12 Best Movies Like Uncharted

It wasn't long ago that Hollywood was leery of turning video games into movies, and for good reason. After all, the medium had been the source of some serious box office flops, and even the ones that weren't awful were rarely blockbusters. That's changed in recent years, with "Uncharted" proving to be another in a string of box office hits based on wildly popular video game franchises.

The film stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, a bartender who gets swept up in a grand adventure after he's approached by relic hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) for his help in locating Magellan's lost treasure. To find it, they'll have to do some serious sleuthing, uncover clues, and put the pieces of a 500-year-old puzzle back together, all before a rival mercenary gets there first. But their greatest enemy might be each other, as Drake and Sullivan can't seem to get out of each other's way.

The latest in a long line of high-adventure action movies that send their heroes on epic, globe-trotting quests, "Uncharted" has plenty of fellow films that you should be watching. So pack your bags, strap on a sidearm, and get ready for adventure, because we've unearthed 12 movies to curb your appetite while you wait for Uncharted 2.

"Uncharted" may be based on a popular video game, but it's heavily inspired by a lineage of pulp adventure movies that goes back decades. And while "Indiana Jones" didn't exactly birth the genre — itself being heavily influenced by adventure serials of the 1930s — it did usher the globe-trotting, treasure-hunting adventure into the '80s and beyond.

Released in the summer of 1981, "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" introduced the world to Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones, a whip-wielding relic hunter on the prowl for the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, which is said to possess incredible power. Set in the 1930s, Indy has to go up against Nazis to find it and stop them from unleashing it in their quest to rule the world. Thankfully, he has the help of an old flame (Karen Allen) and an old friend (John Rhys-Davies) in his battle with French mercenary Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman), who's been hired by the aforementioned Nazis to find the Ark before Jones.

While it lacks some of the humor of "Uncharted," taking a more serious tone at times, the adventure "Raiders" brought to the silver screen has never been beaten. Car chases, foot races, death-defying stunts, and even the supernatural all combine to give us one of the greatest action movies ever made.

If you've just finished "Uncharted" and are looking for the next best movie to put on your watchlist, the easy go-to is 2018's "Tomb Raider." Sure, if you like the camp of "Uncharted," you'd probably be fine queuing up either of the previous "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" films starring Angelina Jolie, but the Alicia Vikander-led reboot is, to put it simply, much better. Like "Uncharted," it's based on a wildly popular video game series, and like Nathan Drake, Lara Croft is a globe-trotting treasure hunter whose long-lost family member provides the motivation for her quest.

"Tomb Raider" stars Vikander as Croft, whose wealthy father, Lord Richard Croft, has recently died. When she inherits his sprawling estate, though, Lara discovers a hidden room housing a message revealing that her father's research into Himiko, a powerful ancient queen, may have led to his death. Despite being warned not to follow in his footsteps, Lara does just that, beginning a dangerous journey around the world to find Himiko's tomb and, hopefully, discover what happened to her father.

Like "Uncharted," the story is secondary in "Tomb Raider" — what you really come for is the action, and it's spectacular. With thrilling chase sequences, nail-biting stunts, and fight scenes that would make Indiana Jones proud, "Tomb Raider" is a faithful adaptation, and one that will have you cheering for Lara Croft long before the end credits roll.

Following the overwhelming success of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," Hollywood created a cottage industry of ridiculous Indiana Jones rip-offs. Most were garbage, but a few managed to rise above the rest, and "Romancing the Stone" is the best of the bunch. If you loved "Uncharted" but want something with a little bit of romance for a night in with your partner, this is the one to watch.

Half rom-com, half "Indiana Jones"-style adventure, "Romancing the Stone" has it all. Taking place somewhere deep in the Colombian jungle, we meet Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner), a romance author from the Big Apple who finds herself on a desperate quest to save her sister from the clutches of villainous kidnappers. One brush with death later, she crosses paths with adventurer Jack Colton (Michael Douglas), a brash gun-for-hire whom she soon enlists for a daring trek to free her sibling ... and maybe find a little fortune along the way.

Released in 1984, "Romancing the Stone" is not just one of the best movies like "Uncharted," but one of the best adventure movies ever put on the silver screen. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, who would go on to helm the '80s classic "Back to the Future" a year later and "Forrest Gump" some time after that, the filmmaker's signature breezy style and clever dialogue are on full display. Fans of "Uncharted" looking for a bit of a throwback that still delivers on hordes of action, adventure, and a bit of smooching won't be disappointed.

Though "Uncharted" sent Tom Holland's Nathan Drake on a journey to uncover the most elusive treasures from around the globe, there's plenty of fame and fortune to be discovered right here at home. In 2004's "National Treasure," historian and treasure hunter Benjamin Gates (Nicolas Cage) knows this well, as he makes it his life's mission to hunt down a trove of priceless artifacts that date back to the earliest days of American history.

Of course, actually finding those treasures is much easier said than done, and it will take some serious sleuthing if he's going to finish his latest quest — which just so happens to involve a high-profile theft of the Declaration of Independence. Complicating matters, Gates isn't the only one looking for this treasure; he has competition in the form of rival mercenary Ian Howe (Sean Bean), who wants the document's secrets for himself so that he can beat Gates to the ultimate prize: a horde of priceless hidden treasure that was stashed away by the founding fathers during the American Revolution.

Full of pulp-inspired adventure, complemented by a deep dive into American history, "National Treasure" plays on our love of lost treasures and conspiracy theories. While Cage's film sticks to locations in the United States, it delivers an epic adventure on the level of "Uncharted" while adding a distinctly American flavor that makes it a fist-pumping adventure all its own.

Mix the high adventure of "Uncharted" with some serious James Bond vibes, and you'll get "Heart of Stone." An original story from prolific comic book scribe Greg Rucka — the same man behind Charlize Theron's "The Old Guard" — and co-writer Allison Schroeder, the film turns Gal Gadot from an Amazonian warrior into a first-rate international super-spy. From a Bond-like opening credit sequence to the slick action stunts that open the movie and never seem to let up, "Heart of Stone" is non-stop adventure, just like "Uncharted."

Gadot plays Rachel Stone, an agent of a clandestine intelligence agency known only as "the Charter." Its goal is to maintain world peace, but the organization serves no single government. Its agents, including Stone, are guided by a revolutionary artificial intelligence called the Heart, which feeds them real-time information and analysis to aid in their missions. Stone and her team's latest quest is to go up against rival agents who want to destroy the Charter and take possession of the Heart for their own ends — which, of course, is world domination.

It may be missing the ancient relics that sit at the center of movies like "Uncharted" and "Tomb Raider," but "Heart of Stone" has the same adventure-fueled spirit. Throw in a little "Mission: Impossible" and the slick action of "Extraction," and you have a film that sits among the finest Netflix adventures.

There was a time when audiences laughed at the idea of a first-rate action movie being adapted from a video game. Well, the same was once true for movies based on theme park rides, but all that changed when Disney turned "Pirates of the Caribbean" into a blockbuster franchise. One of the studio's subsequent efforts, "Jungle Cruise," might be the most underrated in this category, a top-notch family adventure with a star-studded cast led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt.

Blunt plays Dr. Lily Houghton, a medical scientist and botanist searching for the legendary Lágrimas de Cristal tree, which is said to be located somewhere in South America. It's believed to possess life-giving and life-saving flora, which could change the field of medicine forever. But as a woman in 1916, Houghton isn't permitted to pursue her research, and so she takes it upon herself to go looking for the mythical tree, hiring notorious Amazon River guide, steamboat captain, and huxter Frank Wolff to ferry her through the perilous region.

A gloriously delightful family-friendly romp, "Jungle Cruise" wasn't a box office hit, but it should have been. If you like "Uncharted," it has everything you're looking for, from its thrilling treasure hunt to high seas adventure and a pair of charismatic performances from its charming leads.

When it comes to pulp adventure movies, each generation has its favorite. In the '80s, it was "Indiana Jones," and in the 2000s, it was "National Treasure." Well, in the late '90s, there was no better pulp adventure than "The Mummy," a film that took the spooky scares of the classic Universal monster and infused them with good ol' fashion daring-do. Like "Uncharted," it centers on a rogue adventurer out to find an ancient treasure wherever his journey across the globe takes him.

The year is 1926, and librarian, historian, and researcher Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) is in Cairo searching for Hamunaptra, the ancient City of the Dead. She has a stolen relic that could point the way, but in order to use it, she'll need the help of its former owner, French Foreign Legionnaire and treasure hunter Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser). Eager to find the fortune supposedly housed in Hamunaptra, Rick and Evelyn team up in a race to find the lost city before a group of rivals gets there first. But when they mistakenly release an ancient Egyptian spirit, Imhotep, they have a lot more to worry about than a simple quest for buried treasure.

A crowd-pleaser of the highest order, "The Mummy" reignited the pulp adventure genre at the turn of the millennium. It influenced many that would follow, including "Uncharted," though its sequels and reboots have all failed to recapture the magic of the 1999 original.

"Uncharted" is one of the best movies that escaped development hell, surviving more than a decade of being tossed around by various scriptwriters and studio executives. If they had ever considered changing the setting to the future and making it a sci-fi treasure hunt, the result would've looked a lot like "Infinite," a 2021 streaming original that also stars Mark Wahlberg.

Wahlberg stars as Evan McCauley, a troubled man with a history of schizophrenia who is recruited by an enigmatic group of individuals who call themselves the Infinites. Led by Nora Brightman (Sophie Cookson), the Infinites claim that past lives are real and that they possess the ability to recall their previous incarnations. Worse still, a group known as the Nihilists also has this ability and plans to use a device that McAuley created in his previous life to destroy the world. Now, it's a race against time to find said device, known as the Egg, that McCauley's previous self had hidden away to ensure the Nihilists never found it.

A fast-paced, sci-fi adventure, "Infinite" is a high-concept version of "Uncharted," complete with an epic quest and a race to find the secret location of a great treasure.

2008's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" is often credited with ruining Brendan Fraser's career, but that very same summer, Fraser starred in another, much better adventure movie, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." It features a very "Uncharted"-like story of a man on a quest, but this time he gets much more than he bargained for, discovering a mythical ancient world beneath our very feet.

The film is a very loose adaptation of the classic 19th-century novel by Jules Verne, "Journey to the Center of the Earth," and, believe it or not, the book itself actually has a role in the film. This version of the story is led by volcanologist Trevor Anderson (Fraser), who is determined to find out what happened to his long-lost brother, who disappeared a decade earlier after finding clues in a copy of the Verne novel. Anderson's nephew, Sean (Josh Hutcherson), tags along, and before you know it, they're off on an adventure they never expected, stumbling upon a fantastical world filled with wonders beyond imagination.

Though "Journey" was overshadowed in 2008 by the likes of "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight," it was nonetheless a solid action-adventure. And while Fraser didn't return, it got a 2012 sequel that starred Dwayne Johnson.

"Uncharted" may not be the kind of movie you want to watch with your little ones, but if you'd like to get your kids into something similar, look no further than "Dora and the Lost City of Gold," a big-screen adaptation of the Nickelodeon favorite "Dora the Explorer." The beauty of this is that it's just as fun for adults as it is for kids, as the film embraces the absurdity of its premise and even breaks the fourth wall a few times to gently mock the children's cartoon that it's based on.

Released in 2019, "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" stars Isabela Merced as Dora, a naive teenage girl who behaves like she's five. She lives in the Peruvian rain forests with her parents, jungle explorers Cole and Elena Márquez (Michael Peña and Eva Longoria), a pair of jungle explorers who have spent years searching for the fabled Lost City of Gold. Dora mostly just has fun with her brother and her pet monkey, but after being sent back to the United States, Dora learns that her parents have been kidnapped by mercenaries, and it's up to her to rescue them and find the Lost City of Gold.

With its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, "Dora" is a genuinely hysterical goofball adventure, no matter what age you are. It's also the perfect companion for "Uncharted" fans who want to get their kids hooked on action-adventure movies.

There's no "Dora," but "The Lost City" is a movie that "Uncharted" fans will appreciate for combining adventure and sarcastic wit. It stars Sandra Bullock as Loretta Sage, a novelist whose past as an archeologist and researcher heavily influenced her current hit novel series centered on rogue adventurer Dash McMahon. Essentially, her books are the very same kinds of stories that you'd find in movies like "Uncharted," with quests for hidden treasures and legendary, mythical locations.

While on a book tour to promote her latest release, Loretta is joined by Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum), the model who portrays Dash McMahon on her book covers, and the two don't seem to get along. Soon, Loretta is kidnapped by the villainous Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), who believes she knows how to find the fabled lost city and its treasure. To rescue her, Alan calls upon his old friend and CIA Agent Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), and the two set off on an epic quest to get the treasure and save the girl. 

Like in "Uncharted," where half the fun is the on-screen chemistry of its two stars — Holland and Wahlberg — "The Lost City" is a fairly bog-standard adventure elevated by Bullock and Tatum, who dazzle on the screen. Sorely underappreciated, thanks to its high adventure and endearing romance, the film has been compared to fellow recommendation "Romancing the Stone."

A beloved '80s cult classic, "Big Trouble in Little China" takes the pulp adventure of "Indiana Jones" and throws in a healthy dose of comedy, much like "Uncharted." The John Carpenter film is led by the director's "Escape From New York" star, Kurt Russell, who plays the devilishly charming Jack Burton, a long-haul trucker who finds himself dragged into an ancient battle beneath the streets of San Francisco.

Much like Nathan Drake, Burton is a headstrong adventurer, but he's also something of a bumbling, dimwitted buffoon who often doesn't even know what's going on around him. But he'll need whatever wits he has when his best friend's fiancée, Miao Yin (Suzee Pai), is kidnapped by a gang of thugs. Chasing them beneath Chinatown, Burton uncovers a hidden mystical world where a group of fanatics are attempting to sacrifice Miao Yin to resurrect their ancient master, a deadly sorcerer named Lo Pan (James Hong).

"Big Trouble in Little China" is far more of a comedy than "Uncharted" and has more of a supernatural bent as well. But with its devil-may-care hero and epic adventure involving an ancient world, there's a good chance it'll end up high on your list of movie favorites if you loved the Tom Holland video game adaptation.