A good adventure movie is cinema at its best, transporting viewers into an entirely different world, if only for a few hours.
Think about some of the best adventure movies of all time: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future — they’re exciting, engaging films that pull viewers into their worlds from the start and don’t let go until the end credits.
Good adventures aren’t necessarily about traveling the world, though. Sure, that’s what we tend to think of, but you can have an adventure even in a small location — it’s all about discovery.
With Jurassic World set to release on June 12, you might be looking for adventure movies to satisfy your cravings. So here are some of the best adventure movies on Netflix.
Best Adventure Movies on Netflix: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is an adventure movie in the classic, Indiana Jones sense. A British aristocrat, Lara prefers to spend her time digging through ancient ruins rather than socializing with her peers. Her excursions make Tomb Raider one of the best adventure movies on Netflix.
The plot of Tomb Raider follows Lara as she travels across the globe, racing against a secret society in search of artifacts that can control time. She’s forced to rely on her wits and make uneasy alliances to stay ahead of the competition.
Sure, the plot may roughly resemble a pasta strainer, but if you’re watching adventure movies for the consistency of the plot, you’re missing the point.
Angelina Jolie does an admirable job in the role of the iconic video game character. Plus, fans of Casino Royale and Skyfall get a glimpse at Daniel Craig half a decade before he became James Bond, and Game of Thrones fans get to see Iain Glen facing off against Lara long before he served Khaleesi as Ser Jorah.
Tomb Raider is worthwhile viewing for fans of archaeology, mystical plot devices and Angelina Jolie.
Best Adventure Movies on Netflix: Kill Bill
In fairness, Kill Bill is a lot of things. It’s part Western, part Japanese revenge flick, and part uncategorizable mishmash. But it’s also one of the best adventure movies to watch on Netflix.
Technically, there are two parts to Kill Bill, but we’re counting it as one awesome, cohesive flick, as Tarantino intended it. (Both parts are available to watch on Netflix.) Together, they tell the story of “The Bride,” played with amazing versatility by Uma Thurman, who has declared revenge on the people who tried to kill her at her wedding.
(She lived, obviously.)
The film was Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to pretty much every movie he’s ever loved, filled with more references and homages than most of us can count. It’s a weird blend of genres, and, if we’re being honest, it probably shouldn’t work at all.
But somehow it does, weaving together a powerful narrative about revenge and identity.
Best Comedy Adventure Movies on Netflix: Zoolander
Yeah, yeah — I know. It’s not an adventure movie. It’s a comedy. It’s Zoolander, for crying out loud.
But you know what? It’s all of those things. Yes, it’s silly and goofy and frankly quite ridiculous, but there’s an adventure in the middle of all that silliness. It’s set in the seemingly small world of male modeling, but throughout the movie, Derek Zoolander discovers a whole lot about himself and the world around him.
Plus, you get brainwashing sequences, secret societies, a bunch of weird and somewhat dated cameos … and a freak gasoline fight accident. Sounds like an adventure to me.
Sure, purists might scoff at Zoolander being put on a list of the best adventure movies on Netflix, but there’s no denying that the film takes Derek Zoolander on quite the journey.
And with Zoolander 2 set to come out next year — a full 15 years after the original flick — fans can rejoice in the fact that the journey’s not over yet.
Best Adventure Movies on Netflix: Star Trek Into Darkness
“Space: the final frontier.”
Those four words are about as adventurous as you get, and they have been behind the Star Trek franchise from the beginning. While Star Trek Into Darkness might lean more heavily on action than adventure, it’s still one of the best adventure movies on Netflix.
Following Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Star Trek Into Darkness is a remarkably fun film in a time where scope and spectacle tend to be higher priorities than, y’know…audience enjoyment. Director J.J. Abrams wisely spends enough time with the characters to get us invested in them and proceeds to take them to bold, exciting places.
Admittedly, there are a few unnecessary moments, which is always a risk for big-budget blockbusters, and longtime Trekkies may be disappointed by the familiarity of the plot. But overall, Star Trek Into Darkness offers viewers an exciting sci-fi adventure.
Adam Benjamin is an Assistant Editor at InvestorPlace. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities, nor did he own any Hattori Hanzo steel.
