A comedic drama about an unlikely friendship and facing personal challenges.

Bob is an aging American actor on assignment in Tokyo where he meets Charlotte, a young college graduate who’s been left behind by her photographer husband. Gradually the pair forms an unlikely friendship and face the challenges in their lives that they were running away from. 

Inspired to travel to Tokyo after watching this movie? We’ve got a huge list of the best things to do in Tokyo to help you plan a future trip!

The Darjeeling Limited

Travel Movies | The Darjeeling Limited

Where: India

What: A comedic film that examines the role of grief, extravagance and spirituality in the bond of family. 

Three brothers set out on a so-called “spiritual journey” to try and reconnect a year after the death of their father. Their adventure takes them across India on a train called the Darjeeling Limited and forces them into self-reflection. 

Travel Movies | In Bruges

Where: Bruges, Belgium

What: A dark comedy set in a beautiful medieval city in Belgium   

After a job goes wrong, Irish hitmen, Ray and Ken, decide to hole up in Belgium until things cool down. In the medieval city of Bruges, they meet tourists and locals and even find romance. 

Last Holiday

Travel Movies | Last Holiday

Where: Europe

What: A comedic film about breaking out of your shell, throwing caution to the wind and finding true happiness in life. 

After the discovery of a terminal illness, a shy woman (aka Queen Latifah) cashes out her bank accounts and jets off to Europe to live out her last days like a millionaire. Her positive attitude charms everyone she meets, the only thing she is missing is her long-time crush. While this movie might be a bit cheesy and cliché, it’s an uplifting comedy for a light-hearted movie night. 

Midnight in Paris

Travel Movies | Midnight in Paris

Where: Paris, France

What: A comedic film in which Woody Allen mocks the classic American ideals of status and class, set against the backdrop of nightlife in Paris. 

While on vacation in Paris with his fiancee and her family, Gil is having a hard time fitting in with her stuffy, pretentious family. In the midst of trying to finish his debut novel, he is beguiled by the city, which takes him to a time past, away from his fiancee.

The Hangover Part II

Travel Movies | The Hangover Part II

Where: Thailand  

What: The sequel to The Hangover, this movie follows a group of friends on a comedic adventure in Bangkok, Thailand.

If you’ve seen the original, you know this group of friends makes some poor decisions that lead to cringe-y but laugh-out-loud consequences like face tattoos and marrying strangers. Set 2 years after the original movie, one of the friends (Stu) is getting married in Thailand, and all that can go wrong does…

Psst! If all the bad things that happen in this movie don’t scare you away from planning a trip to Thailand , we’ve got all the information you need!

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Travel Movies | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

What: An uplifting tale of self-discovery, romance, and second chances.

Seven strangers decide to uproot their lives in the UK and live out the remainder of their golden years in what is promised to be a luxury resort for seniors. They get a lot more than they bargained for when they arrive in India to find the hotel in less than operational standards. However, with the encouragement of the hotel’s enthusiastic owner, they form unlikely bonds and bring the hotel and each other back to life. 

Amelie | Travel Movies

What: Uplifting film about a young woman who sets out on a mission to make other people’s lives better.

This quirky comedy is set in Paris, and brings you on a journey through this iconic city. The story follows Amélie, a young woman with a unique perspective on the world who is making it her mission to bring her own unique sense of justice to the world. As she’s helping others, she embarks on her own love story. 

Watch trailer | Purchase

Up in the Air

Up in the Air | Travel Movies

Where: Airports

What: The ups and downs in the lives of (very) frequent travelers.

This witty comedy starring George Clooney and Anna Kendrick, mostly takes place in airports and in the air instead of the destination itself. While it’s focused on travel for business, most travelers can relate to the “airport life” that you either love or hate, but can’t really escape.

Watch trailer | Watch Movie (Free with Amazon Prime Video)

Note: If you dig the airport setting, then be sure to check out Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal .

Be on the edge of your seat as you journey across the world with these dramatic tales adventures that take place around the globe. No packing necessary! Although you might want to keep the Kleenex box nearby for a few of the movies on this list…

Travel Movies | The Beach

Where: Thailand

What: This drama based on the best selling novel of the same name, examines the idea of self-discovery and limits of a utopian society. 

TWS Favorite! (We also like the book !)

Young American backpacker Richard arrives in Thailand with a thirst for adventure and the desire to discover something new. After hearing rumors about “The Beach”, he sets out to find paradise with his new friends. Soon after they arrive on the idyllic island, they realize that paradise isn’t always what it seems and find themselves in a fight for their own survival. 

The Motorcycle Diaries

Travel Movies | The Motorcycle Diaries

Where: Motorcycle trip around South America

What: A film about two young men on a journey to “forget who they were and discover who they are.”

TWS Favorite! (This is a book too !)

A biopic based on the memoir of 23-year-old Ernesto “Che” Guevara (later known as a Marxist guerilla leader and prominent figure of the Cuban Revolution, Che Guevara) as he finds his calling in life while on a motorcycle road trip across South America with his best friend Alberto. 

Travel Movies | Babel

Where: Morocco, Japan, Mexico and the US

What: This film gives an interesting take on cultural diversity and the barriers that both separate and connect humankind around the world. 

Told non-linearly, this is the story of four disparate groups of people on 3 separate continents whose destinies are intertwined after an accidental shooting leaves an American tourist fighting for her life in a remote village of Morocco. The film depicts the emotional struggles and traumatic situations as each of the characters tries to deal with their problems and winds up making an even greater mess of things. 

Travel Movies | Lion

Where: India and Australia

What: A biographical drama based on the memoir of Saroo Brierley.

At 5 years old, Sarroo is separated from his family in an unlucky series of events that leaves him alone on the streets of Calcutta, facing many challenges while thousands of miles from home. After being adopted by an Australian family, 25 years later he sets out on a journey through India to find his long-lost family. 

Y Tu Mama También 

Travel Movies | Y Tu Mama Tambien

Where: Mexico

What: With a combination of drama, comedy and sex, this coming-of-age film follows two teenage boys on their road trip across Mexico.

Julio and Tenoch, like most 17-year old boys, are driven by raging hormones, intense friendships, and a reckless rush towards adulthood. While on a cross-country road trip over the course of a summer with an older female companion, the two best friends get into plenty of trouble but ultimately find connection with each other, themselves and the world around them. 

Seven Years in Tibet

Travel Movies | Seven Years in Tibet

Where: Nepal, Tibet

What: Based on the memoir, this is the film adaptation of the real life events that lead Heinrich Harrer to spend seven transformational years in Tibet.

Follow legendary explorer, Heinrich Harrer, on his extraordinary journey across the frozen Himalayas. From being imprisoned by the Chinese to becoming one of the first Europeans to enter Tibet and the Forbidden City of Lhasa where his friendship with the young Dalai Lama transforms his life. 

The Impossible

Travel Movies | The Impossible

What: Based on a true story of survival and the desperate drive to be reunited with family. 

In 2004, tragedy struck Southeast Asia in one of the worst natural disasters in human history. The Bennett family is on holiday in Thailand when a tsunami hits without warning, devastating the country and separating the family, leaving them to survive the initial impact and embark on a heart-wrenching search to reunite amongst the chaotic aftermath.   

Memoirs of a Geisha

Travel Movies | Memoirs of a Geisha

Where: Japan

What: A Cinderella story set in a mysterious and exotic world where against all odds a house servant rises to decide her own destiny.

Sold to a geisha house at the age of nine-years-old, Chiyo Sakamoto becomes a victim of unpleasant circumstances, but her fate changes when she meets Mameha. The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful and Chiyo blossoms to become the most captivating geisha of her time. 

Half of a Yellow Sun

Travel Movies | Half of a Yellow Sun

Where: Nigeria

What: A drama that brings together the lives of four people during the struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria.

On the top of our to-watch list!

Twin sisters from a wealthy Nigerian family, who were educated in England, return to Nigeria to take wildly different paths in life. However, both become swept up in the struggle of the Nigerian civil war.

Watch trailer | Purchase (Free on Amazon Prime Video) | Rent

Slumdog Millionaire

Travel Movies | Slumdog Millionaire

What: Loosely based on a true story, this is one young man’s emotional and uplifting tale of rising above circumstance to fulfill what he believes is his destiny. 

A Mumbai teen becomes a contestant on the Indian version of the show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ When he is accused of cheating, he reflects on his childhood in the slums, his struggles and his long lost love, revealing how he knew all the answers.

If your favorite kind of movies usually involve guns, spies, or some kind of action hero who narrowly escapes death multiple times before the credit scene, then these travel movies are for you!

Travel Movies | Sahara

Where: North Africa

What: An action-packed comedy following treasure hunters on an adventure through the most dangerous parts of Northern Africa.

An explorer finds the adventure of a lifetime when he and his wise-cracking sidekick venture through some of the most dangerous parts of North Africa in search of a lost Civil War battleship known as the Ship of Death. Using their wits and clever heroics, they partner up with a beautiful WHO doctor who believes the ship may have something to do with the mysteriously spreading plague she is investigating.

Indiana Jones

Travel Movies | Indiana Jones

Where: US, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Jordan, Egypt, India, China, Peru, etc. etc. etc.!

What: A classic action series based on the around the world adventures of Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, a fictional professor of archaeology. 

TWS Favorite: These were my favorite movies growing up as a kid, and they still spark a sense of adventure in me today!

Follow the adventures of Dr. Indiana Jones and his unlikely sidekicks as he sets out on assignments to find ancient artifacts and save the world from Nazis and bad guys. Though the original 3 movies were filmed in the 80s, they are filled with action-packed comedy that has stood the test of time and still carry a fan-base to this day.

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Peru, USA, Nepal, Egypt, Tunisia

Temple of Doom: China, India

The Last Crusade: USA, Venice, Jordan

While there was a 4th Indiana Jones (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) released in 2008, and a 5th set to hit theaters in 2021, we’d definitely recommend starting with the originals!

The Da Vinci Code

Travel Movies | The Da Vinci Code

Where: France, UK

What: An action-packed mystery thriller is based on the best selling novel about a fictional professor of Symbology. 

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon travels to Paris to investigate a murder inside the Louvre. Once he realizes he’s under investigation, he pairs up with the deceased’s daughter following clues hidden inside Da Vinci’s works to discover a religious secret that could shake the foundations of Christianity. 

Like this movie? Watch the following two films in the series: Angels & Demons and Inferno .

The Italian Job

Travel Movies | The Italian Job

Where: Italy, Los Angeles

What: An action-packed crime drama following a group of professional thieves from Italy to Los Angeles.  

Professional thief Charlie Croker pulled off the heist of a lifetime in Italy, but was betrayed by one of his team members and left for dead. Along with the help of his former boss’s safe-cracking daughter, Croker assembles a team of con artists and formulates a plan to retaliate by stealing back the gold from his former ally. 

City of God

Travel Movies | City of God

Where: Brazil

What: This action-heavy film illustrates the crippling effect of poverty with limited choices for survival. 

Set in the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, this film follows two young men as they navigate the increasing drug-related violence of their neighborhood. José is an ambitious drug dealer who uses photographer Rocket, and his photos of the crime-ridden slums, as a way to increase his fame while a turf war erupts with his rival. The film was shot on location in Rio’s poorest neighborhoods.

The Tourist

Travel Movies | The Tourist

Where: Italy

What: A romantic action thriller about the dangerous world of espionage. 

An American tourist is seeking solace in Italy after a recent heartbreak finds his life turned upside down when he meets a beautiful woman on a train going to Venice who convinces everyone that he is her lover who is wanted by the police.

Lord of the Rings trilogy

Travel Movies | Lord of the Rings

Where: Middle-earth (aka New Zealand)

What: A series of three epic fantasy adventure films based on the novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the films follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and his companions embark on a quest to destroy a ring that will ensure the destruction of its evil maker and save the free people of Middle-earth.

This epic fantasy adventure is filmed mostly on location in New Zealand , so while the movie may take place in a fictional land, the landscapes give a peek into the real-world southern hemisphere destination. 

If you are looking to be lifted up and inspired, these feel-good movies will bring you along on transformational journeys and will reignite your wanderlust.

The Art of Travel

Travel Movies | The Art of Travel

Where: Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Bolivia and California

What: A film that explores the very nature of wanderlust, how it informs character and transforms life.

On his wedding day, Connor walks out on his cheating bride-to-be and decides to embark on his honeymoon alone. While on the road in Central and South America he befriends a ragtag group of travelers and encounters both physical and metaphorical obstacles as he learns the art of travel.

Watch trailer | Watch (Free on Amazon Prime Video)

Hector and the Search for Happiness

Travel Movies | Hector and the Search for Happiness

Where: UK, China, Africa

What: One man’s search around the globe for joy and ultimately purpose. 

Disillusioned by his own existence, psychiatrist Hector feels he is a fraud for treating patients who never seem to improve or get any happier. Finally reaching his breaking point, he decides to make a change and embarks on an international quest to find the formula for happiness. 

Travel Movies | Tracks

Where: Australia

What: Based on the bestselling memoir, this drama chronicles the author’s solo journey across the Australian desert.

Mia, a young Australian woman, sets off on a journey to find solitude by embarking on a solo trip across the desert from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean. She is accompanied only by her dog and 4 camels to make the 9-month journey on foot.

Whale Rider

Travel Movies | Whale Rider

Where: New Zealand

What: An uplifting family drama that questions gender roles in cultural traditions. 

When her twin brother dies at birth, Pai decides to fulfill the destiny he was given to become the chief of their Maori tribe in New Zealand. The only problem is, only males are allowed to become chiefs. With the help of her grandmother and the training of her uncle, the 12-year-old strives to win over her ultra-traditional grandfather and claim her birthright. 

Learning about Maori culture is one of the many things you should know before planning a trip to New Zealand .

The Fundamentals of Caring (Netflix Original)

Travel Movies | The Fundamentals of Caring

Where: Road trip across the United States

What: A feel-good movie about overcoming personal challenges and finding hope in friendship. 

After suffering a personal tragedy, retired writer Ben decides to become a personal caregiver to Trevor, a snobby 18-year-old with muscular dystrophy. They take an impromptu road trip across the US to see all of the quirky road-side stops Trevor has become obsessed with when they meet Dot, a runaway, who joins them on their journey and helps them come to understand the importance of friendship and hope. 

Watch trailer | Watch on Netflix

Travel Movies | One Week

Where: Road trip across Canada

What: A humorous and moving film about grappling with one’s own immortality on a search for self-discovery.

When 20-something Ben Tyler is given a terminal diagnosis, he flees from his impending marriage and boring job in an attempt to live out the rest of his life to the fullest. His misguided road trip on a vintage motorcycle becomes an adventure of self-discovery set against the great Canadian landscape.

Queen of Katwe

Travel Movies | Queen of Katwe

Where: Uganda

What: An inspirational story of a young girl who lifts herself out of poverty through the game of chess.

This film from Disney is based off of the real life story of a girl named Phiona who grew up in a slum in Uganda called Katwe. At the age of 10, Phiona is introduced to the game of chess and soon begins competing. Her talent opens doors that she never thought would be possible.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Travel Movies | The Hundred-Foot Journey

Where: A small village in the French countryside

What: A heart-warming tale of overcoming cultural differences, romance, and following one’s passion.

This story follows an Indian family who moves to southern France and shakes things up in a small village when they open a restaurant across the street from a Michelin-starred French restaurant. When the son decides to go cook for the competition across the street, cultures clash, loyalties are tested, and boundaries are pushed.

Kodachrome (Netflix Original)

Travel Movies | Kodachrome

Where: A road trip across the US

What: An emotional and somewhat humorous film with incredible cinematography. 

When Matt’s estranged father’s nurse shows up at his office out of the blue, asking Matt to drop everything and honor his father’s dying wish, he finds his life turned upside down. Reluctantly, Matt joins his famed bad-boy photojournalist father and the nurse on a journey to the last remaining lab in the country that is still developing Kodachrome film. 

Travel Movies | The Way

Where: The “Camino de Santiago” trail in Spain, France and Portugal

What: A powerful and inspirational film about dealing with loss, family dynamics and unlikely friendships. 

When Tom’s adult son is tragically killed in a storm while walking the The Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James trail, he sets out to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect his son’s remains. But instead of returning home as planned, Tom decides to complete the historical pilgrimage in honor of his son. 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Travel Movies | Hunt for the Wilderpeople

What: An adventure comedy-drama film about personal growth and relationships.

TWS Favorite! 

When a rebellious boy is left in the care of tough but loving foster parents, he and his foster uncle become the subject of a nationwide manhunt after they get themselves stranded in the wild New Zealand bush. 

Inspired to travel to NZ after watching this? This film brings you through some beautiful landscapes across Kiwi country, and we’ve got tons of resources to help you plan an epic vacation to New Zealand !

A Dog’s Way Home

Travel Movies | A Dogs Way Home

Where: A journey across Colorado

What: A humorous and moving film about the bonds of love and friendship between man and dog. 

Told from the perspective of Bella, a rescue dog, who gets separated from her human and embarks on a 400-mile journey across Colorado to be reunited with him. Along the way, she encounters people and animals that need her help and help her to reach her final destination. 

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Travel Movies | The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Where: Greece, Mexico and suburban America 

What: A coming-of-age tale that highlights the bonds of friendship when grappling with family relationships, romance, and change.

In this “guilty pleasure”-esque flick, four best friends who couldn’t be more different in personality and style find a pair of pants that miraculously fits each of them perfectly. As they set out on separate adventures spending their first ever summer apart, they agree to share the pants between them in the hope that it will keep their bond strong.

*If you like this movie, check out the sequel , which brings all four friends to Greece!

The Road Within

Travel Movies | The Road Within

What: An inspiring film about grappling with mental health and overcoming personal challenges. 

After the death of his mother, Robert, a young man with Tourette’s Syndrome is sent to an in-patient facility to get help with his condition. There he meets two unlikely friends and together they embark on an adventure across the country in a stolen car. An epic road trip that will change their lives forever. This feel-good movie takes a deeper look at interpersonal relationships and the stigma of mental health, proving that life is truly about the journey and not always the destination. 

Watch Trailer | Watch (Free with Amazon Prime Video)

Travel & Romance Movies

Get swept off your feet (or couch!) with these light hearted tales of romance and adventure that take place around the world.

Eat Pray Love

Travel Movies | Eat, Pray, Love

Where: New York, Italy, India, Indonesia

What: Based on the best selling memoir, Eat Pray Love is one woman’s journey to reignite her passion for life, connect with her spirituality and focus on herself. 

Leaving behind her comfortable life and a marriage she was no longer happy in, Elizabeth Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical for a journey of self-discovery eating her way through Italy, practicing meditation in India, and finding love in Bali, Indonesia. 

Perhaps one of the most cliched travel + love stories, this one doesn’t resonate with everyone, but those for whom it does tend to be pretty inspired by this true journey. (In our opinion, the book is better, but the movie indulges you with some pretty scenes from Italy, India and Indonesia!) 

Bali dreaming? After watching this movie, you’ll want to plan a trip to Bali (trust me!). Check out our list of top things to do on this island (we lived there for 6 months, so we’ve got quite the list!).

Under the Tuscan Sun

Travel Movies | Under the Tuscan Sun

Where: Tuscany

What: This film is about stepping out of your comfort zone and finding / creating your own happiness.  

Frances Mayes is a 35-year-old writer living in San Francisco, suffering from writer’s block and depression after her recent divorce. When her friend gifts her a trip to Italy, she impulsively decides to buy an abandoned villa in the Tuscan countryside. Restoring the home leads her to new friends and a life-changing adventure filled with unexpected surprises. 

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Travel Movies | Vicky, Christina Barcelona

Where: Barcelona, Spain

What: A Woody Allen film about the nature of love and how it plays out between consenting adults. 

Vicky and Cristina are two friends who are spending their summer vacationing in Barcelona when they meet a handsome artist named Juan Antonio and begin an illicit affair. When his ex-wife Maria Elena comes back into the picture, things get interesting and the girls get more than they bargained for. 

Monsoon Wedding

Travel Movies | Monsoon Wedding

What: This movie follows the complexities, drama, comedy, romance and utter chaos that is an Indian wedding.

Aditi is the only daughter in a modern, upper-middle-class family in Delhi, and her family has arranged her marriage to the son of a family friend who lives in Texas. Their wedding is going to be the event of the year. However, it is not without its twists and turns, hidden family secrets, affairs, and unexpected romance.

Letters to Juliet

Travel Movies | Letters to Juliet

Where: Italy, New York

What: A romantic chick-flick about following your heart and finding true love. 

Sophie is an aspiring writer in New York City who travels to Verona, Italy with her chef-obsessed boyfriend, where she meets the “Secretaries of Juliet” and finds an old love letter hiding in a wall. Sophie sets out on a journey across Italy with the woman who wrote the letter, Claire, and her reluctant grandson, to reunite her with her true love from decades past. 

P.S. I Love You

Travel Movies | P.S. I Love You

Where: Ireland, NYC

What: A tragic story of life after loss and finding new love and happiness.

This movie follows Holly, a young woman who has just lost her husband to cancer. Before his death, he organized a scavenger hunt type of adventure that brings her back to his hometown in Ireland with her girlfriends. 

A Good Year

Travel Movies | A Good Year

Where: Provence, France

What: Set in French wine country, this movie follows a man’s journey to finding love and realizing what is important in life. 

Max is a work-a-holic London banker who makes a quick trip to Provence with the intention of selling his late uncle’s vineyard and estate. But things don’t go as planned. Max unearths secrets, finds romance, and gets a lesson on what’s really important in life. 

Before Sunrise

Before Sunrise | Travel Movies

Where: Vienna, Austria

What: A story of modern-day romance between people from two different worlds.

If you’ve ever had a travel fling, this indie film will grip you. It follows the story of an American traveler, Jesse, who falls for an Austrian student he meets on a train. Their connection is strong and they spend a night exploring Vienna together before Jesse’s flight leaves the next morning. 

Like this one? Lucky for you, there are two more in this 3-part series: Before Sunset (takes place in Paris) and Before Midnight (takes place in Greece).

Outdoor Adventure Travel Movies

To our fellow outdoor adventure lovers, this list is for you. From dramatic mountaineering feats in the Himalayas to transformational treks across the USA, these movies will take you on some epic outdoor adventures around the globe.

Everest 

Travel Movies | Everest

Where: Climbing Mt. Everest

What: Inspired by a true story, this dramatic and thrilling adventure is about overcoming mental and physical challenges to achieve the nearly impossible.

Everest documents the dramatic and awe-inspiring journey of two expeditions to summit Mt. Everest during a devastating snow storm. The climbers battle the elements and face nearly impossible obstacles as their lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival. 

Want to know more? Read about our 17-day journey to Everest Base Camp !

A Walk in the Woods

Travel Movies | A Walk in the Woods

Where: The Appalachian Trail

What: Based on the best-selling book, this is the story of two friends attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail. 

On the top of our to-watch list (we loved the book )!

Sick of life being all about ailments and funerals, Bill decides to push himself on an adventure hiking the Appalachian Trail. After protests from his wife, he recruits an old friend for the journey. 

This is the light-hearted and humorous story of the ill-prepared friends on their attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail in their later years of life. 

Into the Wild

Travel Movies | Into the Wild

Where: Hitchhiking across North America to Alaska

What: Based on a true story, this is a biographical adventure drama film of a young man’s journey to find meaning, belonging and love on a solo journey. 

Christopher McCandless is a young man who decides to hitchhike across North America to reach the Alaskan wilderness. During his transformative journey, he encounters several people and situations which change who he is as a person. This story is also a book ! 

Travel Movies | Kon-Tiki

Where: Crossing the ocean from Peru to Polynesia

What: A historical adventure-drama about the 1947 Kon-Tiki trans-oceanic expedition.

Norwegian explorer Thor believes that the South Sea Islands were originally colonized by South Americans. He sets out to prove his theory by recruiting 5 companions to set sail from Peru on a wooden raft built from an ancient design with only the stars and ocean currents to guide them. Along the way their moral and physical limits are tested as they encounter more than they bargained for. 

Travel Movies | Wild

Where: The Pacific Crest Trail

What: Based on the best-selling memoir, this is the story of one woman’s transformative journey hiking the PCT. 

When her life feels like it’s hit rock bottom after losing her mother, battling drug abuse, a slew of one-night-stands, and her marriage crumbling, Cheryl Strayed (played by Reese Witherspoon) makes the impulsive decision to hike over 1,000 of the Pacific Crest Trail, with no experience or training, completely solo. 

Get the family together for a cultural experience or a far-flung adventure to another world. These movies will take you on a comedic journey to some interesting places, and hopefully remind you that animated movies are not just for kids!

Travel Movies | Coco

Where: Celebrating the culture of Mexico

What: This light-hearted and comedic tale deals with family dynamics set against the backdrop of Dia de Los Muertos celebrations in Mexico. 

TWS Favorite! We watched this for the first time on a bus to Oaxaca (one of our favorite Mexican cities!), and it taught us a lot about local culture.

Young Miguel has a passion for performing. Despite his family’s generations-old ban on music, he dreams of becoming a singer like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. After a mysterious series of events during the Dia de Los Muertos celebrations, Miguel finds himself in the Land of the Dead where he befriends a trickster and winds up uncovering secrets of his family’s history. 

A delightful and excellent portrayal of the cultural holiday, this animated film is a must-see for anyone interested in learning more about the Dia de Los Muertos celebrations. Plus, it’s great for kids!

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Travel Movies | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Where: Life as an animal in the African bush

What: This is the comedic portrayal of what happens when New York City zoo animals find themselves in the wild African bush. 

In the sequel to the popular Dreamworks hit, Madagascar, this fun bunch of NYC zoo animals find themselves in Africa for the first time in their lives. The characters hilariously portray what it would be like to discover “the wild” for the first time after being raised in a zoo, and the difference between New York City and the African bush. With humor that can span generations, this is a fun film for the whole family. 

Travel Movies | Up

Where: An imaginary adventure in South America

What: A comedic animated film about taking chances and fulfilling one’s dreams before it’s too late. 

78-year-old Carl Fredricksen decides to tie thousands of balloons to his house and flies away on his an adventure into the wild of South America. When he realizes he’s accidentally brought along a 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer as an unwitting stowaway, the two have to make the most of their circumstance and build a friendship. 

Travel Movies | Moana

Where: Polynesia

What: A lovable Disney movie that follows the adventures of a brave young girl on an important mission.

Moana is a high-spirited teenager who is on a mission to save her people  by sailing across the open ocean in search of answers. Along the way, she meets a demigod, fights monsters, defies impossible odds, and discovers her true identity. The whole family will love this movie and its catchy songs, plus, you’ll feel as if you’ve escaped to a tropical island! 

Ratatouille

Travel Movies Ratatouille

What: A story of rising above one’s circumstances and proving once and for all that truly anyone can cook.   

Remy, a resident of Paris, has quite the sophisticated palate and aspires to become a French chef. There is just one problem… he is a rat. When he winds up in the sewer beneath one of Paris’ finest restaurants, Remy befriends a young kitchen worker and together they cook up amazing dishes using Remy’s talents.

Sahara (Netflix Original)

Travel Movies | Sahara

Where: A journey across the Sahara Desert

What: A story of friendship and love takes these characters on a journey out of their comfort zones. 

When his new love is captured by an evil snake charmer, a kind-hearted cobra and his best friend, a scorpion, set out on a wild rescue mission across the Sahara desert. This cute animated film is best for children. 

Find out what life is like around the globe through your own eyes in these compelling documentaries about travel, humanity and the species that share our planet.

Life in a Day 

Travel Movies | Life in a Day

What: A National Geographic feature documenting daily life in 192 countries around the world. 

From National Geographic, Producer Ridley Scott and Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald asked the world to chronicle their lives via video in a single day. They took the 4,500 hours of footage submitted from 192 countries — all shot on July 24, 2010 — and created the groundbreaking documentary, Life in a Day.

Watch trailer | Watch for free on YouTube

Losing Sight of Shore 

Travel Movies | Losing Sight of Shore

Where: Rowing across the Pacific Ocean

What: An inspiring documentary about overcoming challenges, both mental and physical, to achieve a common goal. 

Four women set out to make history as they row across the Pacific Ocean, from America to Australia. Covering over 8,000 miles of open ocean, they must overcome extreme mental and physical challenges during their nine months at sea.

Expedition Happiness

Travel Movies | Expedition Happiness

Where: Road trip from Alaska to South America

What: An inspiring documentary about taking chances and following your dreams in the pursuit of happiness. 

A filmmaker and his musician girlfriend leave their lives in Germany behind and buy a school bus which they renovate and move into for their journey driving from Alaska to South America with their dog.

Did this film get you curious about #VanLife?! We’ve got all sorts of content on campervans , from how to build your own to insider advice and epic campervan adventures!

Pedal the World 

Travel Movies | Pedal the World

Where: Around the world by bicycle

A filmmaker and his musician girlfriend leave their lives in Germany behind and buy a school bus which they renovate and move into for their journey driving from Alaska to South America with their dog. 

Planet Earth & Planet Earth II

Travel Movies | Planet Earth

Where: Nature up close around the globe

What: A documentary series and follow up series that takes a close look at nature in our planet’s many ecosystems. 

A BBC-produced television docu-series with breathtaking high-definition footage of some of the world’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders — from the oceans to the deserts to the polar ice caps. Actress Sigourney Weaver narrates the American version, while David Attenborough is the voice of the original production.

Human Planet

Travel Movies | Human Planet

What: A documentary series that takes a close look at humans and their relationship with nature around the globe. 

Filmed in dozens of locations around the world, this awe-inspiring BBC production documents how humans interact with their natural surroundings. Each episode is tied to a particular habitat to showcase humans who have adapted to thrive in these extreme environments by building complex relationships with their animal neighbors. 

A Map for Saturday

Travel Movies | A Map for Saturday

What: A film documenting the emotional arc of extreme long-term travel for everyone who’s ever wondered what it would be like to travel the world. 

“On a trip around the world, every day feels like Saturday.” Long before the time of Travel influencers and vlogging, documentary filmmaker Brook Silva-Braga made a movie documenting his solo travels through four continents by telling the stories of travelers he meets along the way from Thailand to Nepal to Brazil.  

Encounters at the End of the World

Travel Movies | Encounters at the End of the World

Where: Antarctica

What: Documentary that gives you a glimpse into the least-visited continent on earth.

The only film on this list set on the continent of Antarctica, this documentary follows filmmaker Werner Herzog on his journey to the most remote parts of the earth. See the austere beauty of the landscapes and meet the people who have dedicated their lives to studying this unique part of the world.

Travel Movies | Baraka

What: A transcendent global tour that explores the sights and sounds of the human condition.

With no conventional narrative, this is a film about people, places and things from around the world. From chaotic cities to barren wilderness to former concentration camps, the movie takes viewers around the globe and doesn’t shy away from the dark side of humanity when portraying a variety of natural and technological spectacles. Ultimately proving the interconnectivity of the world by both the tragedy and celebrations of life.

Travel Movies

Netflix has made streaming incredibly accessible in homes across the globe. If you’ve already got an account, these series will be free to watch! Also, be sure to look for throughout the rest of this list, as we’ve done our best to make note of all the movies that are available on Netflix as well!

Travels with my Father

Travel Movies | Travels With My Father Netflix series

What: A docu-series following comedian Jack Whitehall as he attempts to introduce his stuffy father to the world of backpacking through SE Asia. 

In the first season, adult comedian Jack Whitehall convinces his aging and reluctant father Michael to join him on a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia in an attempt to strengthen their bond.

They are recreating the “gap year” experience and along the way they take part in unique experiences including attending an elephant polo match in Bangkok and taking a primitive train ride in Cambodia. When their trip is completed, the pair reflect on the impact of their journey. Subsequent seasons take the pair to other parts of the world. 

Watch on Netflix

Travel Movies | Our Planet Netflix series

What: A documentary series about the wild inhabitants of our planet through the lens of climate change.

This is sort of Netflix’s answer to Planet Earth and the increasing concerns of climate change. This series takes an up close look at our planet’s inhabitants — from polar bears to wildebeests to marine life — and how climate change is affecting every living species on earth. 

Tales by Light

Travel Movies | Tales by Light Netflix series

What: A documentary series about photographers and the making of their images to inspire change.

From wildlife photographers in Africa to underwater photographers in the Arctic seas, to photojournalists documenting at-risk children, this captivating Netflix series takes viewers around the world to showcase talented photographers in their mission to use imagery to save the world.

Each episode follows a photographer and shows what happens behind the lens to create their powerful images. 

Street Food: Asia

Travel Movies | Street Food: Asia Netflix series

Where: Streets and food markets in Asia

What: A documentary series exploring street food in some of the world’s most vibrant cities in Asia.

From the hawker stalls of Singapore to food carts in India, this series brings viewers all over Asia to highlight the stories of perseverance and culture that bring life to various countries’ cuisine. Nations visited include Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam.

Psst! If you like this show, you’ll love the late Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and Parts Unknown . We love binging these shows (you can purchase them to watch on YouTube) before traveling to a new country and then trying out the restaurants he features! We’ve been to a bunch of Bourdain-approved locales around the world.

Extreme Engagement

Travel Movies | Extreme Engagement Netflix series

What: In this reality series, find out if an extreme around the world trip will bring this engaged couple closer together or wind up tearing them apart.

A newly engaged couple embark on a year-long around the world journey, hoping to discover the secret of marriage by exploring marriage customs in cultures around the globe. They hope this journey will help them to know if they are really ready for a lifetime commitment to each other. 

Night on Earth

Travel Movies | Night on Earth Netflix series

What: A documentary series that uncovers the wonders of the nocturnal wildlife around our planet. 

Similar to Planet Earth , but entirely shot at night. All around the planet, the most interesting animals reveal themselves in a completely new light.  Using new night vision technology, this nature series allows viewers to lift the veil of darkness and witness the wonders of the nocturnal world like never before. 

The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes

Travel Movies | Extraordinary Homes Netflix series

What: A reality series that showcases the most unique properties around the world. 

This property series  showcased the most extraordinary homes found all over the world. The hosts travel across mountains, through forests, along coasts and deep underground to find unique properties in every corner of the globe. If you’re a travel enthusiast and also a fan of HGTV, then this one’s for you! 

Restaurants on the Edge

Travel Movies | Restaurants on the Edge Netflix series

What: A reality series that helps struggling restaurants around the world by reinventing their business model. 

Follow a team of three experts — a restaurateur, a designer and a chef — as they travel the world in search of struggling restaurants that need their help. For each episode, they target a restaurant and tap into the surroundings, culture and community to remodel each business for a chance at success. 

Looking for more travel movies?!

While we couldn’t possibly list all the travel movies out there, here are a handful of more honorable mentions to add to your watch list:

The Grand Budapest Hotel , comedy/drama

Away We Go , comedy/drama

Like Father , Netflix original comedy/drama

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert , comedy/drama

Little Miss Sunshine , comedy/drama

Adrift , drama

The Terminal , drama

The Talented Mr. Ripley , drama

Catch Me if you Can , drama

Eurotrip , comedy

Just Married , comedy

National Lampoon’s Family Vacation , comedy

The Holiday , romance/comedy

Tomb Raider , action & adventure

Murder on the Orient Express ,  crime (1974 original, 2017 remake)

Lawrence of Arabia ,  adventure/drama

Nowhere in Africa ,  drama (in German)

You may also like…

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Staying Home Survival Guide

The Ultimate Travel Planning Guide

How to Save Money to Travel the World

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Movies for Travelers | Two Wandering Soles

We want to hear from you!

What travel movies are on your watch list? Did we miss one of your favorites? Comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you!

Comments (11) on “ 75+ Best Travel Movies to Inspire Your Wanderlust ”

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing the list, this is very helpful. I will do my best to watch all. Sometimes I write about the movies too. Here’s a handpicked list of movies that make you want to travel and fuel your wanderlust, in case you or any of your readers find it interesting. Keep up the good work. Can’t wait to see something new from you. Cheers!

What a great list. I really like that you have broken it up into genres – makes it so much easier to find what you might be looking for.

Glad to hear you like the travel movie list! Hope you got to add a few to your watch list!

Wow, what a comprehensive list! Netflix’ Street Food: Asia was one of the show I was actively watching prior to going to South Korea. I was even happy to see the lady on the SK’s segment. I had to stop and try her food and yes it was delicious.

Amazing! That’s so cool you got to try her food! I want to go to every one of the street food stalls on that show!

75 movies, I thought, wow there’s no way I’ve seen even half of these… but I was surprised at how many I’ve seen! Great list with some out of the box inclusions, too.

We tried our best to get a big variety of travel movies. We’ve seen a lot of these as well, but definitely have more to add to my watch list!

Wow that’s an awesome list .I have only seen half of them..but I will make sure to see all

Glad you liked the travel movie list, Madhu!

I started watching Travels with my Father but couldn’t finish it, because my American husband just couldn’t get the British humour or the way that Jack and his dad treated each other. I’ll have to finish watching it without him.

Hey Katherine, I can understand, it goes get a little dry at times. But I love the way Jack says "Daddy!" It gets me everytime!

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91+ Best Travel Movies of All Time: An Ultimate List | 2022 Updated

Great travel movies are priceless.  They can keep you motivated during those days of the cubicle cage and mundane routine. Unfortunately Googling, “Best Travel Movies” always churns out the same 10. Lucky for you, I’ve kept an ongoing list of the best travel movies that will inspire your next adventure and found a few you likely haven’t seen…yet.

The 10 of the Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one knows of: Bella Vita

Contents of this Best Travel Movies List

  • The 11 Best Travel Movies That No One Mentions!!
  • The Best Pure Travel Movies
  • Best Destination Movies
  • Adventure Travel
  • Action and Spy Movies
  • Romance And “Chick Flicks” (That Anyone Can Love)
  • Nature And Documentaries
  • Comedy And Pure Fun
  • Classic Travel Movies
  • Travel Tv Shows
  • Food Travel Tv Shows
  • Nature Travel Tv Shows

The 11 Best Travel Movies that No One Mentions

  • Bella Vita (2014) 
  • Life in a Day
  • Alamar (2011)
  • Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
  • Point Break (2014) 
  • The Before Trilogy: Before Sunrise
  • The Before Trilogy: Before Sunset
  • The Before Trilogy: Before Midnight
  • Mile… Mile and Half

Each movie on this quick list of my 11 favorite movies for a travel and adventure mood captures the feeling of simply wandering the world, from South America to Asia, and creating and experiencing your own true story. Whether you’re romantic, adventurous, or a little of both, one of these 11 movies will scratch that travel itch.

The Best Adventure Travel movies you've never seen | Best Travel Movies

If you don’t find a movie that perfectly satisfies your travel palet, keep scrolling our click here to jump to our full list of the 91+ best travel movies .

1.      Bella Vita

In the travel documentary Bela Vita, pro surfer Chris del Moror travels through Italy exploring the artisanal culture that fills the country in every way from culinary artists to the high skilled craftsmen, and even the surfers of the budding Italian surf scene. 

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: Bella Vita

Watch the Bella Vita Trailer

This film simultaneously combines the high life experiences of travel with the calming adventure of outdoors sports accented by the loving warmth of Italian culture explored through a cross country road trip -making for a great vicarious experience whenever you’re in a travel mood.

Greatfor: When you’re feeling adventurous yet chill – perfect for a rainy day

Ratings: No rating on Rotten Tomatoes (which means we’ve found an unsung hero)

Where to watch it: Watch Bella Vita (2014) on Amazon

2.      Life in a Day

Why Watch: A pure view of cultures across the world and how we’re all connected by documenting the true story of millions of people’s life in a day

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions - Life in a Day

Watch the Life In A Day trailer

On July 24, 2010, thousands of people from every continent uploaded footage of a normal day in their lives as part of a project by Ridley Scott and Youtube.  The result is an astounding masterpiece, beautifully patched together into a very engaging story…of Life on earth, in a single day.

…or watch the entire Life In A Day movie

Why I love this movie: Some of my most adventurous and rewarding travels have been far from risky – more often just making my way into a very foreign place, like Laos, or Vietnam, or Egypt, or Iraq, and then experiencing the culture by simply observing how they live. You would be surprised how rich an experience like this could be, and Life in a Day captures that experience perfectly.  There is no narration, no spin, and no analysis, just normal people and average cultures presenting themselves.  Its beautiful.

If you come away from watching this without feeling like the world is smaller, I’d be surprised.

  • Great for: The feeling exploring the world and other cultures, all from your couch
  • Rating: 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
  • Where to Watch it: WatchLife in a Day free on Youtube

Don’t forget to follow up this movie with Life in a Day (2020) which was recorded exactly 10 years later. The updated sequel movie explores themes all travelers can relate to, life across cultures, and feelings across the world during the confusing times of the pandemic.

3.      180 South

In 1968, Yvon Chouinard (founder of the clothing brand Patagonia) and Doug Tompkins drove a van, some surfboards, and some climbing gear from Ventura, California to the southernmost regions of Patagonia, in Chile and Argentina – and they recorded the entire journey. Present day adventurer, wanderer, surfer, and climber Jeff Johnson found the footage and decided to remake the journey in pursuit of a quintessential Patagonia experience and self discovery.

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: 180 South

The movie 180 South follows Jeff Johnson as retraces the footsteps while creating a new adventure, sailing south, hitchhiking, exploring, climbing, and picking up friends along the way.  At points, Jeff even connects with Yvon Chouinard to talk about travel and the outdoors in a way that could enliven even the most downtrodden wanderluster. 

watch the 180 South trailer

If your brand of travels includes time spent outdoors, as far as possible from civilization, 180 South will be like having a nice conversation about the adventures you live for.

  • Great for: Wanderers, trekkers, and travelers of all breeds
  • Rating: 83% on RottenTomatoes
  • Whereto Watch: Watch 180 South onAmazon or on Netflix

4.      Alamar (“To the Sea”)

Why Watch: To recreate that feeling of discovery

A documentary and true story of how a small boy is about to make the move to the big city of Rome with his Italian mother, but first takes one last “adventure” with his father “alamar” (“To the Sea”). The boy, his father, and his grandfather spend time connecting and living as traditional fishermen and divers so that the boy always remembers his roots and his heritage of the sea.

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: alamar

watch the trailer for Alamar

Why I love this movie: Though the film isn’t in English, you don’t need to understand a word.  You can feel the adventure that the boy is going through, under the loving watch of his father, and how he grows to feel his connection to the ocean.  The experience of watching is partlyentertaining, with the beautiful views, and partly reminiscent of the feeling of discovery that comes when you go into the vast unknown (the world or the sea) and learn to know you had more in common with the “unknown” than you thought – all with the rift of the occasional Spanish guitar in the backdrop

  • Great for: Water lovers and ocean views
  • Rating& Awards: 91% on Rotten Tomatoes
  • Whereto Watch it: Watch Alamar  on Amazon

Why Watch: The feeling of travels started by loss, but ending in gain

Many travelers’ ventures started with a loss, a searching, or a desire for experience that would provide answers or guidance.  That  is exactly what The Way is about – father who lost his son and decides to fulfill his son’s last standing wish, to walk the Camino de Santiago through Spain.

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions The Way

The Way is often recommended as an excellent travel movie because of its feel. There is no big budget, the big name actor in the movie (Martin Sheen) doesn’t take himself seriously, and the characters are remarkably human, flawed, and charming – just like the characters you would likely meet on the road.

The Way, and the journey along the Camino de Santiago within, perfectly captures the blend of emotions and the ultimately positive feel that backpacking the world brings.

  • Great for: Just great for the feeling of travel
  • Rating: 83% on Rotten TomatoesWatch The Way onAmazon or on Netflix

6.      Happy People: A Year in the Taiga

Why watch: Transports you to a different place as a welcomed observer of a very different way of life

Though Happy People isn’t exactly about travelers, the epic adventure of following those who live in the “Taiga” of Siberia is such a journey that it feels as though you’ve traveled to Russia and followed them thousands of miles between home and the frozen frontier where they live for months on end.

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: Happy People a Year in the Taiga

watch the trailer for Happy People

If you have travel experiences on your bucket list like “go to Mongolia” or “visit a tribe in the Amazon”, Happy People is a documentary for you.  The filmmaker follows the tough people of the Taiga region, in Siberian Russia, for an entire year.  The result is an interesting portrayal of a tough yet balanced people living in, thriving in, and enjoying one of the harshest environments in the world.

  • Great for: Recreating the immersive cultural education that comes with adventurous travel
  • Rating: 87% on RottenTomatoes
  • Whereto Watch: Watch Happy People: AYear in the Taiga on Amazon or on Netflix

The Best Adventure Travel movies you've never seen | Best Travel Movies

The “Before” Trilogy

(Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight)

Why Watch: Sums up the romantic experiences of travel – which is a one of a kind adventure

No, I didn’t trick you with the title of this article.  At the risk of being misunderstood, I’ll go all in on this one – the experience of love, regardless of how shallow or deep, is an adventure in its own right. 

You have the chance to gain something undefined yet priceless or lose everything (including your sanity). Even more, romance on the road has higher stakes – you know there’s a looming end date, too many unspoken thoughts, and as much pleasure as you’re willing to let yourself have.

Though this kind of pressure could create unimaginable chaos, given how complicated humans are, it usually results in a nothing to lose and “bare all” situation that is refreshing, irreplaceable, and addictive.  If that’s not a risky adventure, I don’t know what is – and the Before Trilogy captures this sentiment perfectly.

7.      Before Sunrise (1995)

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: Before Sunrise

In the first chapter, a young Celine and Jesse meet on a train from eastern European to western Europe, where Celine lives and Jesse is supposed to take aplane home, back to the US.  As theteasing sparks and smiles are exchanged, Jesse has to decide whether to stay,or go…Before Sunrise

Rating:100% on Rotten Tomatoes

8.      Before Sunset (2004)

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: Before Sunset

In the second movie, 10 years after initially meeting, Celine and Jesse are presented to the audience again in the familiar (to most) state of unfinished love, divided by continents.  Through clarified miscommunications and trickled honesty the two finally get to the thing that really connects them…all with Jesse’s depart looming as he flies out at sunset.

Rating: 95% on Rotten Tomatoes

9. Before Midnight (2013)

In the conclusion to the trilogy, like all natural things, love goes through seasons and shades.  20 years after the start (in the storyline and after the release of the actual movies), Celine and Jesse are forced to explore this idea – all against the backdrop of wanderlust and travel

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: Before Midnight

An interesting and artful film project about travel and love that now spans 3 decades in a way that makes you question love, culture, what matters, and (more importantly) what doesn’t matter in just enjoying and being happy.  Each movie takes place at a casual place, using dialogue and though as its hook.  Each movie also takes place 10 years after the preceding movie, and was released 10 years after the preceding movie.

Rating: 98% on Rotten Tomatoes

Great for:  Re-experiencing the rich conversations and interactions that happen while traveling…with your guard down

Where to Watch the Before Trilogy:

  • Watch Before Sunrise on Amazon or Netflix
  • Watch Before Sunset on Amazon or Netflix
  • Watch Before Midnight on Amazon or Netflix

10.      Point Break (2015)

Why Watch: The Feeling of Adventure and a Tribe Culture

A remake on the old 1980’s Point Break, but with a touch of adrenaline and travel that makes it more reminiscent of Redbull TV with a story line.

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: Point Break

A group of extremely  adventurous travelers and criminals chain a string of heists into a”game” to honor the forces of nature, and an undercover FBI agent is sent in to investigate.  The story that ensues is a showcase of extreme sports underlined with that hard to replace tribal  feeling that happens when you travel with a likeminded and equally adventurous group.

Though this movie has low ratings and a storyline most will deem illogical, I love it for the adrenaline infused experiences it recreates, focus on the tribe culture that happens on the road, and the idea of finding your “line”.  The “ Ozaki 8 ” extreme sports feats seem like a nice bucket list to recreate as well.  If you like Redbull TV and wandering then this remake is right up your alley.

  • Great for: Adrenaline chasers and adventurous travelers
  • Rotten Tomatoes: 9% (Meaning this is a love it or hate it movie – don’t worry, I’m prepared for the sneers)
  • Whereto Watch: Watch Point Break 2015 on Amazon or on Netflix

11. Mile, Mile and a Half

Why watch : For hikers and trekkers to appreciate a beautiful view from the couch

The 10 Best Adventure Travel Movies that no one mentions: Mile Mile and a Half

If you love to hike but can’t get outside, this is the documentary for you.  “Mile, Mile and a Half” is a project by photographers, videographers, artists, and hikers to capture the experience of hiking 219 miles of the John Muir Trail.  The result is a visually pleasing and peaceful movie that takes you outside when you can’t be.

  • Great for: Hikers and trekkers that are stuck inside
  • Rating: 80% on Rotten Tomatoes (rated by audience)
  • Where to Watch: Watch Mile, Mile and a Half on Amazon or on Netflix

More of my favorite Best Travel Movies

The secret life of walter mitty.

A daydreaming, introverted, and endearing office worker, played by Ben Stiller, spends part of his days doing what he is told, and most of his days daydreaming about…the secret life of Walter Mitty, the lives inside his mind.

As all wanderlusters do, he daydreams, day in and day out, about the adventures he could have, until one day he’s pushed over the edge to take on that adventure of a lifetime,

prime travel movies

  • Wild (2014)

Inspired by a novel and true story, Wild follows the journey of a young woman as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail and along the way climbs a mountain of self discovery, eventually using the wild to understand the wild in her

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FULL LIST OF THE 91 BEST TRAVEL MOVIES OF ALL TIME

Beyond my 11 favorites, there are hundreds of other travel movie options that inspire wanderlust, trigger that desire for self-discovery and exploration that comes with a good travel film.

In this section, we’ll go even further, sharing the the 91 best movies and TV shows for travel lovers by genre. Whether you’re in the mood for a Rom Com, an action adventure flick, beautiful scenery provided courtesy of nature, a timeless classic, we’ll share great movies from every genre to fill your needs.

Click to jump to your genre of choice

THE BEST PURE TRAVEL MOVIES

  • The Beach (2000)
  • The Way (2010)
  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
  • Life in a Day (2010)
  • Life in a Day (2020)
  • The Motorcycle Diaries
  • The Bucket List (2007)
  • Into The Wild (2007)
  • 180 South (2010)
  • Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
  • Endless Summer (1966)
  • Expedition Happiness (2017)
  • The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
  • Catch Me If You Can (2002)

BEST DESTINATION MOVIES

  • The Beach – Thailand (2000)
  • Slumdog Millionaire – India (2008)
  • Vicky, Cristina Barcelona – Spain (2008)
  • Under the Tuscan Sun – Italy (2003)
  • Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – India (2011)
  • Grand Budapest Hotel
  • A Good Year – France (2006)
  • The Last Samurai – Japan (2003)
  • Memoirs of a Geisha – Japan (2005)

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

  • 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible (2021)
  • Point Break (2015)
  • The Way Back (2010)
  • Wild (2014) (88% on Rotten Tomatoes)
  • Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 – 2003)

ACTION AND SPY MOVIES

  • Skyfall (2012)
  • Casino Royale (2006)
  • The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
  • The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
  • Indiana Jones Movies
  • Captain America – Civil War (2016)
  • Black Panther (2018)
  • Fast Five (2011)
  • The Tourist (2010)

ROMANCE AND “CHICK FLICKS” (THAT ANYONE CAN LOVE)

  • Under The Tuscan Sun (2003)
  • A Good Year (2006)
  • Before Sunrise (1995)
  • Before Sunset (2004)
  • Before Midnight (2013)
  • Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008)
  • Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
  • Eat Pray Love (2010)
  • Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
  • ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ (2005) 

NATURE AND DOCUMENTARIES

  • Chasing Ice (2012)
  • Mission Blue (2014)
  • Chasing Coral (2017)
  • Captain Fantastic (2016)
  • Encounters at the End Of The World (2007)
  • A Walk in the Woods (2015)
  • Mile… Mile and a Half (2013)

COMEDY AND PURE FUN

  • Eurotrip (2004)
  • Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
  • The Hangover Part II (2011)
  • National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
  • ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ (1985)
  • Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2022)
  • All is Lost (2013)
  • Adrift (2018)
  • Maiden Voyage (2004)
  • Ratatouille (2007)

CLASSIC TRAVEL MOVIES

  • Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
  • Casablanca (1942)
  • Roman Holiday (1953)

TRAVEL TV SHOWS

  • Parts Unknown (12 Seasons, 2001-2013)
  • No Reservations (9 Seasons)
  • A Cook’s Tour (2 Seasons, 2002-2004)
  • Departures (3 Seasons, 2008-2011)
  • Long Way Up (1 Season, 2020)
  • Long Way Down (1 Season, 2007)
  • Long Way Round (1 Season, 2004)

FOOD TRAVEL TV SHOWS

  • Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) (5 Seasons, 2018)
  • Street Food – Asia (Netflix) (1 Season, 2019)
  • Street Food – Latin America (Netflix) (1 Season, 2020)
  • Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse (Amazon Prime) (1 Season, 2016)

NATURE TRAVEL TV SHOWS

  • Planet Earth (2 Seasons, 2006)
  • Planet Earth II (1 Season, 2016)
  • Human Planet (1 Season, 2011)
  • Win the Wilderness (1 Season, 2020)
  • Our Greatest National Parks (Narrated by Barack Obama) (1 Season, 2022)

BONUS!!! My personal list of 95 MORE well rated travel movies to watch (and rate)

  • 2 Days In Paris (2007)
  • 7 Days in Havana (2012)
  • A Map For Saturday
  • Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert
  • Amélie
  • Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
  • Away We Go (2009)
  • Baraka (1992)
  • Black Mountain Poets (2015)
  • Brooklyn (2015)
  • Call Me By Your Name (2017)
  • Carol (2015)
  • City of God (2002)
  • Doctor Zhivago (1965)
  • Duma (2005)
  • Easy Rider (1969)
  • Eight Below (2008)
  • Encounters at the End of the World (2007)
  • Fitzcarraldo (1982)
  • French Kiss
  • Girls Trip (2017)
  • Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
  • Hector and The Search for Happiness (2014)
  • Hit the Road: India
  • Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
  • In Bruges (2008)
  • Into the Cold (2013)
  • Julie & Julia
  • Kundun (1997)
  • L’Auberge Espagnole (2002)
  • La La Land (2016)
  • Last Holiday
  • Lion (2016)
  • Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
  • Lost in Translation – Tokyo
  • Meek’s Cutoff (2010)
  • Midnight in Paris
  • Midsommar (2019)
  • Monsoon Wedding
  • Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
  • My Life in Ruins
  • Nomadland’ (2020)
  • Not Without My Daughter (1991)
  • Nowhere in Africa
  • On the Road (2012)
  • One Week (2008)
  • Out of Africa (1985)
  • Paris, Je T’aime (2006)
  • Patagonia (2010)
  • Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
  • Queen of Katwe (2016)
  • Riding Solo to the Top of the World
  • Roma (2018)
  • Romancing the Stone
  • Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)
  • The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
  • The Art of Travel (2008)
  • The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
  • The Big Year
  • The Endurance (2000)
  • The English Patient (1996)
  • The Farewell (2019)
  • The Good Lie (2014)
  • The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
  • The Kite Runner (2007)
  • The Lost City of Z (2017)
  • The Road Within
  • The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
  • The Terminal (2004)
  • The Tourist
  • The Trip (2010)
  • The Trip to Italy
  • Thelma & Louise (1991)
  • Tracks (2013)
  • Tracks (2014)
  • Up in the Air
  • Wadjda (2013)
  • Whale Rider
  • Withnail & I (1987)
  • World’s Fastest Indian 
  • Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

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prime travel movies

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlos is a nomad, slow traveler, and writer dedicated to helping others live abroad and travel better by using his 7+ years of experience living abroad and background as a management consultant and financial advisor to help other nomad and expats plot better paths for an international lifestyle. Click here to learn more about Carlos's story.

Chasing whereabouts logo on a black background.

55+ best travel movies to inspire wanderlust

In this day and age where travel restrictions persist worldwide, it’s only possible to imagine a dream. As armchair travel grows so does the need to look for books and films to inspire wanderlust.

So we did some legwork to make it easier for you to find our favorite travel movie hits for whenever you are stuck at home and cannot travel anymore! It’s not different from the previous one that discusses Best Travel Film.

As a traveller myself I often wonder which are the best Travel Movies which I can watch in my free time or maybe on my next flight. In this post, we will be covering the topic in detail about trip movies which you can check out in your free time.

What produces excellent travel movies? We feel it is when the location ends up being the celebrity. A motion picture that showcases stunning cities, landscapes, and society is a movie that motivates us to go to a location or relive our time there when we get residence.

Disclaimer  – Chasing Whereabouts is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.

The Very Best Travel Movies to Inspire Wanderlust

best travel movies

Produced by Mark Magidson, the film aims to reach beyond languages, nationalism, and religious and politically speaking to the inner viewer.

Baraka is an extensive series of photographic scenes describing human life, natural events and technology filmed throughout 25 countries across six continents.

This documentary is unparalleled in its beauty, sensibility and understanding of our world. It transcends languages and geographical boundaries and helps us see planets differently. See movies .

best travel movies

This is by far the best travel movie. One of the personalities really brings around a guidebook! We recently rewatched Bruges and also it stands up! If you enjoy a good caper set in an exotic location, you’ll like In Bruges .

When Colin Farrell’s character constantly complained of hating Bruges in Belgium as he and Brendan Gleeson took the gondola via the canals, I assumed it was superb writing as well as direction. The more Colin Farrell’s personality complained, a lot more you absorbed the surroundings of Bruges and also noticed simply exactly how picturesque Bruges is.

As Brendan Gleeson took in the history as well as checked out the guidebooks admiring the city, Colin Farrell simply kept speaking about how much he hated Bruges, which made me like it much more.

Rent or Acquire In Bruges on Amazon.com

best travel movies

One of our favorite movies of all time. And also not due to the fact that it is set in Canada (And we live in Canada). One Week adheres to a boy driving a motorbike on a cross-country road trip across Canada after being detected with terminal cancer cells.

No motion picture has actually made me intend to discover a nation more than One Week . We wrote an entire testimonial about it below. It absolutely is the supreme Canadian trip motion picture. Rental Fee One Week Right Here on Amazon

I really did not wish to see this film because of its dark subject, however, it ended up being an uplifting as well as enlightening movie of self-discovery. One Week is a love letter to Canada and also a homage to being to life. I really did not also assume it would certainly fit into the mold and mildew of travel movies however it did!

We have actually been to many of the stops on this road trip film, and it is fantastic to see things like The Big Nickel and The Terry Fox monument on the big screen. It goes to the top of our finest travel film for a factor. Review our listing of ideal motorbike motion pictures

Secret Life of Walter Mitty

best travel movies

I needed to see this most popular of all travelling movies two times prior to determining I liked The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. At first, I assumed it was silly, however after that after a second as well as now a 3rd as well as 4th, I can recognize why it goes to the top of most checklists of best travel flicks. The first time around I was annoyed with all the long-drawn-out dream series that takes place in Walter Mitty’s head. Once he reaches Iceland and also Greenland, it really comes to be a fun adventure. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty demonstrates how taking a risk and also leaving your convenience area can lead to excellent points. The ending was my preferred, but I will not ruin it for you. Rent it now to see what you think of the Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Before Sunrise Trilogy

best travel movies

We have three of our preferred travel motion pictures in one package! As well as each showcases the location they remain in. They have to do with love yet they are additionally very much traveling movies. They were shot 10 years apart and they occur in three different locations around Europe– Vienna, Paris, and also Greece . The Before Sunrise trilogies capture the significance of each destination. And right here’s a great truth– Dave and I stayed at Costa Navarino in Greece where After Twelve o’clock at night occurred! Before Sunrise: Prior to going to Vienna , be sure to view Prior to Sunup, they showcase the entire city. Prior to Sunset: And also After Midnight records the power of Paris magnificently. They visit places such as Pont Neuf, Quai Henri-IV, and Shakespeare & Company Bookstore. Prior to Midnight: As our heroes age, this is a fitting title. Now with youngsters as well as in their forties, it’s a soothing getaway to Kalamata, Greece where they navigate middle age in the charm of Costa Navarino.

They go to the Old city of Messini, The Kardamali Pier, as well as the Westin Resort where we in fact had the benefit of spending four glorious evenings. It is probably the most effective of all romantic traveling flicks out there that literally spans 3 years. (they film a motion picture every one decade)

I read in an interview with Ethan Hawk that they are mosting likely to proceed doing installments every one decade. I can’t await the next one. See Before Sunup and also Sunset on Amazon Prime

Planes Trains and Automobiles

best travel movies

John Candy and also Steve Martin take an unexpected cross country road journey from New york city City to Chicago. This is Dave’s pick for the very best traveling movie. If you remain in the mood for a great wholehearted comedy, rent it today. Anyone that has actually ever before driven cross country can associate with some of the wrongdoings. Have you remained in a cheap motel? You can connect. Have you ever rested next to someone that has made you exceptionally uncomfortable? You can associate!

This is thought about among the terrific comedy travel films, but I consider it as a drama. John Sweet’s character breaks my heart. You might point of it as a holiday movie however it is also among the craziest traveling films available.

Julie & Julia

best travel movies

Not just does Julie as well as Julia star the fantastic Meryl Streep and also among one of the most functional starlets around, but this film is additionally regarding traveling and also blogging .

It’s like it was produced us! I was stunned by how much I enjoyed this motion picture based on real tale of Julia Child and I really did not go in anticipating a lot. Julie & Julia adheres to the life of Julia Child throughout her time in Paris and cuts throughout to the present day in New York. Meryl Streep’s Julia enjoyed Paris so much that she made you think that it was the most desirable place on planet. It makes you crave French food and also a life of decadence in France. When it pertains to choosing a preferred traveling flick this one is right up there. Besides, Meryl Streep can do no incorrect. Lease it now on Amazon Instant Video Clip!

The Big Year

best travel movies

I stood up to viewing this motion picture for many years, yet it ultimately turned up on one of my many streaming service memberships so I took a seat to watch it. The Big Year complies with Jack Black (that does not like Jack Black?), Owen Wilson as well as Steve Martin circumnavigating the United States with hopes of becoming the number 1 bird viewer worldwide. It wound up being among the most shocking traveling movies I’ve seen.

They are stressed with spotting even more varieties of birds than any other person in 365 days. I connected to this movie because it is a lot more regarding the journey and also exactly how having a wonderful experience can alter a life. It does not matter what your rate of interest is, simply go out and also check out! Rent it Currently

Best Travel Movies for Adventure Lovers

Into the wild.

best travel movies

Based on the true life true story it narrates the journey of Christopher McCandless who went on a cross country road journey through the US wound up in Alaska. I read Into bush years ago and also was enthralled trying to identify how someone could surrender every little thing to go and live off the grid. John Krakauer dug into the subconscious of McCandless and also what inspires individuals to take dangers.

What has a person to cut all connections with their household, hitchhike throughout the nation, and afterwards finally cut themselves completely off from society? Things don’t end up as he hoped, and it is a lesson learned for would certainly be adventurers. But it absolutely is a fascinating read and also I love Krakauer’s creating style. Enjoy it now!

best travel movies

It took me a while to enjoy Wild with Reese Witherspoon. I wasn’t really a fan of hers before. But then I watched The Early morning Show, Little Fires Almost Everywhere, and also Big Little Lies (another fantastic series for traveling enthusiasts) as well as became a big fan. Huge Little Lies showcases Monterrey and also Carmel by the Sea in California and truly flaunts the gorgeous views of the Pacific Coast Freeway. But I Swerve.

Wild is a based on true story an adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s traveling memoir concerning hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s a trip regarding placing a life back with each other after everything crumbles. Pushing the limits and getting out of her comfort zone takes her on a trip of self discovery. A battle and journey can change a life.

Check it out this travel movie on Amazon.com

best travel movies

Another awesome movie inspired by the true story from 1996 Mount Everest disaster . It’s a first-hand account by Krakauer who was on Everest at the time and it is one of the travel adventure documentary which you have to watch if you love watching movies.

We really did not exceed base camp, however this movie takes a dark turn as the events in 1996 was one of the worst catastrophes in Everest background. It is an interesting flick checking out why individuals risk their lives for something and also what occurs when things go horribly wrong. 11. Tracks

I actually really taken pleasure in Tracks. It’s a film concerning a female who walks across Australia from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean with 4 camels and her pet canine. What’s more impressive is that it is based upon a real tale. What I actually liked is exactly how the protagonist Robyn Davidson finds out the abilities needed to endure. She is visited by a photographer from National Geographic who shared her story and was led via the spiritual lands of the Wilderness by an Indigenous senior. See it out on Amazon.com !

World’s Fastest Indian

From New Zealand to America, Anthony Hopkins takes his Indian Bike to the salt flats to see how much he can go. The Globe’s Fastest Indian is among my favorite efficiencies by Hopkins. He is vulnerable, adorable and also inspiring. He goes on a fun road trip in the process until he reaches the Salt Flats of California which is when you truly start directing for him to win! This flick wishes to make you follow your desire as well as shows you are never too old to make it take place. That’s practically our motto! Lease it on Amazon Prime

Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert

While we are in the Oceana par of the globe, let’s speak about a fun road trip via the Australian outback. Adventures of Pricilla Queen of the Desert complies with a group Two drag performers and a transgender woman travel taking a cross country road journey in a van called “Pricilla” from Sydney to Alice Springs where they are going to do their drag program. They meet a lot of personalities along the road as well as this movie introduced us to superstars Hugo Weaving and also Guy Pearce who signed up with the already developed Terrence Stamp.

Motorcycle Diaries

The Motorcycle Diaries is a 2004 biopic about the journey and written memoir of the 23-year-old Ernesto Guevara. Che Guevara is interesting as well as this film starring a young Gael García Bernal follows his motorcycle trip journey with South America prior to when he came to be a part of the revolution. Traveling can transform an individual.

This movie is based on a incredible true story where Che travelled with the continent and I believe it was traveling with South America that Che saw what individuals were undergoing which is what triggered him to take action in his very own method.

This film is a bittersweet homage to the impressive walking. Acting tale Martin Sheen walks the route to honor his kid Emilio Estevez (also supervisor) who passed away on the walk.

This movie explores styles of grief, remorse as well as understanding. Martin Sheen’s character finishes what his son started assisting him attach and recognize his kid while examining his very own life.

Best Clasic Travel Movies of All Time

Lawrence of arabia..

Dave as well as I saw Lawrence of Arabia on IMAX when it was re-released years earlier, and also it made us dream of the Arabian desert. I would certainly say that this is typically taken into consideration among the very best travel movies of perpetuity. It’s the initial for sure and also it really does record the greatness of the Arabian Desert. When we obtained the chance to check out Jordan as well as walk in the footprints of the actual Lawrence of Arabia, we couldn’t think we were living a movie. We felt downright woozy when our overviews explained where the actual Lawrence of Arabia stood.

This will make you wish to go on a journey as well as invest the evening in a Bedouin outdoor tents. Lease it on Amazon.com Prime Now.

Out of Africa.

If you want another Meryl Streep automobile that is often taken into consideration one of the very best travel films, you ought to try Out of Africa. Out of Africa happens in a different time, however it captures the heart of Africa beautifully. Meryl Streep is a wedded baroness crazy with big video game hunter Robert Redford. Their chemistry is unmistakable.

She loves Africa as well as you will certainly fall in love with it also. The cinematography is exceptional. It won 7 Oscars consisting of Finest Image and also Finest Cinematography. Rent of Africa on Amazon.com currently.

Romancing the Stone.

Who didn’t daydream about an experience in Colombia after watching Kathleen Turner as well as Michael Douglas in Romancing the Rock?

As a child I constantly considered the line “I require to get to Cartagena” as well as while I had no idea where Cartagena was,( It’s in South America incidentally) I recognized it was exciting. Kathleen Turner changed from an afraid writer that merely writes about experience, to a female encountering an experience and fulfilling a sturdy mystical man in unique Columbia. See Romancing the Stone today.

The Bucket List.

With two of my favored stars and a message to live life to the greatest, the Bucket List is one fantastic travel movie. The phrase has actually been excessive used in the last few years, however the message never ever gets old. The Bucket List is the initial “live your dreams currently” travel film.

The movie is all about Two terminally ill men bust out of the cancer ward with a plan to experience life to the fullest before they kick the bucket. Enjoy and also see to it you leave this earth without regrets. It really feels remarkable to mark off a pail listing, trust me! Rent or buy it right here!

So, I liked this film, yet I really did not enjoy it. The majority of people claim that Amelie is just one of the best travel films of all time.

So I felt that I need to include it due to the fact that this listing would not be total without it. I did enjoy the sights of Paris as well as the day-to-day life showcased in Montmartre. I additionally took pleasure in the uplifting message of silent Amelie aiding the people around her in the beautiful area of Montmartre in Paris. If you want to see sweeping scenes with Paris roads and also if you love Paris, you can not assist but like Amelie. So check it out!

Roman Holiday.

This did not age well in our point of view. We saw it just recently and also it is simply downright negative. Many people will possibly disagree.

However it is fun to see Rome as well as to revisit our Vespa Excursion that we did a few years ago there. They need to reprise Roman Holiday, it would certainly be enjoyable. However, perhaps the Hallmark Channel already did. There are a dreadful lot of Princess conference normal Joes on that network at Xmas. Rent it on Prime.

I admit it. Hereafter movie appeared, I didn’t drink Red wine for several years! Sidewards takes us on a trip through California red wine country as well as it truly is loaded with incredible performances. Rent or acquire on Amazon Prime. In 2015 we remained in Santa Maria, California. The very same places that Sideways was established and all I can think about was Paul Giamatti’s snobbery when it concerned Pinot Grigio.

It’s an enjoyable dramedy that was excellent for the 1990s. An outstanding actors with Sandra Oh, Virginia Madsen, and Thomas Hayden Church.

Up in the Air.

Up in the Air makes you enjoy the suggestion of traveling yet it shows the emptiness that the life of an explorer can result in if you do not remain based with your friends and family. It’s not in the genre of normal traveling films out there, but travel is the major motif. Travel for work that is. I can not experience flight terminal safety and security any longer without thinking about George Clooney and also understand simply exactly how messy I am. His character has the art of travel to a scientific research. Ah, to be cool like George. Life would certainly be excellent. This film also has an excellent message that Dave and I can associate with. We all end up being so consumed with our professions as well as our lives that we ignore what is important. Lease or buy it on Amazon.com Immediate Video.

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Best Destination Movie For Travel Lovers

The beach– thailand..

I really did not enjoy this flick. I liked guide instead. Yet I am a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and if you want to get a sense of what it was like to take a trip to Thailand prior to the mass tourism, this is a great motion picture for you.

Plus it is beautiful. Not only are individuals attractive, but the landscapes of southern Thailand is likewise heavenly. Take the journey as they look for a hidden beach that is pure perfection.

Lost in Translation– Tokyo.

Tokyo is a little bit strange. It differs anywhere else in the world and Lost in Translation showcases the culture shock that really feels when staying in a different city.

There are various customs in Japan and the society is much different than anywhere else as well as this motion picture catches that strange feeling you get when taking a trip there. Shed in Translation highlights some of the very best places in Tokyo.

The hotel where the flick happens still has among the most effective sights in the city! As well as that doesn’t love Expense Murray? He is valuable and it’s one of Scarlett Johanson’s best performances. Check it Out.

The Coastline is the initial backpacker slacker travel film. I was actually delighted when this came out due to the fact that we had actually just been to Thailand for the very first time. The Coastline catches what Thailand resembled prior to tourists began crowding to it en masse. At once, it was an off-the-beaten-path backpacker destination. We enjoyed guide a lot more, but you can never go wrong with Leo.

Slumdog Millionaire– India.

Okay this is one of the most popular movie which the west knows about India but being an young Indian boy I never really knew why India was shown in such a way.

The movie is offset in the slums to catch the run-down neighborhoods of India. A lot of the cities and attraction are well developed, however there is no denying that you would find slums and region and this movie explores themes around that.

Download it here on Amazon.

Vicky, Cristina Barcelona– Spain.

Admit it, we all intend to go to Spain and face beautiful people like Penelope Cruz and Javier Barden. The cities in Spain are just as lovely as individuals! The Spanish are so much extra in contact with their feelings. They live life with a passion that the remainder people do not have. A minimum of, that is what Vicky Cristina Barcelona makes us believe.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona definitely is an inspiring travel motion picture and also one of the best travel films available. It truly captures the power and also interest of Spain. Rent Vicky Christina Barcelona on Amazon.

Under the Tuscan Sun– Italy.

For the romantics out there, Under the Tuscan Sun is one of the awe inspiring film of all time. Wouldn’t you just like to get a rental property in Tuscany and fall in love with a complete stranger? After a bad separation, her personality travels to Italy courtesy of her buddy, (The extraordinary Sandra Oh!) and purchases a home!

Diane Lane shows that avoiding it all as well as relocating to one more nation can fix whatever. This movie is based on a true story where our celebrity shares the trials and also tribulations of remodeling a Tuscan suite.

I do love the premise and also everybody lives happily ever before after. And Guess What? Under the Tuscan Sunlight gets on Amazon. You can download it currently!

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel– India.

I enjoy the most effective Exotic Marigold Hotel. We constantly preach that you are never too old to attempt something new as well as you are never ever as well old for travel. It’s chock filled with excellent fabulous actors consisting of Dame Judi Dench, Costs Nighy, as well as Maggie Smith. The Very Best Exotic Marigold Resort complies with a group of senior citizens who take a trip to India to endure their days at a falling apart retired life resort. All mayhem and madness occur as points can just in India. There’s love, catastrophe, as well as hope. Rental fee it currently.

A Good Year– Provence France.

A Good Year made me intend to most likely to Provence and also live a straightforward life … on a multi-million dollar winery estate. That’s reasonable, best?

A Good Year makes life in Provence resemble the yard of Eden and I want a piece of it. Everybody is gorgeous, everyone is a white wine connoisseur, and also everyone is pure as well as excellent. That would not intend to go to the south of France after seeing A Good Year?

Midnight in Paris– Paris

Midnight in Paris records the golden years of Paris as Owen Wilson goes through the streets at night in search of that charming nostalgia of the city.

He winds up fulfilling the famous clients of the 1920s including Cole Concierge, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein as well as more! This film makes me wish to get on a flight to Paris each time! See it on Amazon.com Prime or get it on DVD

This film was crucified by the doubters, but I liked it. Nicole Kidman as well as Hugh Jackman take her livestock across the Outback. It additionally touches on the oppressions of how

Australia treated the Aboriginal Individuals, advising me of what Canada did with property institutions to our own indigenous communities. It’s beautifully shot as well as is a love letter to Australia. I think it was worthy of much more love than it got. Check it out on Amazon

Lightheared Travel Movies

This is an enjoyable motion picture. I am not much of a Will Farrell fan, however this motion picture is one of his ideal. The motion picture starts (after a brief recall) in Iceland showcasing its attractive landscapes and also falls with sweeping drone shots of the stars performing.

It has all the stereotypes and also mottos of Iceland, however it is performed with heart and also enjoyable. It truly is a love letter to Iceland. Adhere To Lars as well as Sigrit as they try to accomplish their dream of contending in Eurovision in Edinburgh.

The film offers a great display of that city also! And it additionally explains to North Americans precisely what Eurovision is. It is complimentary on Netflix or you can lease it on Amazon.com

Darjeeling Limited

This film takes Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and also Adrian Brody throughout India one year after their dad’s fatality starting on the Darjeeling Express train. It’s strange, heartbreaking, humorous and also pure Wes Anderson.

When they visit their mother in an Ashram, it makes me think of the strange people that escape to India to find themselves. Oh yeah, he gets it. Check it out on Amazon Prime

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This is such an enjoyable film, set in the very real Turtle Bay Hotel in Oahu. It may just be in one location yet it most definitely seems like a traveling film.

The movie stars Jason Seigel as a Hollywood Author that mosts likely to Hawaii to recover his wounds after obtaining unloaded by his partner Kristen bell. It ends up, she exists on vacation with her brand-new boyfriend and also shenanigans follow.

This motion picture makes you intend to reserve an aircraft to Hawaii and have your own remain at Turtle Bay which has currently become popular. Rental it on Prime

Last Holiday

If you are looking for funny travel movies, this need to be at the top of your checklist. This is the supreme fairytale on exactly how travel can transform a life. As well as exactly how we ought to all strive to live a better life. It’s also short to wait.

Queen Latifa is valuable as a woman that is detected with an incurable illness, so she takes her life savings to appreciate her last vacation at a luxurious hotel. She does whatever from base jumping to snowboarding and also delighting in decadent French food. If every person took a vacation like this, we would certainly all live better lives. Rent, Buy or Enjoy on Amazon.com Prime

French Kiss

Meg Ryan plays a female named Kate who hesitates to take a trip. When her fiance falls for another female in France, she promises to win him back and also travels there despite being terrified. Hilarity takes place when she meets con man Kevin Kline and also they venture across the nation together.

My preferred scene is when she is indulging in cheese on the train. It’s that French minute that made me daydream regarding passing by train across the French countryside. Watch French Kiss for yourself

My Life in Ruins

While not just as good as My Big Fat Greek Wedding Event, My Life in Damages is a nice comeback for Nia Vardalos in an enjoyable loving traveling movie. She plays a trip leader taking stereotypical travelers with the websites of Greece.

It’s fun, it’s enchanting as well as the setting is gorgeous. It’s not mosting likely to win any Academy Awards, however, for an enjoyable Saturday afternoon movie, this will certainly transport you to Greece. Lease it or buy it on Amazon.com

The Hangover 2

The First Hangover was far much better and also if you haven’t seen it, I advise seeing. It as well is a travel movie taking you to Las vega (also an awesome road trip adventure), but this one is a lot of enjoyable taking us through Bangkok. It records the insane power of the city.

My favorite scene is when Bradly Cooper needs to go to the healthcare facility and also comes out with an absurdly low medical facility bill. Dave and also I have been to the hospital in Thailand as well as can testify. When you go out, you really feel as if you have simply robbed them for their time and also service. Rental fee it currently!

Blockbuster Travel Movies

Star wars: the surge of skywalker & the last jedi.

One would not think of a film based in celestial spaces to be a travel film that motivates wanderlust, however the last Star Wars Trilogy featured among our favorite locations in the world.

It was teased at the end of the Force Awakens and highlighted in the Last Jedi, but the Surge of Skywalker really showcased the impressive Skellig Michael of Ireland.

This 6th-century abbey was a celebrity unto itself as Luke experienced Rey the ways of the Force. It has actually currently motivated many vacationers as well as movie buffs to take the hair-raising watercraft come through to these rocky islands 12 kilometres off the shore of Ireland. Check it out on Amazon.com as well as Review our Short article regarding our experience at Skellig Michael

We really discovered where Mama Mia occurs while visiting the location where it was recorded, Pelion, Greece. The Greek islands are paradise, and Mom Mia complies with the story of Meryl Streep who runs a hotel on the coastline.

When her daughter becomes involved, she invites three men who might be her father. It’s a rip-roaring good time of music, enjoyable and also gorgeous landscapes.

The Santorini blue and white houses, the crystal clear blue sea, and also the songs of Abba become those who enjoy to travel to Greece! Watch it on Prime today

Once Upon a Time in Mexico Trilogy

Just how sexy are Antonio Banderas and also Salma Hayak together? You have to watch the whole trilogy to actually value this collection by Robert Rodrigues.

Once In Mexico ends the trilogy with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, and also Cheech Marin. El Mariachi began everything starring Carlos Gallardo. My fave of the 3 is Desperado, but they are all amusing.

Once Upon A Time In Mexico is a fantasy as well as it is a stereotype of Mexico, however it makes you want to go to Mexico and have a fantastic experience. The landscapes is gorgeous, the film is filled with awesome design, and the music is fabulous. View the Trilogy today!

The Legend of Tarzan

The $180 million dollar spending plan ensures to display the appeal of the African Savannah, the dense jungles, as well as the marvelous wild animals.

You feel as if you have actually entered the heart of Africa. Seriously, lease it, you’re mosting likely to like it a whole lot greater than you assume! Rent it on Amazon

The Tourist

It’s a little indulgent, and Angelina Jolie is a little bit aggravating with exactly how outstanding she believes she remains in this, but it does record traveling in Europe magnificently.

It makes you want to have an enchanting tryst in Venice . It makes you intend to ride a train and also have a mysterious experience. It provides you a peek into how the abundant real-time and also take a trip the globe.

Just recently we had somebody contact us with a list of their favorite motion pictures concerning traveling. He mentioned the initial Alien vs. Predator occurred in Antarctica and I keep in mind that being a quite enjoyable movie. After that I thought of the timeless Kurt Russel flick, Things.

This thriller takes place at a clinical base camp in the Antarctic and truly allows you feel how claustrophobic and also separated scientists need to feel when spending the winter at the bottom of the world. Watch it now!

Bourne Movies, James Bonds, Mission Difficult & Indiana Jones Movies

The Bourne flicks, James Bond, Indian Jones, and Mission Impossible take us worldwide with each motion picture. They could be thought about travel movies, but they are more about adventure, action, as well as fantasy.

Nevertheless, I wished to include them because if you are seeking some stunning scenes from Europe and the Center East, these traveling films fit the costs. They are so good at taking you away to unique locations.

Best Travel Movies in Fiction

Grand budapest hotel.

I can’t help it, I enjoy Wes Anderson motion pictures. He is unique and quirky. Grand Budapest resort is just one of the most effective traveling films that isn’t embeded in any kind of actual place. This is done in an imaginary setup.

I like this for a travel film due to the fact that it advises me of the grand old resorts from another age. Well, it ought to because it is embeded in an additional period. The resort is fictional, however it does take you away to an additional world. Lease it on Prime

Black Panther

Wakanda might be a fictional place in Africa, yet this film captures the spirit of East and also South Africa. It accepts the Africa culture and also most of the flick’s scenes were recorded in Africa. We have actually been to Africa numerous times as well as this motion picture delivered us there once more. If you have not seen it, see it currently!

Lord of the Rings and also Hobbit

They might be embeded in Center Planet, but the Lord of the Rings movies are a love letter to New Zealand. Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit Flicks make us want to go to New Zealand and these films catch its appeal completely. Lease the trilogy on Amazon.com today

Eat Pray Love

One more boring adjustment. Eat Pray Love had not been my favorite whatsoever. However The book was all right but the film starring Julia Roberts is awful. If you liked it, let me recognize. Possibly I’ll give it one more watch in case I missed something. Lease it on Amazon.com

We’ll be updating this list on a regular basis and also we enjoy finding brand-new travel movies to enjoy. So, if you have tips for your favored travel flicks, leave them in the comments listed below as well as we’ll make certain to provide a watch!

Long way round

This DVD set and British television series follows Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s 2000-mile bike ride. From London to New York City, the team travels across 12 nations from Asia to Europe to Canada and the U.S. Their dreams for adventure and endurance took them across 19 different countries within just 115 days while visiting several UNICEF project projects. It’s an inspiring travel movie which challenges your view of life in many respects. See movies.

Hit the road: India

Follow Keith King and Mark Gazarian in their bid for a 12-day rickshaw rally across India. The documentary follows two travellers on a journey through Mumbai to Chennai as they face a series of travel difficulties including a temperamental car and bad weather. When their excitement fades, it’s easy for the young person to understand that endurance and determination are essential in their travel experiences. See movies!

Long way down

The following up to Longway Round, Ewan McGregor once again started riding a motorcycle in a Honda Odyssey. Starting from Scotland, they are heading towards Cape Town, South Africa.

Their 85-day trip through vineyards, deserts and jungles gives insight into 18 different countries. Between border crossings and motorcycle accidents, these reports provide real insight into the ups and downs of road trips. See movies.

Appeal to your curiosity about travel, it will encourage you to abandon all the daily chores, pack your bags and explore all around you. It focuses on one of friends who travel across Europe to visit Patagonia.

With boarders and climbing equipment, they saw the decline and the battle for industrialism. This is an amazing story with an honest storyline and beautiful scenery throughout. Watch movies.

A map for Saturday

If you are looking for a film about traveling around the globe a year, you will love this one. Then, Brook Silva-Braga stepped away in 2005 and it was an idyllic job.

Follow the journey few would have taken. Experience the emotions of long-distance travel. The film gives you an honest view on travels in 26 countries across five continents. Please see the movie.

Hector and the search for happiness

Based on the best-selling novel of similar names, Simon Pegg leaves his normal job as psychiatrist and travels the world looking for true happiness. He has developed an international adventure story with humorous effect and contemporary love stories.

For those who want to do something else with their lives, this film certainly inspires them. Watch movies.

Scotty has been left to a halt after he escaped his girlfriend after graduating high school. There are countless stereotypes throughout Europe as these two people encounter difficult situations and a few laugh out loud situations throughout their journey. The Comedians are certainly the most entertaining travel movie ever made! View movies.

The movie stars a couple expecting a child from a married couple. With little real places to call home, they travel through the USA and Montreal searching for a great home for them. Enjoy both funny and humorous experiences when you meet funny parents, friends and re-educational classmates. You can see the film on this website.

It tells a tale about freedom and corruption within an American society which is conformist and corrupt. After they sold their cocaine to a drug dealer from Mexico, he went to New Orleans just before the Mardi Gras. Easy Rider will help you see how the American people faced tensions in the 1960s. See movies.

The Hundred foot journey

Another awesome travel film which you can try watching is this which is a story centered around an Indian family who moves to France and opens a restaurant across.

So you can enjoy the beauty of France with this movie night.

That was our in depth guide about Travel Movies which you can watch on your next trip. Do let us know if there was any movie which you enjoyed the most.

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Sankalp Singh is the Founder and Author of Chasing Whereabouts. He is passionate about travel, photography, and food. He has travelled across Europe extensively to experience its quirks, culture, and diversity. He is a self-taught traveller and he has been exploring the world since the age of 25. When he is not travelling, you can find him at work being a Software Engineer in 9-5 Job.

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You need to watch the best time-travel movie on Amazon Prime ASAP

History keeps changing, yet its story remains the same

prime travel movies

From Avengers: Endgame to Looper , any fictional story about time travel has to deal with one simple fact: time travel doesn’t make any sense. While aspects of time travel exist in the real world — like when scientists gaze deep into the far reaches of the Universe and see what ancient stars looked like — that's not what Doc Brown was talking about in Back to the Future .

In science fiction, time travel about physically transporting oneself into the past or the future — and then dealing with the consequences of those actions. And there's one underrated movie streaming on Amazon Prime that deals with these issues in a totally unique and amazing way.

How did TV and movies get you through the pandemic? We want to hear from you! Take this quick Inverse survey.

The History of Time Travel is a fun movie that puts the focus on those consequences. Through the lens of a faux documentary, it explores how one family continually wreaks havoc on the timeline of the 20th century. It’s a family saga meshed with a loving ode to time travel stories of the past, everything from H.G Wells to Back to the Future.

One note: The History of Time Travel was director Ricky Kennedy’s college thesis film, and it really does feel like it. Not that there’s anything wrong with college movies, but the lack of budget shows in the movie’s settings, props, and performances. No one would mistake this for the History Channel documentaries it parodies. But like The Vast of Night , another zero-budget sci-fi movie streaming on Amazon Prime, History of Time Travel makes up for its lack of polish by leaning into aesthetics.

For Vast of Night , that was its eeriness. For History of Time Travel , it’s an earnest love of its topic — and a willingness to get goofy.

History concerns itself with the saga of the Page family, who over two generations shape time travel and the course of human history. It all starts with patriarch Edward Page, a scientist who joins a World War II-era secret government project known as the Indiana Project. After the war ends, Page’s work consumes him, to the extent of ignoring his polio-stricken wife (credit where it’s due: the movie references a 1949 polio epidemic in Indiana which actually happened . Kennedy is clearly a fan of details).

A black-and-white photo of Edward Page smoking a pipe in a lab coat

At the center of the movie is Edward Page, whose family troubles keep leading to time-travel chaos.

She dies leaving behind a boy, Richard, who follows his father into physics and eventually builds a time machine using Edward’s notebook after his own death. Using this time machine, which incorporates an old Atari gaming system, Richard kicks off new timeline after new timeline. The movie illustrates this by having its documentary talking heads suddenly change their stories mid-interview.

It’s a cute gimmick that also plays out in the movie’s background. Slowly but surely, a globe in one interviewee’s background grows redder and redder, reflecting the Soviet Union’s growing dominance in the world thanks to their theft of the Page time machine. Portraits behind a military general change back and forth between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Talking heads mainly convey the information in History of Time Travel , but that information is always changing.

prime travel movies

As the Pages grow more obsessed with righting the wrongs of their new timelines, the changes in the movie start becoming more elaborate and complex. These changes are never really explored—what does a Soviet-dominated world look like beyond certain historical moments being altered? Everything seems pretty much the same in The History of Time Travel .

That’s the challenge of time travel: the changes being explored here are so huge that getting into any detail would risk making a very plot-heavy story even more confusing. But at an hour and ten minutes, The History of Time Travel never wears out its welcome. There are fun alternate timelines, Easter eggs galore, and a family drama grounding it all together.

The History of Time Travel is streaming now on Amazon Prime in the U.S.

This article was originally published on Feb. 13, 2021

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Top 100 Time Travel Movies

Best Films about time travel.

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1. Back to the Future (1985)

PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd , Lea Thompson , Crispin Glover

Votes: 1,303,899 | Gross: $210.61M

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Edward Furlong , Robert Patrick

Votes: 1,171,797 | Gross: $204.84M

3. The Terminator (1984)

R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Michael Biehn , Paul Winfield

Votes: 922,365 | Gross: $38.40M

4. The Butterfly Effect (2004)

R | 113 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Evan Treborn suffers blackouts during significant events of his life. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life by reading his journal.

Directors: Eric Bress , J. Mackye Gruber | Stars: Ashton Kutcher , Amy Smart , Melora Walters , Elden Henson

Votes: 520,379 | Gross: $57.94M

5. Back to the Future Part II (1989)

PG | 108 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

After visiting 2015, Marty McFly must repeat his visit to 1955 to prevent disastrous changes to 1985...without interfering with his first trip.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd , Lea Thompson , Tom Wilson

Votes: 571,476 | Gross: $118.50M

6. 12 Monkeys (1995)

R | 129 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Bruce Willis , Madeleine Stowe , Brad Pitt , Joseph Melito

Votes: 645,854 | Gross: $57.14M

7. Groundhog Day (1993)

PG | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

A narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.

Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: Bill Murray , Andie MacDowell , Chris Elliott , Stephen Tobolowsky

Votes: 683,703 | Gross: $70.91M

8. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

PG-13 | 181 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe.

Directors: Anthony Russo , Joe Russo | Stars: Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Mark Ruffalo , Chris Hemsworth

Votes: 1,261,902 | Gross: $858.37M

9. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Patrick Stewart , Ian McKellen , Hugh Jackman , James McAvoy

Votes: 744,154 | Gross: $233.92M

10. Interstellar (2014)

PG-13 | 169 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

When Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Matthew McConaughey , Anne Hathaway , Jessica Chastain , Mackenzie Foy

Votes: 2,091,525 | Gross: $188.02M

11. Predestination (I) (2014)

R | 97 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

As his last assignment, a temporal agent is tasked to travel back in time and prevent a bomb attack in New York in 1975. The hunt, however, turns out to be beyond the bounds of possibility.

Directors: Michael Spierig , Peter Spierig | Stars: Ethan Hawke , Sarah Snook , Noah Taylor , Madeleine West

Votes: 304,135 | Gross: $0.07M

12. Mirage (2018)

TV-MA | 128 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

Two storms separated by 25 years. A woman murdered. A daughter missed. Only 72 hours to discover the truth.

Director: Oriol Paulo | Stars: Adriana Ugarte , Chino Darín , Javier Gutiérrez , Álvaro Morte

Votes: 64,058

13. Palm Springs (2020)

R | 90 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery

Stuck in a time loop, two wedding guests develop a budding romance while living the same day over and over again.

Director: Max Barbakow | Stars: Andy Samberg , Cristin Milioti , J.K. Simmons , Peter Gallagher

Votes: 182,049

14. Midnight in Paris (2011)

PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.

Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Owen Wilson , Rachel McAdams , Kathy Bates , Kurt Fuller

Votes: 449,313 | Gross: $56.82M

15. Timecrimes (2007)

R | 92 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi

A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences.

Director: Nacho Vigalondo | Stars: Karra Elejalde , Candela Fernández , Bárbara Goenaga , Nacho Vigalondo

Votes: 68,671 | Gross: $0.04M

16. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

PG-13 | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.

Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Tom Cruise , Emily Blunt , Bill Paxton , Brendan Gleeson

Votes: 735,127 | Gross: $100.21M

17. About Time (I) (2013)

R | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

At the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think.

Director: Richard Curtis | Stars: Domhnall Gleeson , Rachel McAdams , Bill Nighy , Lydia Wilson

Votes: 384,972 | Gross: $15.32M

18. The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Henry DeTamble, a librarian, possesses a unique gene that lets him involuntarily travel through time. His wife, Claire Abshire, finds it difficult to cope with it.

Director: Robert Schwentke | Stars: Eric Bana , Rachel McAdams , Ron Livingston , Michelle Nolden

Votes: 157,758 | Gross: $63.41M

19. Back to the Future Part III (1990)

PG | 118 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Stranded in 1955, Marty McFly learns about the death of Doc Brown in 1885 and must travel back in time to save him. With no fuel readily available for the DeLorean, the two must figure how to escape the Old West before Emmett is murdered.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd , Mary Steenburgen , Tom Wilson

Votes: 479,948 | Gross: $87.73M

20. Time Sweep (2016)

Not Rated | 103 min | Drama

Franco loses his investigative journalist girlfriend Julia in a traffic accident and he'll do anything to get her back...

Director: Victor Postiglione | Stars: Luis Luque , Guillermo Pfening , María Nela Sinisterra

21. Star Trek (2009)

PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg , Leonard Nimoy

Votes: 619,784 | Gross: $257.73M

22. Flight of the Navigator (1986)

PG | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

In 1978, a boy travels eight years into the future and has an adventure with an intelligent, wisecracking alien ship.

Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: Joey Cramer , Paul Reubens , Cliff De Young , Veronica Cartwright

Votes: 51,606 | Gross: $18.56M

23. Rewind (1999)

94 min | Comedy

A single guy has a video recorder that when re-winded it rewinds his life too. One night He invites to dinner some friends and records the party and keeps rewinding the camera every time something goes wrong with unpredictable results.

Director: Nicolás Muñoz Avia | Stars: Daniel Guzmán , María Adánez , Enrique Simón , Paz Gómez

24. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

PG-13 | 127 min | Adventure, Drama, Family

When Jacob (Asa Butterfield) discovers clues to a mystery that stretches across time, he finds Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. But the danger deepens after he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers.

Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Eva Green , Asa Butterfield , Samuel L. Jackson , Judi Dench

Votes: 187,851 | Gross: $87.24M

25. Men in Black³ (2012)

PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

Agent J travels in time to M.I.B.'s early days in 1969 to stop an alien from assassinating his friend Agent K and changing history.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Will Smith , Tommy Lee Jones , Josh Brolin , Jemaine Clement

Votes: 386,377 | Gross: $179.02M

26. Source Code (2011)

PG-13 | 93 min | Action, Drama, Mystery

A soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.

Director: Duncan Jones | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal , Michelle Monaghan , Vera Farmiga , Jeffrey Wright

Votes: 548,928 | Gross: $54.71M

27. The Time Machine (1960)

G | 103 min | Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi

A man's vision for a utopian society is disillusioned when travelling forward into time reveals a dark and dangerous society.

Director: George Pal | Stars: Rod Taylor , Alan Young , Yvette Mimieux , Sebastian Cabot

Votes: 44,752

28. Idiocracy (2006)

R | 84 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Corporal Joe Bauers, a decisively average American, is selected as a guinea pig for a top-secret hibernation program. He is forgotten and left to awaken to a future so incredibly moronic that he's easily the most intelligent person alive.

Director: Mike Judge | Stars: Luke Wilson , Maya Rudolph , Dax Shepard , Terry Crews

Votes: 181,459 | Gross: $0.44M

29. 12 Dates of Christmas (2011 TV Movie)

PG | 90 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy

A story that follows Kate, a young woman who after a horrible blind date on Christmas Eve, wakes up to find she is re-living that same day and date all over again.

Director: James Hayman | Stars: Laura Miyata , Vijay Mehta , Amy Smart , Audrey Dwyer

Votes: 8,311

30. 12:01 (1993 TV Movie)

PG-13 | 92 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi, Thriller

A man likes a woman at work. He sees her get murdered. He gets drunk and zapped at 12:01AM. Next morning she's back and everything is exactly like the day before. The time loops gives him chances to save her.

Director: Jack Sholder | Stars: Helen Slater , Jonathan Silverman , Nicolas Surovy , Robin Bartlett

Votes: 5,506

31. Time Lapse (2014)

Not Rated | 104 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures twenty-four hours into the future, and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop.

Director: Bradley King | Stars: Danielle Panabaker , Matt O'Leary , George Finn , John Rhys-Davies

Votes: 49,055

32. Looper (2012)

R | 119 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.

Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Bruce Willis , Emily Blunt , Paul Dano

Votes: 602,243 | Gross: $66.49M

33. The Lake House (2006)

PG | 99 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance

A lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside house begins to exchange love letters with its former resident, a frustrated architect. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.

Director: Alejandro Agresti | Stars: Keanu Reeves , Sandra Bullock , Christopher Plummer , Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Votes: 157,480 | Gross: $52.33M

34. Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)

PG-13 | 83 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi

While drinking at their local pub, three social outcasts attempt to navigate a time-travel conundrum.

Director: Gareth Carrivick | Stars: Chris O'Dowd , Marc Wootton , Dean Lennox Kelly , Anna Faris

Votes: 36,519

35. Frequency (2000)

PG-13 | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

An accidental cross-time radio link connects father and son across 30 years. The son tries to save his father's life, but then must fix the consequences.

Director: Gregory Hoblit | Stars: Dennis Quaid , Jim Caviezel , Shawn Doyle , Elizabeth Mitchell

Votes: 115,582 | Gross: $45.01M

36. Kate & Leopold (2001)

PG-13 | 118 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

An English Duke from 1876 is inadvertently dragged to modern day New York where he falls for a plucky advertising executive.

Director: James Mangold | Stars: Meg Ryan , Hugh Jackman , Liev Schreiber , Breckin Meyer

Votes: 88,990 | Gross: $47.12M

37. Project Almanac (2015)

PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

A group of teens discovers secret plans for a time machine, and construct one. However, things start to get out of control.

Director: Dean Israelite | Stars: Amy Landecker , Sofia Black-D'Elia , Virginia Gardner , Jonny Weston

Votes: 84,140 | Gross: $22.35M

38. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

R | 86 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.

Director: Colin Trevorrow | Stars: Aubrey Plaza , Mark Duplass , Jake Johnson , Karan Soni

Votes: 130,776 | Gross: $4.01M

39. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

R | 109 min | Action, Sci-Fi

A machine from a post-apocalyptic future travels back in time to protect a man and a woman from an advanced robotic assassin to ensure they both survive a nuclear attack.

Director: Jonathan Mostow | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger , Nick Stahl , Kristanna Loken , Claire Danes

Votes: 418,086 | Gross: $150.37M

40. Terminator Salvation (2009)

PG-13 | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

In 2018, a mysterious new weapon in the war against the machines, half-human and half-machine, comes to John Connor on the eve of a resistance attack on Skynet. But whose side is he on, and can he be trusted?

Director: McG | Stars: Christian Bale , Sam Worthington , Anton Yelchin , Moon Bloodgood

Votes: 376,897 | Gross: $125.32M

41. Primer (2004)

PG-13 | 77 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Four friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there's something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they've built, wrestle over their new invention.

Director: Shane Carruth | Stars: Shane Carruth , David Sullivan , Casey Gooden , Anand Upadhyaya

Votes: 113,955 | Gross: $0.42M

42. Synchronicity (IV) (2015)

R | 101 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance

A physicist who invents a time machine must travel back to the past to uncover the truth about his creation and the woman who is trying to steal it.

Director: Jacob Gentry | Stars: Chad McKnight , Brianne Davis , AJ Bowen , Scott Poythress

Votes: 11,317 | Gross: $0.00M

43. Donnie Darko (2001)

R | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.

Director: Richard Kelly | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal , Jena Malone , Mary McDonnell , Holmes Osborne

Votes: 848,653 | Gross: $1.48M

44. Time Trap (2017)

Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery

A professor enters a cave and goes missing. Some of his students come looking for him and get trapped in the cave as well.

Directors: Mark Dennis , Ben Foster | Stars: Reiley McClendon , Cassidy Gifford , Brianne Howey , Olivia Draguicevich

Votes: 43,323

45. Time Lapse (2014)

46. before i fall (2017).

PG-13 | 98 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

February 12 is just another day in Sam's charmed life, until it turns out to be her last. Stuck reliving her last day over and over, Sam untangles the mystery around her death and discovers everything she's losing.

Director: Ry Russo-Young | Stars: Zoey Deutch , Halston Sage , Cynthy Wu , Medalion Rahimi

Votes: 56,734 | Gross: $12.24M

47. Time Trap (2017)

48. arq (2016).

TV-MA | 88 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Trapped in a lab and stuck in a time loop, a disoriented couple fends off masked raiders while harboring a new energy source that could save humanity.

Director: Tony Elliott | Stars: Robbie Amell , Rachael Taylor , Shaun Benson , Gray Powell

Votes: 41,816

49. Time Bandits (1981)

PG | 110 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

A young boy accidentally joins a band of time travelling dwarves, as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal.

Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Sean Connery , Shelley Duvall , John Cleese , Katherine Helmond

Votes: 68,194 | Gross: $42.37M

50. Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)

PG | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Sherman, a young boy, misuses a time machine made by his scientist father Mr. Peabody and causes the world history to go haywire. It is now up to Mr. Peabody to rescue his son and the world.

Director: Rob Minkoff | Stars: Ty Burrell , Max Charles , Stephen Colbert , Leslie Mann

Votes: 77,604 | Gross: $111.51M

51. Shrek Forever After (2010)

PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rumpelstiltskin tricks a mid-life crisis burdened Shrek into allowing himself to be erased from existence and cast in a dark alternate timeline where Rumpelstiltskin rules supreme.

Director: Mike Mitchell | Stars: Mike Myers , Cameron Diaz , Eddie Murphy , Antonio Banderas

Votes: 224,118 | Gross: $238.37M

52. Happy Death Day (2017)

PG-13 | 96 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery

A college student must relive the day of her murder over and over again, in a loop that will end only when she discovers her killer's identity.

Director: Christopher Landon | Stars: Jessica Rothe , Israel Broussard , Ruby Modine , Charles Aitken

Votes: 162,277 | Gross: $55.68M

53. Timecop (1994)

R | 99 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi

Max Walker, an officer for a security agency that regulates time travel, must fend for his life against a shady politician who's intent on changing the past to control the future.

Director: Peter Hyams | Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme , Mia Sara , Ron Silver , Bruce McGill

Votes: 64,064 | Gross: $44.85M

54. I'll Follow You Down (2013)

Not Rated | 89 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

After the disappearance of a young scientist on a business trip, his son and wife struggle to cope, only to make a bizarre discovery years later - one that may bring him home.

Director: Richie Mehta | Stars: John Paul Ruttan , Rufus Sewell , Gillian Anderson , Kiara Glasco

Votes: 8,055

55. Click (2006)

A workaholic architect finds a universal remote that allows him to fast-forward and rewind to different parts of his life. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices.

Director: Frank Coraci | Stars: Adam Sandler , Kate Beckinsale , Christopher Walken , David Hasselhoff

Votes: 356,092 | Gross: $137.36M

56. When We First Met (2018)

TV-14 | 97 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Noah meets Avery at a Halloween party and falls in love but gets friend-zoned. 3 years later, she's engaged to someone else. Noah returns in a time machine to fix things.

Director: Ari Sandel | Stars: Adam Devine , Alexandra Daddario , Shelley Hennig , Andrew Bachelor

Votes: 53,837

57. The Time Machine (2002)

PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Hoping to alter the events of the past, a 19th century inventor instead travels 800,000 years into the future, where he finds humankind divided into two warring races.

Director: Simon Wells | Stars: Guy Pearce , Yancey Arias , Mark Addy , Phyllida Law

Votes: 130,255 | Gross: $56.68M

58. The Jacket (2005)

R | 103 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

A Gulf war veteran is wrongly sent to a mental institution for insane criminals, where he becomes the object of a doctor's experiments, and his life is completely affected by them.

Director: John Maybury | Stars: Adrien Brody , Keira Knightley , Daniel Craig , Kris Kristofferson

Votes: 119,175 | Gross: $6.30M

59. Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

PG | 113 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

Alice is appointed to save her beloved Mad Hatter from deadly grief by travelling back to the past, but this means fatally harming Time himself, the noble clockwork man with the device needed to save the Hatter's family from the Red Queen.

Director: James Bobin | Stars: Mia Wasikowska , Johnny Depp , Helena Bonham Carter , Anne Hathaway

Votes: 121,922 | Gross: $77.04M

60. Triangle (2009)

R | 99 min | Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Five friends set sail and their yacht is overturned by a strange and sudden storm. A mysterious ship arrives to rescue them, and what happens next cannot be explained.

Director: Christopher Smith | Stars: Melissa George , Joshua McIvor , Jack Taylor , Michael Dorman

Votes: 129,452

61. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

PG-13 | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

Dr. Evil is back and has invented a new time machine that allows him to go back to the 1960s and steal Austin Powers' mojo, inadvertently leaving him "shagless".

Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Mike Myers , Heather Graham , Michael York , Robert Wagner

Votes: 248,454 | Gross: $206.04M

62. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

R | 99 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi

A malfunctioning time machine at a ski resort takes a man back to 1986 with his two friends and nephew, where they must relive a fateful night and not change anything to make sure the nephew is born.

Director: Steve Pink | Stars: John Cusack , Rob Corddry , Craig Robinson , Clark Duke

Votes: 186,171 | Gross: $50.29M

63. Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Peggy Sue faints at a high school reunion. When she wakes up, she finds herself in her own past, just before she finished school.

Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Kathleen Turner , Nicolas Cage , Barry Miller , Catherine Hicks

Votes: 40,721 | Gross: $41.38M

64. Grand Tour: Disaster in Time (1991)

PG-13 | 99 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi

Before they can complete renovations on their new inn, Widower (Ben Wilson) and daughter (Hillary) are visited by a woman seeking immediate lodging for her strange group of travellers. Why ... See full summary  »

Director: David Twohy | Stars: Jeff Daniels , Ariana Richards , Emilia Crow , Jim Haynie

Votes: 3,087

65. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

PG | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Music

Two rock-'n-rolling teens, on the verge of failing their class, set out on a quest to make the ultimate school history report after being presented with a time machine.

Director: Stephen Herek | Stars: Keanu Reeves , Alex Winter , George Carlin , Terry Camilleri

Votes: 141,435 | Gross: $40.49M

66. Time Freak (2018)

PG-13 | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A genius teenage boy is in love with a girl who breaks up with him after a year. He invents a time machine and tries to fix the breakup repeatedly. He finally goes a year back with his friend to fix the bad days.

Director: Andrew Bowler | Stars: Asa Butterfield , Sophie Turner , Skyler Gisondo , Will Peltz

Votes: 9,809 | Gross: $0.01M

67. Naked (I) (2017)

TV-14 | 96 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Nervous about finally getting married, a guy is forced to relive the same nerve-wracking hours over and over again until he gets things right on his wedding day.

Director: Michael Tiddes | Stars: Marlon Wayans , Regina Hall , Dennis Haysbert , J.T. Jackson

Votes: 21,566

68. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)

PG | 93 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

A tyrant from the future creates evil android doubles of Bill and Ted and sends them back to eliminate the originals.

Director: Peter Hewitt | Stars: Keanu Reeves , Alex Winter , William Sadler , Joss Ackland

Votes: 80,954 | Gross: $38.04M

69. The Man from the Future (2011)

106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Zero is a brilliant scientist. However, 20 years ago, he was publicly humiliated when he lost Helena, the love of his life. One day, an accidental experience with one of his inventions ... See full summary  »

Director: Cláudio Torres | Stars: Wagner Moura , Alinne Moraes , Maria Luísa Mendonça , Fernando Ceylão

Votes: 6,925

70. Somewhere in Time (1980)

PG | 103 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance

A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time and meet the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel.

Director: Jeannot Szwarc | Stars: Christopher Reeve , Jane Seymour , Christopher Plummer , Teresa Wright

Votes: 32,435 | Gross: $9.71M

71. Deja Vu (2006)

PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi

After a ferry is bombed in New Orleans, an A.T.F. agent joins a unique investigation using experimental surveillance technology to find the bomber, but soon finds himself becoming obsessed with one of the victims.

Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington , Paula Patton , Jim Caviezel , Val Kilmer

Votes: 327,152 | Gross: $64.04M

72. Time Jumpers (2018)

Not Rated | 79 min | Sci-Fi

When a young man finds a time machine device, his life spins out of control.

Directors: Svend Ploug Johansen , Dominic Smith , April Wright | Stars: Samuel D. Evans , Taylor Gerard Hart , Kelli Vonshay Henderson , Mathilde Norholt

73. Time Changer (2002)

PG | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

A Bible professor from 1890 comes forward in time to the present via a time machine and cannot believe the things that he sees!

Director: Rich Christiano | Stars: D. David Morin , Gavin MacLeod , Hal Linden , Jennifer O'Neill

Votes: 2,911 | Gross: $1.28M

74. Altered Hours (2016)

TV-MA | 101 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller

A young insomniac's black-market sleep aid sends his mind time-travelling one day into the future, where he's the suspect in the disappearance of a girl he hasn't met -- yet.

Director: Bruce Wemple | Stars: Ryan Munzert , Briana Pozner , Rick Montgomery Jr. , Thea McCartan

75. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015)

R | 93 min | Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi

When Lou's shot in the groin, Nick and Jacob drag him in the Hot Tub Time Machine to go back in time and save Lou. The three end up 10 years in the future, where they need to go to find the shooter.

Director: Steve Pink | Stars: Rob Corddry , Craig Robinson , Clark Duke , Adam Scott

Votes: 41,577 | Gross: $12.28M

76. The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations (2009)

R | 90 min | Crime, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Sam Reide uses his power to time travel to solve the mystery of his girlfriend's death.

Director: Seth Grossman | Stars: Chris Carmack , Rachel Miner , Melissa Jones , Kevin Yon

Votes: 20,676

77. Freejack (1992)

R | 110 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi

Bounty hunters from the future transport a doomed race car driver to New York City in 2009, where his mind will be replaced with that of a dead billionaire.

Director: Geoff Murphy | Stars: Emilio Estevez , Mick Jagger , Rene Russo , Anthony Hopkins

Votes: 17,430 | Gross: $17.13M

78. Another Time (2018)

TV-MA | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Romance

Just because a journey leads you somewhere you didn't expect, doesn't mean you ended up in the wrong place.

Director: Thomas Hennessy | Stars: Justin Hartley , Chrishell Stause , James Kyson , Alan Pietruszewski

Votes: 1,120

79. The Butterfly Effect 2 (2006)

R | 92 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Nick Larson discovers a supernatural way to alter his life and travel back in time to key moments in his life by looking at photographs.

Director: John R. Leonetti | Stars: Eric Lively , Erica Durance , Dustin Milligan , Gina Holden

Votes: 37,295

80. See You Yesterday (2019)

TV-MA | 84 min | Action, Adventure, Crime

Two Brooklyn teenage prodigies, C.J. Walker and Sebastian Thomas, build makeshift time machines to save C.J.'s brother, Calvin, from being wrongfully killed by a police officer.

Director: Stefon Bristol | Stars: Eden Duncan-Smith , Dante Crichlow , Astro , Marsha Stephanie Blake

Votes: 11,599

81. Curvature (2017)

90 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

An engineer travels back in time to stop herself from committing a murder.

Director: Diego Hallivis | Stars: Lyndsy Fonseca , Glenn Morshower , Alex Lanipekun , Noah Bean

Votes: 3,076

82. Paradox (III) (2016)

TV-MA | 90 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

A time machine's tested first time by a man in the team traveling 1 hour into the future. He returns to warn them against killings in the next hour. Is it possible to change things in the "past"? Twist after twist follow.

Director: Michael Hurst | Stars: Zoë Bell , Malik Yoba , Adam Huss , Bjørn Alexander

Votes: 3,331

83. A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

PG | 109 min | Adventure, Drama, Family

After the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him.

Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Storm Reid , Oprah Winfrey , Reese Witherspoon , Mindy Kaling

Votes: 47,745 | Gross: $100.48M

84. Counter Clockwise (I) (2016)

Unrated | 91 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller

A scientist invents a time machine that transports him six months into the future.

Director: George Moïse | Stars: Michael Kopelow , Frank Simms , Kerry Knuppe , Alice Rietveld

85. S. Darko (2009)

R | 103 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

Donnie Darko's little sister Samantha and her best friend Corey are on a cross-country road trip, but soon find themselves entangled in a dangerous glitch in the time-space continuum.

Director: Chris Fisher | Stars: Daveigh Chase , Briana Evigan , James Lafferty , Ed Westwick

Votes: 14,463

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Matt Kamen WIRED Staff

The 16 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

People in formal attire dancing on a large table

In Recent years, Netflix and Apple TV+ have been duking it out to have the most prestigious film offerings, but some of the best movies are on Amazon Prime Video. The streamer was one of the first to go around picking up film festival darlings and other lovable favorites, and they’re all still there in the library, so if they flew under your radar the first time, now is the perfect time to catch up.

Our picks for the 16 best movies on Amazon Prime are below. All the films in our guide are included in your Prime subscription—no renting here. Once you’ve watched your fill, check out our lists for the best shows on Netflix and best movies on Disney+ if you’re looking for something else to watch. We also have a guide to the best shows on Amazon if that’s what you’re in the mood for.

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more .

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Adapted from the stage play of the same name—which in turn was based on a true story—this joyful musical charts the journey of Jamie New (Max Harwood). Bullied at school for being gay, and estranged from his homophobic father, Jamie dreams of escape through the art of drag—and when he finds a mentor in retired drag performer Hugo Battersby (a scene-stealing Richard E. Grant), he's soon on his way to bringing his inner queen “Mimi Me” to life. Rooted in Sheffield, England, it's a tale that dances between themes of class and culture while celebrating the importance of self-expression and the liberating power of drag.

Every high school has its social hierarchy, and PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) are at the bottom of theirs. Known as the “ugly, untalented gays” even to the faculty, their only hope of getting with two of the school's most popular cheerleaders, Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber), is, err, setting up an all-girl fight club to teach them how to handle their cheating, disrespectful jock boyfriends. OK, it might sound like the set-up to some dodgy ’70s exploitation flick—and with an approach to violence that straddles the line between raucous and ridiculous, it's never a million miles removed from that—but Bottoms is far smarter and more subversive than its premise would suggest. Defying expectations at every turn, this is the queer, rage-filled, hilarious twist on the high school comedy you (probably) never knew you needed.

Oxford student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is having trouble fitting in at the prestigious British university—until he befriends the popular Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). Handsome, rich, and born to the landed gentry, Felix brings the awkward, socially invisible Oliver into his circle, eventually inviting him to spend summer at the family estate, Saltburn. But as Oliver works his way into the family's graces, his obsession with Felix takes increasingly dark and deranged turns. Oscillating between black comedy and psychological thriller, writer and director Emerald Fennel ( Promising Young Woman ) frames the film in 4:3 aspect ratio for a tighter, almost voyeuristic viewing experience that makes its frequently unsettling moments even more uncomfortable. Having attracted plenty of debate since its 2023 release—not least for how it questionably navigates its themes of class and social inclusion— Saltburn was one of the year's most divisive films, but one that demands your attention.

Courtroom dramas are rarely laugh riots, but this tale of funeral home director Jeremiah O'Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) and his flashy lawyer Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) taking on a major player in America's "death care" system brings a dark sense of humor to already grim proceedings. This is no comedy though. Based on true events, director Maggie Betts' ( The Novitiate ) latest drama retells a real-life legal case that exposed massive inequality in funereal care and the way Black communities were being regularly overcharged. Foxx and Jones are in top form throughout, but it's Jurnee Smollett as Mame Downes, Gary's rival attorney who threatens to outpace him at every turn, whose performance threatens to steal the whole movie. For a film about death, The Burial proves warmly life-affirming.

A Million Miles Away

Charting the life of José Hernández, this biopic—based on Hernández's own book—mixes the aspirational with the inspirational as it follows its central figure's rise from, in his own words, migrant farm worker to the first Mexican-American astronaut. Michael Peña is in fine form as Hernández, painting a picture of a man almost myopically driven to reach space, no matter the cost, while Rosa Salazar impresses as his wife Adela, refusing to fade into the background even as she puts her own dreams on pause for José to chase the stars. In lesser hands, this could all be cloying—a twee tale of hard work and achieving the American Dream, with a dash of NASA promo material on the side, but director Alejandra Márquez Abella has her lens as focused on the small beauties of life here on Earth as the splendor and sheer potential of space. A rare delight.

Red, White, and Royal Blue

Look, this is clearly a “best film” by a highly specific metric—and that metric is “gloriously cheesy trash.” Adapted from Casey McQuinston's best-selling novel, this intercontinental rom-com charts the relationship between First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), the "spare" to the British throne, going from rivals through to grudging respect, and ultimately groundbreaking romance. It's often ludicrous, including an inciting incident seeing the pair falling into a wedding cake, a tabloid-worthy tryst in a hotel room, and political intrigue surrounding Alex's mother, President Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman, vamping scenes with a bizarre “Texan” accent), but it's all just irresistibly wholesome and upbeat. Red, White, and Royal Blue is the movie equivalent of pizza—not good for you, but still delicious.

Shin Masked Rider

If you’re sick of cookie-cutter Hollywood superhero movies, then this ground-up reboot of one of Japan’s most beloved heroes deserves your attention. Helmed by Hideaki Anno ( Evangelion , Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman —“shin” meaning “new” or “true” in Japanese), this revamps the 1971 TV series Kamen Rider. Like that show, it follows motorcyclist Takeshi Hongo (Sosuke Ikematsu). Kidnapped by the terrorist organization S.H.O.C.K.E.R. and forcibly converted into a powerful cyborg, Hongo escapes before being reprogrammed as an agent of the group, instead using his newfound powers to take down its forces. However, unlike the original, Anno’s approach taps into the body horror of the core concept, while also challenging his characters—and audience—to hang onto their intrinsic humanity in the face of a world trying to dehumanize them. It’s more violent than you’d probably expect, often showing the grisly outcome of regular people getting punched by superpowered cyborgs and monsters, but never gratuitous. While those with some understanding of the source material will get more out of Shin Masked Rider , it’s an exciting outing for anyone looking for something a bit fresher from their hero movies.

Sure, nowadays Michael Jordan is a bona fide sports god, and Nike’s Air Jordan sneakers are still arguably  the court shoe—but that wasn’t the case back in 1984. Jordan was a rookie, and Nike was about to close down its basketball shoe division. Enter Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), a talent scout for the footwear maker who has spotted a rising star in North Carolina who could turn everything around—he just needs to convince everyone else that Jordan is worth betting the company on. We all know how that panned out, so thankfully  Air is more than a two-hour advert for shoes. Damon, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, and director Ben Affleck all deliver strong performances—only to be utterly eclipsed by Viola Davis in a magnetic and powerful, if somewhat underutilized, turn as matriarch Deloris Jordan—while Alex Convery’s script keeps the drama on the people and personalities involved, rather than the boardroom. In an age of franchises and endless blockbusters,  Air is the sort of character-focused film that rarely gets made anymore, and is all the more enjoyable for it.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Kazakh” TV reporter (even if he speaks Hebrew) travels back to the US, 14 years after his last feature-long escapade. This time Baron Cohen has brought his (Bulgarian-speaking) teenage daughter along, with the mission of giving her “as a gift” to some powerful American politicians—initially Mike Pence, then Rudy Giuliani. In classic Boratic fashion, the mockumentary follows the wacky duo on a cavalcade across Trump’s America, filming candid performances by unsuspecting characters ranging from QAnon believers to Republican activists to prim debutantes, all the way to Giuliani himself. Even the coronavirus pandemic, which struck America as the film was being shot, is subverted as a comedic plot point. Baron Cohen delivers, with the expected repertoire of shock gags and deadpanned verbal enormities, and he manages to land some punches at the expense of bigots, too. In contrast to its 2006 predecessor, many of the pranks and stunts here seem more aimed at eliciting the audience’s nervous laughter than at exposing America’s heart of darkness, but it remains a worthy—and funny—watch.

Shotgun Wedding

A raucous spin on the traditional romcom,  Shotgun Wedding lures viewers with a cliché setup—a ceremony on a tropical island, with hijinks courtesy of bickering in-laws—before exploding, literally, into an action escapade as the wedding party is taken hostage by violent pirates. If we’re being honest, it’s a little hammy and self-aware in places, but leads Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel are clearly having so much fun as bride and groom Darcy and Tom, whose special day turns into an often hilariously gory battle for survival, that it’s easy to be swept along for the ride. With a solid supporting cast, including the ever-entertaining Jennifer Coolidge as the mother of the groom stealing every scene she graces with her gloriously chaotic presence, this is a wedding worth RSVPing to.

Aisha (Anna Diop) is a Senegalese woman working as a nanny for a rich couple in New York City, hoping to earn enough to bring her son and cousin to join her in America. However, her future is at the mercy of her employers, who seem content to leave Aisha to raise their daughter, Rose, while often withholding her pay. As the stress of the power imbalance weighs on her, Aisha begins having strange dreams of drowning, worsened by her fears of abandoning her own child. The feature debut of director Nikyatu Jusu,  Nanny contrasts the horror of the immigrant experience in modern America with something darker, while swapping the expected tropes of hope and opportunity for a palpable sadness for culture and community left behind.  Nanny takes a slow-burn, psychological approach to its scares, but Diop is phenomenal throughout, and the meticulous pacing and gorgeous cinematography means every frame lingers.

Coming 2 America

Relying on nostalgia to carry new entries in long-dormant series can be risky business, but Eddie Murphy’s return to the role of Prince—now King—Akeem of Zamunda more than three decades after 1988’s Coming to America shows how to do it right. Drawn back to the US in search of a son he never knew he had, Akeem—and the audience—gets to reunite with familiar faces from the first film, before director Craig Brewer ( Hustle and Flow ) reverses the formula and tests the American characters with a trip to Zamunda. With a sharper, smarter, and more globally aware script than the original, Coming 2 America defies the odds to be a comedy sequel that stands up to the reputation of its predecessor.

Thirteen Lives

Director Ron Howard’s latest gathers a top-notch cast—including Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton—for a dramatization of the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, where a Thai junior soccer team and their assistant coach were trapped in the flooded cave system. As an international effort mounts to save the children, the challenges of navigating miles of underwater caverns become ever more dangerous, and Howard masterfully captures every perilously claustrophobic moment of it. A nail-bitingly tense movie with some ingeniously shot aquatic scenes, Thirteen Lives is a testament to one of the most difficult rescues ever performed.

One Night in Miami …

Based on the play of same name, One Night in Miami follows four icons of culture, music, and sports—Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke, and Muhammad Ali—at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, a converging and pivotal point in their lives and careers. Meeting in a motel room in the wake of Ali’s—then still Cassius Clay—heavyweight victory over Sonny Liston in 1964, the four men discuss their roles in the movement and society as a whole, all while the audience knows the weight of history is bearing down on them. The close confines of much of the film reflect its theatrical roots, but this feature directorial debut from Regina King perfectly portrays the larger-than-life personalities of its cast. Kingsley Ben-Adir is on fire as Malcolm X, with Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., and Eli Goree—as Brown, Cooke, and Ali—all utterly magnetic.

Produced by Amazon, The Report is an engrossing depiction of the US Senate's investigation into the CIA's “enhanced interrogation” program—how it came to be, who knew about it, and how the CIA massaged the facts to support its efficacy. Adam Driver stars as Daniel Jones, the lead investigator who plowed an increasingly lonely path to the truth, battling against political resistance and CIA interference all the way. Driver is, as is his habit these days, superb, and the film's 82 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes is well earned.

Sound of Metal

Punk-rock drummer and recovering addict Ruben starts experiencing hearing loss, and it threatens to upend his entire life. Faced with an impossible choice between giving up his hearing or giving up his career, Ruben begins to spiral, until his girlfriend Lou checks him into a rehab center for the deaf, forcing him to confront his own behavior as much as the future he faces. Riz Ahmed is in spectacular form as the troubled Ruben, while Olivia Cooke’s turn as Lou, who suffers with her own demons, including self-harm, is riveting. Fittingly enough, Sound of Metal also features incredibly nuanced use of sound—and its absence—as director Darius Marder crafts one of the finest dramas in recent years.

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15 Amazing Time Travel Movies and Where to Stream Them

I f you have ever wondered what it would be like to turn back time or experience the future, these amazing time travel movies will transport you to that exact scenario. Whether from the comedy, action, or science fiction genres, these stories look at the possibility of time travel and how it could impact our lives as humans.

Take a look at our list of movies where the past and the future seem so easy to travel, where danger and comedy are around each corner — and where time has no boundaries.

15. Time After Time (1979) – Prime Video

Malcolm McDowell plays the iconic H.G. Wells in our next pick for best time travel movies where he builds a time machine to travel to a paradise of the future. Unfortunately, Jack the Ripper (David Warner), has other plans for the machine as he uses it to travel to the late 1970s to escape capture from the police. And so Wells follows and asks the help of a banker to stop Jack from bringing terror to a new era.

This film is a lesser-known, but still brilliantly clever, picture about saving the future.

14. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) – Apple TV

Many teenage girls probably wish they could turn back the clock to a particular moment where they could do something better. Maybe it’s because of a test or talking to a crush, but we’ve all been there.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a Japanese animated film about a girl who has such powers and is able to redo the day over and over until she gets it just right. However, as she starts experiencing more tragic events, she learns that time travel can have its drawbacks.

13. Twelve Monkeys (1995) – Hulu

Twelve Monkeys is psychological and mind-melting. Don’t confuse the 2015 TV show 12 Monkeys with this Terry Gilliam directed sci-fi flick. Granted, they are based on the same short movie made in the 60s. Which means they share the same setting, mission, and time travel theme. Yet, the rest is different. Especially because the movie stars Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Madeline Stowe, and Christopher Plummer.

The best thing about Twelve Monkeys is that Gilliam’s bizarre film style comes across clearly. It is very unique as it digs into the psychological aspects of time travel that most movies do not. Definitely give this movie a try on Hulu.

12. Star Trek VI: The Voyage Home (1986) – Paramount Plus

To save the universe, Captain Kirk and his crew of the Starship Enterprise must travel back in time to the 1980s and bring back a whale they can use to speak with an unknown life form that will destroy everything if it can’t speak with someone who knows whale-speak.

This movie offers a strange premise, but you can’t help enjoy watching this starship crew become accustomed to 1980s California where they discover everything from the use of currency to computers. This is easily one of the most charming and hilarious entries of the original Star Trek crew .

ALSO READ: 10 Best Space Documentaries Streaming Now

11. Meet the Robinsons (2007) – Disney Plus

Meet the Robinsons is definitely one of the zippiest Disney animated features. Lewis is a boy genius who may be smart enough to develop amazing inventions but he’s not quite ready for his family of the future when he travels forward in time to meet all of them.

Not only are his future relatives a chaotic assortment of odd and quirky individuals but Lewis will also have to contend with dinosaurs, an evil man in a bowler hat who wants to steal his inventions, and even a frightening future where hats control the world.

10. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) – Prime Video

California teenage slackers Bill and Ted are more interested in their band of Wild Stallions than their overdue history report. But then a time-traveler by the name of Rufus, traveling through time in a phone booth, gives this inept duo a chance to experience history more personally.

Bill and Ted will traverse time and meet famous figures to deliver what will be both an enlightening report and an amazing rock performance. This is such a fun and entertaining time travel movie that you should add to your Prime watchlist.

9. The Butterfly Effect (2004) – Prime Video

In The Butterfly Effect , Evan (played by Ashton Kutcher) suffers from memory loss where he blacks out and can’t remember certain points in time. It turns out that he must travel back to fill in those gaps and try to fix his past mistakes. But, like many of the best time travel movies, going back can cause other problems with the present day and he can’t risk making anything worse. Especially because the love of his life, Kayleigh, needs saving.

8. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) – Netflix

Hot Tub Time Machine had to make it on our list of amazing time travel movies because of its hilarious premise and stacked cast. Four young guys including three friends and one nephew travel to a winter resort to escape, relax, and help Lou address his struggles with suicidal thoughts and alcohol head on. But when they jump in the hot tub, it takes them back to one night in 1986 that happened to be a pivotal moment for everyone involved. Except for their friend’s nephew who hasn’t been born yet. They can’t do too many things differently, even if they want to, or they risk him never being born.

Check out this hilarious movie starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke that led to a huge following and even a sequel.

7. Tenet (2020) – Prime Video

Tenet was a big sci-fi film in 2020 and truly bends the concept of time in a way that has not been seen in other movies on this list. John David Washington plays “The Protagonist,” which is the only name he knows as a CIA operative ready to stop World War III. Tenet is the mysterious international organization that hires him to seek out dangers to the human race, but time is ticking and he must use time travel to his advantage.

CHECK OUT: 12 Best Stanley Kubrick Movies Worth Streaming Today

6. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009) – Prime Video

In this story, time travel becomes involuntary causing more problems than good, especially when it comes to love and relationships. The Time Traveler’s Wife depicts Henry (played by Eric Bana) who has a condition in which he travels back and forth through time, but never knows when these moments will happen. This leads him to seemingly disappear and he also forgets some of his past memories. As a result, his wife, Clare (Rachel McAdams), struggles to feel secure in their relationship and keep their lives on the same path.

5. About Time (2013) – Prime Video

Interestingly, our next movie recommendation about time travel features actress Rachel McAdams yet again. This romantic comedy came about by the same creators as Love Actually , so that should set the tone for the funny moments and heart wrenching stories to come.

Tim is an awkward man who struggles to find love when on his 21st birthday, he is told by his father that the men in their family can travel through time. He uses it to his advantage to make things go right with his crush, Mary. However, he soon learns that while he can always go backwards, he has to wait to see how the future plays out just like everyone else.

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – Max

The Harry Potter stories often play around with many different forms of fantasy and magic, from levitation to defense against the dark arts. So, it is only natural that one of them made it on our top time travel movies list.

The Prisoner of Azkaban , the third book and film in the series, features the third act surprise of tinkering with time to change events and reshape the magical world, as well as furthering Harry’s growth as a wise and powerful wizard in the making.

3. Flight of the Navigator (1986) – Disney Plus

David is a 12-year-old boy in 1978, but he awakens to discover he has been sent into the 1980s where his parents are more wrinkly, his little brother is bigger, and the government doesn’t know how to explain such an event. How could David turn up after all these years not looking a day over twelve? Seeking answers, David discovers a mysterious alien spaceship with a quirky robot computer that may be able to help him get back to his own time.

Featuring plenty of astounding special effects and great amazement for both the sci-fi ship and the 1980s, Flight of the Navigator has a gentle and hilarious approach to one kid’s wild adventure.

2. Groundhog Day (1990) – Netflix

Bill Murray plays a reporter that finds himself repeating the same day over and over and over again. No matter where he goes or what he does, every day ends with him waking up the next to the same tune on the radio and the same people doing the same things.

There’s a reason why this film’s format of being trapped in time has become a common reference for more modern films. It’s just that good and became an instant classic. Most of it comes down to a stellar direction by Harold Ramis , who also directed Ghostbusters , and the incredible performance by Bill Murray.

1. Back to the Future (1985) – Peacock

If looking for the best time travel movies, you can, of course, stop at Back to the Future . This is a timeless classic that seems to get better with age. Teenager Marty McFly finds himself sent back to the 50s and must find his way back to his own time. But, he also realizes that he must ensure the teenage versions of his mother and father still hook up or else, he won’t exist or return to his former life.

Aside from being a stellar time-travel trilogy, the first film is a supremely iconic adventure and an empathetic story where a teen begins to relate to their parents’ struggles.

What is time travel in movies?

Time travel can be depicted in many ways on screen. Some of the movies on our list show it in a funny and romantic way whereas others demonstrate the consequences that can come from going back in time and making changes.

Usually, the plot surrounds a person or multiple people who travel back in time to a pivotal moment and attempt to change the past without ruining their present future.

What movie repeats over and over?

There are a couple of films that show certain moments in time or days repeating over and over again. However, the most famous example of a day that repeats itself is Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.

What is the 80 time travel movie?

The most well-known and beloved 80s time travel movie is Back to the Future , which happens to be the top movie on our ranking list. The movie represents the 80s as present day and also goes back in time to the 50s.

Has anyone ever experienced a time loop?

It is said that in real life, people have experienced time loops or déjà vu. This can be caused by the mind due to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other reasons. However, these time travel movies do not tend to address mental health, but rather the consequences of our desire to go back in time.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to time travel, the closest we’ll get is by watching people experiencing the phenomenon through film. Whether it’s a comedic story like Hot Tub Time Machine and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure or a highly intense opportunity to save the world like in Tenet , these movies teach us a lot about moving forward with what we’re given. They are undoubtedly entertaining with various messages, so it’s definitely worth checking out this topic on screen.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to turn back time or experience the future, these amazing […]

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The 25 Greatest Time-Travel Movies Ever Made

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It must say something, surely, about humans, how often time-travel movies are about returning to the past rather than jumping to the future. As Mark Duplass’s forlorn character says in Safety Not Guaranteed , “The mission has to do with regret.” With all the potential to explore the unknown world of the future, so often when our minds conspire to bend the rules of time it’s instead to rehash the old. It’s compelling to watch a character in a movie do what we cannot — right past wrongs or uncover the reason for or meaning behind the events in their lives, whether they be emotionally catastrophic or merely geopolitically motivated.

So absent is the future from the canon, in fact, that when it is involved, typically future dwellers are leaving their own time to come back to the present. Back to the Future Part II aside, it seems as if there’s something about going forward in time that just doesn’t track for humans. (Of course, you could argue that this is because the present-day concept of bidirectional time travel would infinitely multiply or change beyond recognition any future that may occur, but that’s a knot for another article.)

In any case, the time-travel stories deemed worthy of Hollywood budgets aren’t always straightforward in their mechanics. Some films on this list barely qualify as time-travel movies at all; others could hardly qualify as anything else. There are movies about trips through time but also ones about the bending and fracturing and muddying thereof; then there are those about, as Andy Samberg aptly puts it in Palm Springs , “one of those infinite time-loop situations you might have heard about.” There’s even a movie in which we get only 13 seconds’ worth of time travel, when it functions more like a joke whose punch line hits at the film’s climax.

What these films all do have in common is a fascination with changing the way time works. That being said, the list leaves out movies in larger, more extended franchises in which time meddling is a one-off dalliance thrown into a sequel with little by way of foreshadowing: think Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Avengers: Endgame , and Men in Black III . (It also leaves off perhaps the Ur-time-travel movie, Primer , and the quite good Midnight in Paris because their directors don’t deserve the column inches.) We’re looking at self-contained stories using time mechanics from the start, with preference given to those that involve themselves more intently with the ins and outs of time travel; that ask questions about time, aging, memory and so forth; and that try to succeed at it in new and interesting ways. So let’s get to it.

25. Galaxy Quest (1999)

Does Galaxy Quest really count as a time-travel movie? Some compelling reasons argue that it doesn’t: Time travel isn’t a major factor in the plot, and the time traveling that does occur is, yes, only a 13-second jump. But its use of time travel is meaningful insofar as the movie itself is a loving spoof of Star Trek , which makes use of time travel in three films ( one of which made this list ), not to mention dozens of episodes across its various TV iterations. Tacking on time travel as a deus ex machina for the actors in a Star Trek– like show pressed into service as an actual space crew by an endangered alien race is the exact right amount of ribbing in a movie that’s as on point as it is hilarious.

Galaxy Quest is available to rent on Amazon .

24. Happy Death Day (2017)

Pick away at the surface of a time-loop movie and you find a horror movie. Most of the entries on this list are covered in enough feel-good spin to land as comedies, but Happy Death Day stares the horror of the time-loop phenomenon right in the face. (It’s also quite funny.) Reliving the same day over and over is an unimaginably potent form of psychological torture, and adding murder to the equation does little to dull that edge. The film follows a college-age protagonist struggling to escape from a masked slasher hell-bent on killing her again and again while she tries to solve the mystery of how she got stuck in a time loop.

Happy Death Day is available to rent on Amazon .

23. Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Seriously, this may be the only good movie in which the film’s whole focus is using a time machine to travel into the future. The fact that it’s a sequel is telling — the characters already traveled into the past in the first movie , and the filmmakers decided to save “traveling even further into the past“ for the third film in the trilogy. Still, Back to the Future Part II is a fun time that makes great use of sight gags and references, recasting scenes from the first film in the distant future year of 2015 with all its hoverboards and self-lacing Nikes.

Back to the Future Part II is available to rent on Amazon .

22. See You Yesterday (2019)

It’s a dirty little secret of time-travel movies that they tend to be, well, pretty white. Tenet ’s Protagonist aside, if Hollywood’s sending someone through time, they’re almost certainly not a Black person, and for obvious reasons: Most of post-contact North American history is deeply unfriendly to people of color, and the problems a person running around out of time and place is going to encounter are deeply compounded if they’ll likely be the target of racist abuse or violence — which makes See You Yesterday all the more compelling. Produced by Spike Lee and featuring one of filmdom’s most famous time travelers in a cameo role, it follows a Black teenage science prodigy who uses a time machine to try to save her brother from being killed by a police officer.

See You Yesterday is streaming on Netflix .

21. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

No offense to the Back to the Future franchise, but time travel never looks more fun on film than it does in the first Bill & Ted movie. It’s a concept that feels distinctly of a different era, so pure is its zaniness, that it’s hard to imagine anyone concocting it today. The titular duo, Californian high-school students in the ’80s, travel through the past looking for historical figures in order to ace a history project, then bring them all back to the present. High jinks ensue! We get Genghis Khan in a sporting-goods store and Mozart on an electric keyboard. What more could you want?

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is streaming on HBO Max .

20. Source Code (2011)

Time-travel-film aficionados know this won’t be Jake Gyllenhaal’s only stop on this list, but no matter. Source Code finds him repeating the same eight minutes over and over as he struggles to find the culprit in a train bombing — with each replay ending in his own death by explosion. For some reason, a romantic subplot is shoehorned into this, along with a bunch of frankly unnecessary technical mumbo-jumbo, but the core idea is a compelling mix of the time-loop movie and the train whodunit that Gyllenhaal is a perfect fit for.

Source Code is available to rent on Amazon .

19. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Some sort of law of nature dictates that every genuinely good idea and/or piece of true art has to at some point be turned into a Hollywood movie. Thank God La Jetée was adapted into something that can stand on its own feet artistically. 12 Monkeys may not retain its source material’s black-and-white look or stripped-down, static-image presentation, but it is a rollicking good time nonetheless. That’s in no small part due to director Terry Gilliam getting the best out of Bruce Willis and a young Brad Pitt, and recasting World War III as a planet-decimating virus. Which, like at least one other movie on this list , “speaks to the present moment,” or whatever.

12 Monkeys is available to rent on Amazon .

18. Run Lola Run (1998)

Unlike almost all of the other films on this list, the terms time travel and time machine don’t show up anywhere in Run Lola Run . Rather, it’s a sort of de facto time-loop scenario in which the protagonist tries repeatedly to pay a ransom to save her boyfriend’s life. In fact, if not for a few key details, it could easily be characterized (and often has been) as an alternate-endings movie rather than a time-travel film. But the fact that Lola seems to be learning from her past attempts with each successive one suggests that she is, indeed, using knowledge gained from previous loops to bring a satisfactory end to this situation.

Run Lola Run is available to rent on Amazon .

17. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

One of the most striking things about Groundhog Day is the mutability and replicability of its core conceit. Perhaps the best case in point is Edge of Tomorrow , sometimes known as Live. Die. Repeat. after its original tagline. It’s the kind of physically grueling movie only an actor as genuinely unhinged as Tom Cruise could pull off. A noncombatant thrust into a war against invading aliens, Cruise’s character finds himself reliving day one of combat over and over, slowly but surely refining his techniques in order to survive the extraterrestrial onslaught. Like the central twosome in the much less violent Palm Springs , he winds up with a partner in (war) crime, teaming up with the similarly time-trapped Emily Blunt, and the explanation for the replay glitch here is actually pretty satisfying.

Edge of Tomorrow is streaming on Fubo TV .

16. Star Trek (2009)

If you could create some sort of an advanced stat to measure controversy generated per unit of interesting filmmaking decisions, J.J. Abrams would have to be near the top in terms of his ability to rig up movie drama from almost nothing. This is a guy whose filmography is like Godzilla rip-off, Spielberg homage, safe reboot of cherished IP, repeat. Star Trek may be his best film, though, a sure-footed reinvention of a dorky sci-fi franchise that made it, well, cool. Somehow, the beauty of Spock and Kirk’s bromance being woven through chance encounters with future selves kind of … works?

Star Trek is available to rent on Amazon .

15. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

There’s a relative dearth of time travel in animated film, which perhaps is a function simply of the fact that it’s less impressive to stage in a world that’s already unreal. If you can Looney Tunes your way through physics, what’s so special about grabbing the flow of time and tying it into a bow? Still, the original Girl Who Leapt Through Time deserves mention here. It’s a beautiful story that interlaces the complexity of time leaping with the intensity of teenage emotion and the thorny process of growing up where the opportunity to redo things leads, over time, to growth — a less shitty Groundhog Day , in a way.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is available to rent on Amazon .

14. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

She may not be the most famous, decorated, or emulated actress of her generation, but Aubrey Plaza is someone whose personality spoke to the irony-soaked 2010s in a way that simply could not be denied. Her character on Parks and Recreation , April Ludgate, was, by all accounts, created specifically to channel Plaza’s real-life personality to the screen, and she plays essentially the same character in Safety Not Guaranteed . Here, she’s a sarcastic intern at a magazine working on a story about a would-be time traveler and using her feminine wiles to slowly gain his trust. The chemistry between Plaza and Mark Duplass is probably the film’s high point; the subplot about the FBI feels like it was clipped out of a bad X-Files episode.

Safety Not Guaranteed is streaming on Tubi .

13. La Jetée (1962)

At only a 28-minute run time, La Jetée is arguably too short to merit inclusion on this list. However, what it lacks in content (and in, well, moving images; it’s almost exclusively a collection of static black-and-white shots set to voice-over), it more than makes up for in inventiveness and influence, and it would be a travesty to leave it out in favor of more recent by-the-book fare. Tracing the tale of a man held prisoner in post-WWIII Paris being used in time-travel experiments as his captors seek to remedy the postapocalyptic state of the world, he’s sent into both the future and the past and ends up unraveling a lifelong personal mystery while he’s at it.

La Jetée is streaming on the Criterion Channel .

12. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Unlike the worse but more straightforwardly time-traveling Tim Burton remake, the relationship between the original Planet of the Apes and time travel is inexact — technically, the astronaut crew that lands on the titular planet does travel forward 2,000 years, but it’s not done via a time machine. The travel isn’t instantaneous: It literally does take them 2,000 years to get there; they’re just unconscious and on life support. Still, the way the film’s ending handles the iconic reveal is exactly in line with the best of the time-travel canon, the telescoping, mise en abyme feeling of the world shifting in front of your very eyes without your moving an inch.

Planet of the Apes is available to rent on Amazon .

11. Groundhog Day (1993)

The famous Bill Murray vehicle essentially invented the infinite-time-loop genre (and it’s hardly a movie that succeeds on the strength of its concept alone), but the idea at its core is so steeped in the casual misogyny of late-’80s and early-’90s cinema that it’s hard to watch today without cringing. Murray’s character employing what amounts to PUA-style techniques over and over and over in a desperate bid to fuck his hapless co-worker just doesn’t hit the way it did back then. If the story arc didn’t present a guy detoxifying himself of the worst aspects of masculinity in order to be worthy of a woman’s love as the primary way for a 20th-century white man to achieve full personhood, this would be much higher on the list.

Groundhog Day is streaming on Starz .

10. Predestination (2014)

This is probably the most complicated film on the list. Following a “temporal agent” (played by Ethan Hawke) who’s trying to prevent a bombing in 1970s New York, it’s based on a Robert A. Heinlein short story and features Shiv Roy herself, Sarah Snook, in a star-making turn as someone with a complicated backstory and a secret. Like the best sci-fi, the film’s premise raises all kinds of fascinating questions about the titular concept and throws in some interesting musings on sex, gender, and the self in the process.

Predestination is streaming on Tubi .

9. Looper (2012)

Wes Anderson gets a lot of flak for his overwrought twee visuals, but Rian Johnson has a knack for making movies that feel and function like dioramas even if they don’t look it. Narratively speaking, everything here is constructed just so — and there’s a certain beauty in that — but who ever had a profound experience of art by looking at a diorama? Looper was probably Johnson’s least precious pre– Star Wars film, which is nice because the temptation to drastically overmaneuver the mechanics of a time-travel story can lead to disaster. The tech used to Bruce Willis–ify Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s face is distracting, and the third act’s retreat from the postapocalyptic city of the future to the postapocalyptic corn farm of the future is a brave choice that the film struggles to land. Still, Johnson’s vision of a future in which organized crime runs time travel is compelling and well worth a watch.

Looper is streaming on Netflix .

8. Donnie Darko (2001)

Donnie Darko is a bit of a genre mash-up. Part high-school movie, part sci-fi flick, part bleak meditation on the soullessness of late-’80s America, it’s nevertheless a weirdly successful piece of filmmaking that makes fantastic use of a young Jake Gyllenhaal, a great supporting cast (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone, and Patrick Swayze among others), and an absolutely iconic haunting cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” Watching high schoolers navigate parallel universes, wormholes, and time travel is a dicey proposition, but director Richard Kelly makes it work, somehow.

Donnie Darko is streaming on HBO Max .

7. Back to the Future (1984)

While it’s clearly superior to the sequel (and leagues ahead of the final film in the trilogy), the original Back to the Future is a bit of a mess (John Mulaney was right , to be honest). Its racial and gender politics are cringey, and the incest subplot is weird (“It’s your cousin Marvin. Marvin Pornhub . You know that new plot element you’ve been looking for?”), but there’s a clear interest in time travel beyond its shimmering surface: the very real addressing of the “grandfather problem” in time travel via the slow disappearance of Marty from his family photo, the accidental invention of rock music, and a genuine curiosity about the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of time machines. Ahh, what the hell. It’s a romp.

Back to the Future is available to rent on Amazon .

6. Palm Springs (2020)

No offense to Gen-Xers and boomers, but the best time-loop movie of all time is Palm Springs . The film isn’t without its missteps, but it’s much more curious about life than Groundhog Day was through the eyes of Murray’s misanthrope. Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg‘s characters, stuck in the loop together, are a perfect comedic match, and their shared humanity makes for a beautiful arc. The film raises questions about what’s worth doing in life when nothing lasts and how to stay sane when every day is the same. Of course, as a sort of polar opposite of Tenet , it benefited from coming out during the pandemic by speaking, as it does, to the experience of lockdown.

Palm Springs is streaming on Hulu .

5. Tenet (2020)

Interstellar wasn’t enough for Chris Nolan, apparently. Tenet ’s legacy may end up being little more than that of the COVID action movie no one saw — a bloated thriller that Nolan fought to get into theaters and bar from home viewing reportedly to swell the size of his own pockets. It really did suffer from bad timing, though, because this is genuinely a quintessential big-screen popcorn movie whose absurdity is all the more palatable when it’s given the audiovisual bombast it deserves. Ambitious in scope as it traces a war on the past by the future (yes, you read that right), Tenet is as enamored of action tropes as it is in bucking them, and its investment in rendering visible the brain-bendingly knotty mechanics of moving through time is laudable, even when the movie itself remains opaque — as impenetrable as the future, as hazy as the past.

Tenet is streaming on HBO Max .

4. The Terminator (1984)

A partner to Blade Runner in the mid-’80s invention of sci-fi noir, The Terminator is a stunning film in many ways, despite the third act’s now-iffy visual effects. While it’s not James Cameron’s debut, and it would go on to be bested by its sequel , it functions as an incredible showcase for an emerging young director who would exclusively make big stories for the rest of his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as the relentless, unemotional killer cyborg sent back from the future to terminate the mother of the eventual resistance leader, and the film’s romantic subplot has just the perfect amount of time-travel-induced cheesiness for it to work.

The Terminator is streaming on Amazon Prime Video .

3. Interstellar (2014)

It’s not inaccurate to say Christopher Nolan is a director who’s more interested in scale and scope than in expressing the minutiae of the human experience in its purest form. But in Interstellar, a Nolan movie in its titular ambitions, there’s a core element of time travel wrought not as sci-fi fireworks but as a paean to the sheer force and will of the power of love. It both does and doesn’t work, depending on your capacity for cheese in space, but even besides that, Nolan’s use of time as story arc — the way Miller’s planet functions, in particular — is conceptually masterful in the best kind of time-travel-movie way.

Interstellar is streaming on Paramount+ .

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Whereas the franchise’s first movie spends more time on the question of time travel, in the second it takes a bit of a back seat to the action itself. It’s hard to fault director James Cameron for this decision; T2 remains one of the best action movies of the ’90s and — along with Jurassic Park and The Matrix — one of the decade’s best when for special effects. The groundbreaking T-1000 would honestly be enough to get this movie on the list; a tween John Connor grappling with questions of predestination and the fact that he is vicariously responsible for his own conception feel almost like icing on the time-travel cake. Much as in 12 Monkeys , time travel here is mistaken for delusion, as valiant Sarah Connor, in a Cassandra-esque nightmare, has to battle against the future only she knows is coming. Of course, Cassandra never had access to any firepower stored in underground desert arsenals.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is streaming on Netflix .

1. Arrival (2016)

It’s fair to wonder whether Arrival really is, in fact, a time-travel movie. The Ted Chiang short story it’s based on isn’t about time travel per se; rather, it’s an exploration of alternate forms of temporal understanding. The linguist protagonist, played by Amy Adams, doesn’t travel through time so much as come to experience it differently. Still, the plot ends up hinging on foreknowledge that she is granted not via visions but by actually experiencing her future simultaneously with her present and past. For our purposes, though, that’s time fuckery enough to merit inclusion, and boy howdy does the film deliver in overall quality. Partly, that’s simply a question of the source material. Chiang is arguably the most talented (and possibly the most decorated) American sci-fi writer of his generation. But the source story is not especially Hollywood friendly, and director Denis Villeneuve has adopted it lovingly, borrowing a plot device from another of Chiang’s stories, the more straightforwardly time-travel-based “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” in order to add some third-act blockbuster flavor. The result is a beautiful meditation on love, choice, and courage that packs art-film ethos into a genuine sci-fi blockbuster.

Arrival is streaming on Hulu and Paramount+ .

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The 20 best classic movies to watch on Amazon Prime right now

There are plenty of nostalgic titles on the streamer, from technicolor musicals to tense Westerns.

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Tired of FX-heavy blockbusters? You can travel back to a simpler film era via Amazon Prime 's extensive library of classic movies. Whether you're in the mood for a laugh-out-loud screwball comedy, a thoughtful drama, a snappy musical, or a thrilling Western, the streamer carries many great features from decades past. Here's Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 20 best classic movies on Amazon Prime right now.

12 Angry Men (1957)

In this compelling courtroom drama, a jury deliberates on whether to convict or acquit a teenager charged with murdering his father. At first, juror No. 8 (Henry Fonda) is the only one who even entertains the possibility that the boy isn’t guilty, but his earnest attempt to consider reasonable doubt inspires other jury members to question the evidence. Trapped in a confined space until they reach a consensus, skillful dialogue and staging slowly reveal the unnamed characters’ personalities and perspectives.

Where to watch 12 Angry Men : Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A- ( read the review )

Director: Sidney Lumet

Cast: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley

A Star Is Born (1937)

It's the quintessential Hollywood story: A naive girl leaves the farm to make it big as a movie star, works as a waitress at a swanky party, and catches the eye of a passing bigwig. Esther (played by a sparkling Janet Gaynor ) gets her big break when she meets Norman ( Fredric March ), a well-known actor on the verge of a steep downturn in his own career. You may be familiar with one of this movie's three remakes , which recast the main character as a singer. Watch this version for a nostalgic tour through the mythology of vintage Tinseltown.

Where to watch A Star Is Born : Amazon Prime Video

Director: William A. Wellman

Cast: Janet Gaynor, Fredric March

Related content: Everything you need to know about the 1937 version of A Star Is Born

The African Queen (1951)

A rock-ribbed missionary ( Katharine Hepburn ) and a grouchy, alcoholic steamboat captain ( Humphrey Bogart ) make an unlikely couple as they travel downriver in Africa at the dawn of World War I. The comic and romantic chemistry between Bogart and Hepburn turns The African Queen into a thrilling voyage, with both characters opening their eyes to new things — for her, the possibility of pleasure and adventure, and for him, finding a purpose beyond the next bottle. Her impetuous plan to sink a German gunboat provides a strong narrative hook that propels the two lovebirds into unexpectedly heroic roles.

Where to watch The African Queen : Amazon Prime Video

Director: John Huston

Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley

Related content: Humphrey Bogart's son addresses the clear parallels between The African Queen and Jungle Cruise

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

When bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) prays for heavenly guidance, his prayers are answered by the prompt arrival of Dudley (Cary Grant), a smooth-tongued angel who installs himself as the bishop's assistant. However, Dudley's plan to help the spiritually needy takes a turn when he develops feelings for Julia (Loretta Young), Henry's wife. A bishop/angel love triangle is an unusual premise, but the film, held together by Grant's effortless charm, manages to be both a romantic comedy and a careful fable about charity.

Where to watch The Bishop’s Wife : Amazon Prime Video

Director: Henry Koster

Cast: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven

The Blue Gardenia (1953)

Norah (Anne Baxter) doesn't remember everything that happened last night, but she's got a splitting hangover, and her date is found dead in his apartment after getting clubbed with a fireplace poker. Convinced that she's killed a man, Norah turns to a handsome newspaper columnist (Richard Conte) for help, who falls for her without realizing she's the one the police are looking for. It's a noir film with a straightforward mystery, but Baxter is convincing as the woman in distress. As a bonus, the movie includes a nightclub performance by Nat King Cole , cooing the title song. 

Where to watch The Blue Gardenia: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Fritz Lang

Cast: Anne Baxter, Richard Conte, Ann Sothern, Raymond Burr

Charade (1963)

A thrilling comedy romp through Paris, Charade sizzles with wit and hectic suspense. After Regina (Audrey Hepburn) learns that her estranged husband died mysteriously, she's threatened by several menacing men who demand an explanation for a cache of stolen money that she knows nothing about. The only person Regina can trust is a handsome stranger she meets by chance (a deliciously arch Cary Grant), although his name and motivations keep changing as she learns more about him. Hepburn and Grant play to their respective strengths, while the film transitions from silly to serious and back again.

Where to watch Charade : Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A ( read the review )

Director: Stanley Donen

Cast: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau

Funny Girl (1968)

This Broadway adaptation is a showcase for Barbra Streisand , who sings, acts, and roller-skates through the film with unstoppable energy. Funny Girl is based on the life of vaudeville artist Fanny Brice, tracking the rise of her career and her rocky relationship with professional gambler Nicky Arnstein ( Omar Sharif ). EW's critic praised Streisand's transition from the stage role, writing, "It’s amazing how cinematic her screen performance is, as she acts through standards like ‘People’ and ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ rather than just belting them out."

Where to watch Funny Girl : Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B+ ( read the review )

Director: William Wyler

Cast: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford

Related content: Lea Michele calls Funny Girl the 'role of a lifetime' ahead of final bow as Fanny Brice

Guys and Dolls (1955)

A high-class musical comedy about low-rent gamblers and seedy gangsters, Guys and Dolls transports the viewer to a colorful fantasy version of the New York underworld, where guys in flashy suits follow a single rule: no welshing on a bet. Nathan Detroit ( Frank Sinatra ) is trying to earn some dough, so he bets Sky Masterson ( Marlon Brando , in his only musical) that he can't make a date with the pious sister from the Save-a-Soul Mission (Jean Simmons). The showstopper is Brando's "Luck Be a Lady", delivered during a craps game in New York's cleanest sewer. 

Where to watch Guys and Dolls : Amazon Prime

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Cast: Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra

High Noon (1952)

Marshall Will Kane (Gary Cooper), freshly married and one day from retirement, gets word that a vicious killer is arriving on the noon train, gunning for the lawman. The movie unravels in real time, showing Kane seeking support from the townspeople who each have reasons to stay out of the fight. As the minutes tick by, Kane is forced to consider whether the town even deserves to be saved. This atypical Western focuses more on character development than gunplay, and the shootout at the climax ends in a surprisingly satisfying way. 

Where to watch High Noon : Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B ( read the review )

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Cast: Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges

His Girl Friday (1940)

Fast-talking editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is trying to win back his best reporter and ex-wife Hildy ( Rosalind Russell ) while chasing the latest big story in His Girl Friday , a sharp satire of the cutthroat newspaper game. Hildy plans to ditch the business and settle down with an insurance man, but Walter knows she's got newsprint ink in her veins — he just needs to get her on a juicy beat. It's obvious from the start that Walter and Hildy are a perfect match; they're the only two people who can keep up with each other.

Where to watch His Girl Friday : Amazon Prime Video

Director: Howard Hawks

Cast: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Usually considered a Christmas viewing tradition, the endearing and enduring It's a Wonderful Life is a joy to watch during any season. Jimmy Stewart stars as George Bailey, a man on the brink of suicide after giving up his dreams to support his family and his community. Upon wishing that he was never born, he attracts the attention of guardian angel Clarence Odbody, who listens to George's story and shows him what the world would be like without him. Director Frank Capra injects optimism and warmth into the dark premise, expressing the always-timely message that everyone is connected and everybody matters. 

Where to watch It's a Wonderful Life : Amazon Prime Video

Director: Frank Capra

Cast: Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed , Lionel Barrymore , Henry Travers

Related content: How It's a Wonderful Life devised a new form of fake snow that revolutionized the medium

The Little Foxes (1941)

Three scheming siblings jockey for money and power in The Little Foxes , a stirring melodrama starring Bette Davis as the villainous Regina. Their fight for control of a cotton mill consumes the family in a complex game of betrayal, blackmail, and loveless marriages, with the predatory Regina reigning above all. Davis' commanding performance garnered one of her five consecutive Oscar nominations for Best Actress, as she steals the show with an icy glare and a razor-sharp tongue. The callous climax in which  Regina tells her husband how she really feels about him is devastating — and fascinating.

Where to watch The Little Foxes : Amazon Prime Video

Cast: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright

Related content: Cynthia Nixon and Laura Linney in The Little Foxes : EW stage review

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance interrogates Old West myths with the help of legendary actors John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart. Idealistic lawyer Ranse Stoddard (Stewart) is beaten and robbed by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), the terror of the territory. Ranse wants to bring the outlaw to justice, but rancher Tom Doniphon (Wayne) knows that the only way to beat Valance is with a gun. Wayne's appealing swagger meets Stewart's incandescent outrage in emotionally charged set pieces that still resonate today, long after the Western genre hung up its spurs.

Where to watch The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance : Amazon Prime Video

Director: John Ford

Cast: John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Vera Miles , Lee Marvin

My Man Godfrey (1936)

My Man Godfrey is a gem of the screwball era, a social satire with rapid-fire witty dialogue. Carole Lombard plays Irene, the younger daughter in a family that's wealthy, though they’d rather you call them "eccentric." During a scavenger hunt, Irene discovers a "forgotten man" named Godfrey ( William Powell ), hires him as the new butler, and declares that he's her protégé. Godfrey takes to buttling and manages to tame the batty family — except for Irene, who keeps insisting that they love each other. 

Where to watch My Man Godfrey : Amazon Prime Video

Director: Gregory La Cava

Cast: William Powell, Carole Lombard, Gail Patrick

Related content: Matthew Broderick on a classic screwball comedy

Penny Serenade (1941)

Cary Grant and Irene Dunne play the doting parents of an adopted child in this sentimental favorite about the power of familial love. Roger and Julie fall in love and get married, but their dream of raising a child is dashed when Julie loses their unborn child during an earthquake. Hoping to adopt a two-year-old boy, they bring home a five-week-old girl instead — and fall head over heels in love with her. Their efforts to prove to the orphanage and the court that they're fit parents are both comical and deeply affecting.

Where to watch Penny Serenade : Amazon Prime Video

Director: George Stevens

Cast: Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Beulah Bondi, Edgar Buchanan

Royal Wedding (1951)

Royal Wedding is a big, splashy MGM musical featuring two famous solo routines by Fred Astaire : one in which he dances with a hatrack, and a spectacular bit of trick choreography that sends him dancing across the walls and ceiling of his hotel room. The story sees a brother and sister team (Astaire and Jane Powell ) take their Broadway show to London just in time for Princess Elizabeth's nuptials, where they each find a partner for singing, dancing, and romance. It's a cheerful little picture with just enough plot to get from one number to the next.

Where to watch Royal Wedding : Amazon Prime Video

Cast: Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah Churchill

Stagecoach (1939)

Stagecoach was John Wayne's breakthrough film, boosting him from B-movies and straight onto the A-list. The story concerns a group of strangers brought together by circumstance, traveling on a stage bound for New Mexico through dangerous Apache territory. The mixed bag of passengers includes a sex worker, a pregnant wife, an alcoholic doctor, a stuffy banker, a shifty gambler, and Wayne as Ringo the Kid, an escaped convict who's gunning for the men who killed his brother. Wayne shines in both quiet moments and the fast-paced chase sequence when the stagecoach is attacked. It was the first of many hard-fighting everyman roles for the Duke.

Where to watch Stagecoach : Amazon Prime Video

Cast: Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine

Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)

The only silent film on this list, Steamboat Bill Jr. is a true classic starring the king of deadpan physical comedy. Buster Keaton plays a gruff steamboat captain who is astonished when his son returns from college as a slim, mild-mannered sensitive type with a beret, a mustache, and a ukulele. Bill's attempts to toughen him up are continually undermined (even choosing the proper hat becomes a hilarious four-minute set piece). The cyclone sequence at the end notably includes one of Keaton's best-known stunts, in which he avoids being flattened by the falling front side of a house by standing right where an open window lands. 

Where to watch Steamboat Bill Jr : Amazon Prime Video

Director: Charles Reisner

Cast: Buster Keaton, Ernest Torrence, Marion Byron

Related content: Peter Bogdanovich's Buster Keaton doc The Great Buster resurrects a legend

Stella Dallas (1937)

Stella (Barbara Stanwyck), a working-class woman aspiring to a higher station, marries a rich man (John Boles) and has a daughter, Laurel. As Stella and Stephen drift apart, she puts all her energy into raising Laurel, ultimately making great sacrifices to give her daughter a better life. Stella Dallas is a great character piece for Stanwyck, who earned her first Academy Award nomination by nailing Stella's brassy, comedic side and her grand, tear-jerking devotion to her daughter's happiness. 

Where to watch Stella Dallas : Amazon Prime Video

Director: King Vidor

Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, Anne Shirley

Wuthering Heights (1939)

If you're going to watch an adaptation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights , we insist on the original: Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon 's 1939 masterpiece of doomed romance on the wild moors. Heathcliff and Catherine have loved each other since childhood, but their class difference separates them until Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights with a fortune, determined to win her away from her husband. Catherine and Heathcliff are passionate, frustrating, willful creatures, so entangled with love, hate, and revenge that it consumes them — and everyone around them. 

Where to watch Wuthering Heights : Amazon Prime Video

Cast: Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon, David Niven

Related content: The tragic history of the first Asian woman nominated for Best Actress, over 85 years before Michelle Yeoh

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3 underrated sci-fi movies on Amazon Freevee you should watch in April

Christine Persaud

While Amazon Prime Video is great, Amazon Freevee adds another level to the experience. That’s because the streaming service, formerly known as IMDb TV, can be accessed entirely for free, both with or without an Amazon Prime subscription. You only get personalized movie and TV recommendations when signed in to an Amazon account, but we have some suggestions for you, too.

The Invisible Man (2020)

The matrix resurrections (2021), the mist (2007).

If sci-fi is on the menu tonight or the next time you’re ready to relax with a good movie, we have scoured what’s available to highlight three underrated sci-fi movies on Amazon Freevee you should watch in April. You’ll have to deal with a few commercials here and there, but it’ll be worth it to check out these gems.

Elisabeth Moss ( The Handmaid’s Tale ) stars in this sci-fi horror movie as Cecilia, a woman terrified that her mad scientist ex-boyfriend Adrian ( Surface ‘s Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is using his new method of invisibility to stalk and gaslight her. She is convinced that even though he’s presumed dead by an apparent suicide, his violent and controlling ways continue to manipulate and haunt her. Is she going mad, did he fake his death to torment her while being invisible, or is his ghost after her?

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  • 3 sci-fi movies on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in April 2024

The Invisible Man is based on the H.G. Wells novel of the same name and serves as a reboot of the famous 1933 movie. This update offers a smart and fresh story that, beneath the surface, also examines topical issues like domestic abuse through a horrifyingly exaggerated lens.

Stream The Invisible Man on Amazon Freevee.

The Matrix film series arguably put Keanu Reeves on the map as a bona fide action superstar. The Matrix Resurrections is the fourth movie in the franchise and a direct sequel to The Matrix Revolutions , released in 2003. It’s set 60 years in the future, where Neo (Reeves) is living a mundane life as a video game developer. That is, until he is freed from this new version of the Matrix to complete an important mission: Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) is being held captive, and she needs his help.

The Matrix Resurrections has all the same excitement, complexity, and intrigue as the three previous movies, with a more mature storyline that pays full fan service to die-hards. Despite this, the movie did not perform well at the box office. The Matrix Resurrections is a sorely underrated resurrection (pun intended) of one of the biggest movie franchises ever, and fans of the originals should check it out or watch it again.

Stream The Matrix Resurrections on Amazon Freevee.

Created by Frank Darabont ( The Walking Dead ) and adapted from the 1980 Stephen King novella , The Mist is a sci-fi horror movie that shows off the talents of the two horror experts behind its story. Similar to The Walking Dead , The Mist is, on the surface, about monsters, but deeper down, it’s about the difficult decisions people make when their lives are on the line. The movie begins when a mist envelops the city, with evil creatures emerging from its darkness. The main characters are holed up in a local supermarket, and as tensions rise due to differing beliefs about what’s going on, why, and how to handle it, the situation becomes dire.

The Mist features several actors who went on to work with Darabont in The Walking Dead ’s first seasons, including Jeffrey DeMunn, Laurie Holden, Melissa McBride, and Juan Gabriel Pareja. Also among the cast are Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, and the late Andre Braugher. If you love Spielberg, The Walking Dead , and apocalyptic stories that are about survival and the human condition, The Mist will be a welcome addition to the watch list this month.

Stream The Mist on Amazon Freevee.

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Christine Persaud

HBO built its name off of the movies that it was able to bring to its premium cable channel, and that hasn't changed now that the service has extended its focus to streaming as Max. In this month alone, Max is offering subscribers such films as Black Swan, Elizabethtown, all of the Harry Potter movies, the Infernal Affairs trilogy, The Thomas Crown Affair, and many more. But for us, the one movie that you have to watch on Max in April is The Social Network, a 2010 drama that chronicles the founding of Facebook.

The Social Network is one of the best films by director David Fincher, and its tagline sums up the story pretty well: "You don't get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies." And if there's one thing that main character Mark Zuckerberg excels at in this film, it's making enemies on his way toward making a fortune. If you've never seen this movie before, here are five reasons why you should watch The Social Network on Max in April. Jesse Eisenberg plays a villain for our era

When William Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet that "there are more things in heaven and Earth ... than are dreamt of in your philosophy," he wasn't arguing that UFOs and unexplained phenomena are real. But it was an acknowledgement that there is a limit to what humanity can know and explain through science alone. The same basic principle applies centuries later to the new paranormal docuseries Files of the Unexplained, which has become one of the most popular shows on Netflix.

Shows like Files of the Unexplained aren't part of a new genre, and it's not even the only series like this on Netflix. So why is Files of the Unexplained such a big hit out of the gate, so much so that it replaced the high-profile -- and very expensive -- sci-fi show 3 Body Problem? In part, it's because Files of the Unexplained finds a way to speak to both skeptics and believers while also offering a glimpse at lesser-known incidents that don't easily fit into the little boxes that we call reality.

Despite the platform's very high subscriber counts, the best Amazon Prime Video original series are not held in the same regard as those from some other platforms. That's not to say that there aren't any good Amazon Originals, however. In fact, Amazon was the first streaming service to win an Emmy with Transparent.

Since then, however, Prime Video hasn't quite captured the zeitgeist with any of its offerings. That said, there are many quality series on Amazon. Although new ones don't hit the streamer with the same frequency as Netflix or Hulu, this list will help you get caught up on the considerable options available on the platform. Read on for the best Amazon Prime Video original series, including one new one. We’ve also rounded up the best Netflix original series and the best Hulu original series if Prime Video doesn’t have the originals you’re looking for.

Rachael Ray

We're Going On a Trip Around the World!

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IMAGES

  1. 21 Best Travel Movies That Will Inspire Your Wanderlust

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  2. 17 Travel movies on Netflix, you need to stream right now! (2022)

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  3. 50 Best Travel Movies For Travel Lovers

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  4. 11 Best Adventure Travel Movies

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  5. Best Travel Movies For Inspiration (You NEED To Watch These!)

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  6. The BEST films about travelling: all on Netflix UK or Prime

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COMMENTS

  1. 25 Best Travel Movies Of All Time (Films That Will Inspire You To

    Experiences, good and bad, make you who you are. And long term travel is FULL of new experiences. The key is to not completely get in over your head (like Christopher did). 2. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) R | 126 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama. 7.7.

  2. Amazon.com: Travel: Movies & TV

    Welcome To Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort. 2012. 148. Prime Video. From $299 to rent. From $7.99 to buy. Or $0.00 with a Prime membership.

  3. 9 best travel films you can watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime right now

    Eat, Pray, Love. Eat, Pray, Love. Image: Courtesy Netflix. There's no movie about travelling out there better than 'Eat, Pray, Love'. Embark on a journey with Elizabeth Gilbert (played by Julia Roberts) as she, newly divorced and at a crossroads in life, finds herself travelling around the world in hopes of self-discovery.

  4. 24 BEST travel movies on Netflix or Prime (2024 updated)

    15. 180° South (2010) A Netflix travel movie that follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces a legendary 1968 trip to Patagonia undertaken by his heroes, Yvon Choinard and Doug Tomkins. This film may get you packing your bags and jumping on a sailing boat to South America. You've been warned.

  5. Amazon.com: Travel Movies

    Select the department you want to search in ...

  6. The 17 best travel movies to stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime

    Letters To Juliet. Amanda Seyfried's Sophie is an aspiring writer who travels to Verona, Italy in a bid to unite Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) with her lover. While on her journey, though, she finds ...

  7. What Travel Movies to watch on Prime Video

    What Travel Movies to watch on Prime Video. Find what to watch on Prime Video including the latest releases. Filter by movies, TV shows, release years, genres and more. Filter. 46 results.

  8. 75+ Best Travel Movies to Inspire Your Wanderlust

    While we couldn't possibly list all the travel movies out there, here are a handful of more honorable mentions to add to your watch list: The Grand Budapest Hotel, comedy/drama. Away We Go, comedy/drama. Like Father, Netflix original comedy/drama. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, comedy/drama.

  9. 91+ Best Travel Movies of All Time: An Ultimate List

    CLASSIC TRAVEL MOVIES. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Casablanca (1942) Endless Summer (1966) Roman Holiday (1953) TRAVEL TV SHOWS. ... Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse (Amazon Prime) (1 Season, 2016) NATURE TRAVEL TV SHOWS. Planet Earth (2 Seasons, 2006) Planet Earth II (1 Season, 2016) Human Planet (1 Season, 2011)

  10. 55+ best travel movies to inspire wanderlust

    The Bucket List. With two of my favored stars and a message to live life to the greatest, the Bucket List is one fantastic travel movie. The phrase has actually been excessive used in the last few years, however the message never ever gets old. The Bucket List is the initial "live your dreams currently" travel film.

  11. You need to watch the best time-travel movie on Amazon Prime ASAP

    The History of Time Travel is streaming now on Amazon Prime in the U.S. This article was originally published on Feb. 13, 2021. From 'Avengers: Endgame' to 'Looper,' any fictional story about time ...

  12. The best time travel movies you can watch right now

    A roundup of the best time travel movies available to stream and download, from 'Palm Springs' to 'Avengers: Endgame', 'Back to the Future' and 'Primer'.

  13. Top 100 Time Travel Movies

    1. Back to the Future (1985) PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi. 8.5. Rate. 87 Metascore. Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.

  14. The 16 Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

    Fittingly enough, Sound of Metal also features incredibly nuanced use of sound—and its absence—as director Darius Marder crafts one of the finest dramas in recent years. Watch on Amazon. From ...

  15. 19 must-watch movies for travel enthusiasts

    As the movie is set in the Austrian Alps, many individuals have traveled to the filming locations in Salzburg. Rating: G. Where to watch: Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

  16. Amazon.com: Time Travel

    Prime Video. From $379 to rent. $12.99 to buy. Or $0.00 with a Max trial on Prime Video Channels. Starring: Paul Walker , Frances O'Connor , Gerard Butler , et al. Directed by: Richard Donner.

  17. Best new Time Travel movies in 2024 & 2023 (Netflix, Prime, Hulu

    List of the latest time travel movies in 2024 and the best time travel movies of 2023 & the 2010's. Top time travel movies to watch on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+ & other Streaming services, out on DVD/Blu-ray or in cinema's right now.

  18. The 23 best time travel movies of all time

    Edge of Tomorrow (2014) Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in 'Edge of Tomorrow.'. David James/Warner Bros. Time loop movies need some incredible editing in order to really succeed, and Doug Liman 's ...

  19. The Best Time Travel Movies & TV Shows Of 2022 (So Far)

    Paper Girls (2022 - ) Paper Girls is Stand By Me on a time travel road trip and with the tiniest dose of Pacific Rim. Directed by Stephany Folsom and based on the comic book by Brian K. Vaughan, the Amazon Prime series follows four young girls — Erin Tieng (Riley Lai Nelet), Tiffany Quilkin (Camryn Jones), Mac Coyle (Sofia Rosinsky), and KJ ...

  20. 15 Amazing Time Travel Movies and Where to Stream Them

    Malcolm McDowell plays the iconic H.G. Wells in our next pick for best time travel movies where he builds a time machine to travel to a paradise of the future. Unfortunately, Jack the Ripper ...

  21. The 25 Greatest Time-Travel Movies Ever Made

    24. Happy Death Day (2017) Pick away at the surface of a time-loop movie and you find a horror movie. Most of the entries on this list are covered in enough feel-good spin to land as comedies, but ...

  22. The 20 best classic movies on Amazon Prime (April 2024)

    Tired of FX-heavy blockbusters? You can travel back to a simpler film era via Amazon Prime's extensive library of classic movies. Whether you're in the mood for a laugh-out-loud screwball comedy ...

  23. The 10 Best Time Travel Movies, Ranked

    Time travel movies often explore the concept of changing the past or glimpsing into the future, but they typically conclude that meddling with time is not advisable. The rules of time travel in movies play a crucial role in determining the validity and success of the film, and scientific accuracy is just one factor in making the audience ...

  24. 3 underrated sci-fi movies on Amazon Freevee to watch in April

    Universal Pictures. While Amazon Prime Video is great, Amazon Freevee adds another level to the experience. That's because the streaming service, formerly known as IMDb TV, can be accessed ...

  25. Amazon.com: Time Travel Movies

    1-16 of over 5,000 results for "time travel movies" Results. The Time Machine (2002) 2002 | PG-13 | CC. 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,781. Prime Video. From $2.99 $ 2. 99 to rent. From $9.99 to buy. ... Free With Prime: Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy : Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands: Amazon Warehouse Great Deals on Quality Used Products :

  26. We're Going On a Trip Around the World!

    We're Going On a Trip Around the World! Available on Hallmark Movies Now, Prime Video. Chef Ronnie Woo is Making a Greek Chicken Dinner Inspired by His Summer Vacation! Then-Lifestyle Expert Chi-Lan Lieu Has the Hottest Travel Must-Haves! Plus -Rachael's Making the Dish She Made at Home in Italy!

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    Online shopping from a great selection at Movies & TV Store. ... 1-16 of over 10,000 results for "time travel movies" Results. TIME IS UP. 2021 | CC. 3.7 out of 5 stars. 1,446. Prime Video. From $2.99 $ 2. 99 to rent. ... Free With Prime: Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy: Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands: Amazon Warehouse