81 BEST Travel Movies To Watch for Travel Inspiration!

Inspiration to travel to Europe

Although this is a bit of a raunchy teen comedy, it’s a one of the most hilarious movies about trip for teens. The movie starts with a short cameo from Matt Damon singing the classic “Scotty Doesn’t Know,” which came from this Eurotrip travel movie. After Scotty finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him, he takes off to Europe with three friends to track down his long-lost German pen pal. They also come across European nude beaches, sex dungeons, and crazy European raves. I loved this movie in 2004 and still love watching and laughing over 15 years later.

Inspiration to travel to Greece

Although this movie isn’t technically about traveling, it’s a genuine laugh out loud feel-good movie that will have you itching to book your next flight to the Greek Islands. The story follows Mia, a thirty-something single woman seeking a better life. All seems well when you insert John Corbett as the love interest…until he has to meet Mia’s entire Greek family. 

Inspiration to travel to Greece

I’m not sure there is a movie that makes me want to book a trip to Greece faster than Mamma Mia (even though most of it was filmed in Croatia!). It even inspired us to get married on the Greek Islands.

There’s dancing, there’s gorgeous men, there’s Greek islands, or and there’s ABBA! I love the original Mamma Mia but even Mamma Mia Here We Go Again, will have you looking up flights to the Greek Islands!

Inspiration to travel to Singapore

New comedy doesn’t get much better than Crazy Rich Asians. Crazy Rich Asians is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years. What’s even better is that it has an Asian cast! The story follows a Chinese-American professor who travels to meet her (unbeknownst to her) rich boyfriend’s family in Singapore.

It’s a feel-good comedy with many underlying messages in the film. Well worth a watch – especially if you are traveling to Asia any time soon!

Inspiration to travel to Greece

I haven’t met many American girls that haven’t seen The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. This film is the story of four friends who share a bond with each other one summer even though they are not with each other.

Their bond is formed through a pair of pants that miraculously fits all of their body sizes. Strange and good things happen when they wear pants in different parts of the world. I believe this film put the now famous village of Oia in Santorini, Greece, on the map. Just watch it, and you’ll see why.

Inspiration to travel to India

It’s never too late for change, and this is one of those amazing movies about trip you can’t help but love. A dynamic group of elderly British strangers comes together to retire at a picturesque hotel in India.

Upon arrival, they discover that the manager is struggling to fulfill his promises to the hotel. Each individual finds there are joys and hardships in their new life. 

Inspiration to travel to India

Wes Anderson is probably one of our favorite directors, and it takes seconds to realize you’re watching one of his films. This one is on our list, given its awesome setting, as three brothers attempt to reconcile and travel across India on a train. 

Inspiration to travel to Thailand

Many of you have likely seen the original Hangover. A hilarious movie about four friends who end up having a crazy hangover in Vegas. Well, of course, they made a second one, which isn’t nearly as good but does take you around Thailand! It’s a proper bad comedy travel movie.

Inspiration to travel to Paris

Midnight in Paris is set in…Paris and will give you serious wanderlust to travel to France’s capital. It follows Gil (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter who travels back in time each night to the 1920s and meets notable people from the decade. This travel movie is for you if you are a romanticist or seeking a nostalgic feeling.

Inspiration to travel to Japan

Memoirs of a Geisha was a controversial movie in Japan when it was released in 2005. This is due to its depiction of Geisha selling their virginity and the cast of Chinese actresses.

I still find it a fascinating movie that gives you a glimpse into Geisha culture – the Hollywood entertainment way. The film, which is based on the book of the same name, follows Sayuri as she navigates her way through life in Gion as a Maiko and Geisha pre-WWII.

This travel movie has a fabulous soundtrack that will transport you to Japan and stunning visuals that reel you into pre-war Kyoto. It’s a must-watch before any trip to Japan. I also love to play the soundtrack every time I visit Japan!

Inspiration to travel everywhere

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of our favorite movies of all time. David Fincher provides brilliant direction, beautiful cinematography, and interesting views on life in this epic film (looking at young Brad Pitt also helps).

Benjamin is a man born in reverse. As he ages backward, he watches people he loves die before him, travels the world, and falls in love. Although this movie isn’t technically about traveling, it follows Benjamin around the world and has jaw-dropping visuals. This film will leave you with serious wanderlust and thought-provoking lessons.

Inspiration to travel to Southeast Asia

A beautiful true story of a family caught in Thailand during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. They are separated during the chaos of the disaster and must fight their way back to each other. Not all vacations are a dream come true, and your loved ones are ultimately the most important things. 

Inspiration to travel to US cities

Up in the Air stars Mr. Handsome (George Clooney) as Ryan Bingham. He is a corporate downsizer, or in other words, someone who is sent to fire people for large cooperations. It was made in 2009, right after the 2008 financial crisis and although it doesn’t explicitly touch on the crisis it’s one of the few films to even branch into the topic.

Ryan travels a lot for this job and will take you all around the USA with him. Some key cities you’ll see are Omaha, Las Vegas, Miami, and Detroit.

Inspiration to travel to India

If there’s a film that will make you want to go to India, Slumdog Millionaire is it. Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2008 and won 8, including Best Picture, so you know it’s a good travel movie!

The film tells the story of Jamal Malik, a poor boy from Mumbai, and his journey through life in India as he is simultaneously on the hit show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Inspiration to travel to India

Lion is another movie starring Dev Patel (slightly older and more handsome). Lion is about a young, poor Indian boy that became lost as a child and was adopted by a Western Family, ultimately given a chance at a better life.

Flash forward to his older years, and he longs to find his birth mother in India and sets out to find her. It’s a tear-jerker but well worth the tears.

Inspiration to travel to Spain

A heartwarming film tells the story of a father who must recover the body of his son who died in a storm on the Camino de Santiago. The Camino is a famous pilgrimage route in Spain and France that many adventurers take now, and this might inspire you to embark on the pilgrimage yourself.

Inspiration to travel to Italy

Call Me By Your Name is a coming-of-age romantic drama set in Northern Italy. It stars Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer as two young men that form a bond one summer.

Many scenes will make you appreciate the beauty of young love, the Italian countryside, and the Italian city of Bergamo.

Inspiration to travel to Japan

This movie is about feeling lost in time, place, life, and a foreign city. Charlotte and Bob are two travelers stuck in Tokyo for various reasons, forming an unlikely bond. It is a beautiful film with Bill Murray at his best.

Inspiration to travel to France and India

A feel-good story about an Indian family who moves to France for a new life. They set up a new restaurant right across the street (one hundred feet) from a competing restaurant. The two restaurant owners feud before finding some mutual ground. This movie makes you want to jump on a plane to France, eat your heart out, and also go to India!

Inspiration to travel to Ireland

If there is a movie that makes us want to book a one-way ticket to Ireland, it’s P.S. I Love You with Gerard Butler and Hillary Swank. I loved this movie in 2007, and I still love it now. The movie follows Holly, who receives a letter from her deceased Irish husband, who died young. The movie has flashbacks of their time together, including when they met in Ireland.

PS I Love You has a fabulous score that makes you feel like you are running through the Irish countryside. I loved this movie so much that I even made it a point to visit some of the filming locations on my first trip to Ireland.

Inspiration to travel to Italy

Who hasn’t wanted to run away and buy a villa in the countryside of Florence? I sure did after seeing this movie. Frances, a recent divorcee, decides to leave her shattered life behind in the US in search of happiness in Italy. She now must rebuild her new house and life under the Tuscan sun. 

Inspiration to travel the Pacific Ocean

Based on a true story, Adrift tells the story of a young couple crossing the Pacific Ocean when their plans are shattered by a hurricane. They must then find their way to land with a ruined boat and no radio.

It’s a story of survival that may make you want to sail around the world…or not.

Inspiration to travel to Spain

Sometimes I hate to admit my love for Woody Allen films. In Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a group of beautiful people finds their way together in Spain. I love this movie cause it will make you want to go to Europe and fall in love. 

Inspiration to travel to England and the US

Watch The Holiday around Christmas time and instantly get hooked. This film follows two women in the US and England who house-swap and find love in unsuspecting places.

Inspiration to travel to Italy, India, and Bali

Eat, Pray, Love is one of those staple movies that makes every “best travel movie” list. Based on the real-life book, Eat Pray Love follows a middle-aged woman having a mid-life crisis and decides to leave it all to eat in Italy, pray in India, and love in Bali. I believe this film really put Bali on the worldwide map!

Inspiration to travel to Polynesia

You’ll be singing sweet Polynesian melodies after watching Disney’s Moana. This 3D film tells the story of Moana, a headstrong woman who wants to break away from her safe Polynesian life and sets out on an adventure in search of Maui, the legendary demigod (voiced by The Rock), to help save her people.

Even though it’s one of the newer Disney films, it’s one of my all-time favorites to watch and makes me dream of traveling around Polynesia.

Inspiration to travel everywhere

Chances are you’ve seen the classic movie Forrest Gump. But did you think of it as a travel movie? Many of the locations in this movie take you back to important moments in history worldwide. The story follows Forrest Gump through several decades in his life, many events are historical moments.

Inspiration to travel to South America

This 2009 Disney film has been stealing the hearts of many for years. I personally think this is one of Disney’s best films. It’s a feel-good movie about an elderly man that fulfills his and his deceased wife’s dream of traveling to Paradise Falls in South America.

Paradise Falls is made to replicate Angel Falls in Venezuela, the tallest waterfall in the world! Along the way, he finds new friends, struggles, and a whole appreciation for life. The opening is one of the most heartbreaking and incredible examples of cinematic storytelling.

Inspiration to travel to Jamaica and Canada

Chances are you have seen Cool Runnings. And if you haven’t, what on earth are you waiting for? This was one of Disney’s first major sports films, and it’s based on the true story of the 1988 Jamaican Bobsled Team.

The team travels from warm and sunny Jamaica to frigid Calgary to compete in the Olympics. Depending on whether you want warmth or cold, you’ll be begging someone to take you to Jamaica or Canada!

Inspiration to travel everywhere

I feel like this movie needs a special mention. It got highly criticized when it was released but was easily one of my favorite movies of 2012 and of all time. The film has multiple plot lines across many characters and many eras. It jumps to different locations around the world and is visually captivating.

The theme centers around reincarnation, love, and loss. It’s hard to even give a complete summary of the science fiction film. Be patient. It may take a couple of watches to comprehend the 3-hour movie. It may not be the best travel movie per se, but it’s an all-time favorite of ours.

Inspiration to travel to New Zealand

New Zealand was well known for its natural beauty, but never before had it been highlighted so spectacularly on the big screen as in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Inspiration to travel to Jordan

An epic classic, this film is a must-see before you die. Whether interested in travel or not, Lawrence of Arabia is visually stunning and has a timeless score. It depicts the true story of T. E. Lawrence during his time in the Arabian Peninsula in WWI. Lawrence adapts his western ways and begins to accept and conform to the traditions of the Arabian people.

It shows that your mindset completely changes when you are thrown into new countries and environments. The film was shot in Wadi Rum in Jordan and has inspired many visits there – including ours!

Inspiration to travel to Thailand

This one has mixed emotions, as it’s a bad movie. That being said, it’s a tremendous book (one of the best travel books). We’re also big fans of the author Alex Garland and, of course, Leonardo Dicaprio. The film does a pretty good job of portraying travel the way it used to be not so long ago. No internet, no Instagram, no endless photo-taking and selfie sticks.

It follows Richard, a young man, who travels to Thailand and ends up searching and finding a lost island paradise, but some weird things are going on here. Take my suggestion and read the book first – the movie second.

Inspiration to travel to France

Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and Alfred Hitchcock in a film set along the French Riviera. It follows a former cat burglar on vacation as an imposter works his way along with them. With authorities in pursuit, he must work to clear his name.

Inspiration to travel everywhere

Several films left a lasting impact on me, but the short documentary series Planet Earth changed my life. Upon its release, I was just graduating high school and didn’t know about the world around me.

But I could watch the Planet Earth Series and see the beauty from all over the globe. It certainly helps that Sir David Attenborough is the narrator of the whole series. His work has inspired the world to treasure our natural spaces.

Inspiration to travel everywhere

Our Planet is very similar to Planet Earth, just a little newer and on Netflix, but still narrated by David Attenborough. Our Planet is Netflix’s answer to Nature Documentaries and is stunning. Each episode features different landscapes and environments.

I particularly like the Frozen Worlds episode. Our Planet also has a strong message about humans’ role on the planet and how we are straining it. It’s an important travel movie to watch for environmentalists and eco-conscious travelers.

Inspiration to travel everywhere

These are easy movies to put on this list. Baraka and the sequel Samsara are spellbinding through their cinematography shot on 70mm film. The film has no words or storyline, but it is a snapshot of today’s world, all of its magic, grandeur, loss of the individual, and horror.

You witness natural wonders, concrete jungles, art, culture, opulence, and poverty in the span of “one day” through a beautiful edit with an impressive soundtrack and engineering. You don’t watch these films. You experience them, and they leave a lasting impact on you.

Inspiration to travel everywhere

Are you thinking about backpacking the world but have never done it? Watch A Map For Saturday first and see how Brooks does it. I’ve never seen a more detailed and truthful film documenting backpacking experiences.

It’s a bit dated, but the same challenges remain the same. He hits the highs and lows during his RTW adventure and shows what it’s like when every day is a Saturday. 

Inspiration to travel to Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa

This is “THE” surf film. It’s a classic film that follows a group of surfers traveling worldwide in search of an endless summer and the perfect wave. It serves as a time capsule and manages to capture a real sense of adventure.

Inspiration to travel everywhere

Catch Me If You Can is a great Leo and Tom Hanks movie that is every bit as informative as it is entertaining.

This biographical crime film follows real-life Frank Abagnale, a professional con artist who eventually conned his way into being a Pan American World Airways pilot and traveling worldwide. Oh, and he did this all in the 1960s and 70s before he was even 25 years old!

Inspiration to travel to the Western US

Wild is one of my favorite outdoor adventure movies out there. It’s filled with beautiful scenery of the mountains, amazing life-changing quotes, and a powerful true story.

The movie is based on Cheryl Strayed’s experiences when she decided to reset her lift by hiking 1,100 on the Pacific Crest Trail. She begins to discover herself along the way. The film pivots between real-time and heartbreaking flashback scenes. The book, Wild, is also a fantastic read. And this is one case where the movie is almost as good as the book!

Inspiration to travel to Nepal

A story of survival on the world’s most iconic and dangerous mountain. Everest is based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. It does a great job depicting each character on the expedition and their focus on survival in the Himalayas. If you want the book version of this film, check out Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air.

Inspiration to travel to Alaska

Another Krakauer book-turned-movie is Into the Wild. This travel adventure movie tells the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who hiked across North America and into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992.

It’s here that he set out to live with minimal supplies and to live off the land. It’s a definite watch for wilderness and adventure junkies with beautiful visuals of Alaska.

Inspiration to travel everywhere!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is listed on every “Best Travel Movie” list. It truly is one of those movies that will fuel your wanderlust as it takes you to some real jaw-dropping locations worldwide.

Walter Mitty is your average Joe Schmo who is a daydreaming problem. Eventually, he goes on a scavenger hunt around the world for a photo negative he needs for work and discovers himself along the way.

Inspiration to travel to Egypt

Before we went to Egypt last year, I watched a few films to prepare. The Mummy was one of them. I’ve loved this film since I was a child, but even watching tomb raiders delve into Ancient Egypt as an adult is entertaining.

This movie is every bit as funny as it is entertaining, with a slight spookiness as adventurer Rick O’Connell travels to Hamunaptra, the fictional city of the dead, and accidentally awakens Imhotep, a cursed high priest that was mummified thousands of years ago.

Inspiration to travel to Alaska

I just started with Disney +, and Togo was one of the first films I put on. If you remember the story of Balto and that film, you’ll be a little familiar with this one. Togo focuses on the same 1925 serum run to Nome in Balto but on a different dog. Togo was the true lead dog and hero of the run.

Besides providing incredible entertainment. It helps that it’s filmed in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. That’s right – the Canadian Rockies – where we reside are the show’s star here. Every scene had us going WOW, and then we realized it was right around the corner.

Inspiration to travel to Tunisia

If you’re making a list of Cameron’s favorite movies, there are four on the list that makes his top ten. Raiders of The Lost Ark may be number one. It’s a fantastic travel movie, and if you’ve never seen Harrison Ford as the adventurous Indiana Jones, you need to sit yourself down now.

It’s a Stephen Spielberg masterpiece, with an iconic score by John Williams, Harrison Ford at his best, exotic locations, and stunning cinematography. Did I mention that he’s fighting Nazis while traveling around the world? One of the ultimate popcorn flicks out there. 

Inspiration to travel to Bolivia

Jungle is a true survival story of a young man lost in the heart of the Amazon rainforest and must fight to survive. While you probably don’t want to get lost in the jungle, it may inspire you to book a trip to South America!

Inspiration to travel to Alberta (+ others)

Another film shot in the Canadian Rockies is Inception. Well, it isn’t just shot here, but one iconic scene is. Inception will make you want to travel to places like Mombasa, London, and the Canadian Rockies. The film focuses on dreams within dreams. I won’t try to explain it here, you’ll just have to go give it a watch or two (or three).

Inspiration to travel to South America

Based on the true story of two medical students taking the ultimate road trip around South America. They embarked on the journey to help volunteer at the Leper colony along the Amazon. 

Inspiration to travel to Australia

Be who you are and do things you want to do. This is the queen of Australian films. It literally depicts the adventures of two drag queens and a transsexual woman as they travel across the Australian Outback. Showing you parts of Australia you may never get to, Priscilla is sure to bring you laughs and drama. 

Inspiration to travel to the USA

What a comedic classic. There are so many bits in this film that have been reused and regurgitated in other films. Vacation follows the Griswolds as they travel across the country on a road trip to Walley World.

Inspiration to travel to Mexico

Two teenage boys find themselves on a road trip with an older woman in the late 1990s during realistic times in Mexico. This is a great road trip travel movie to watch with a few friends.

Inspiration to travel to the USA

Thelma and Louise is a great travel road trip movie for the chicks and has even been described as a landmark feminist film. It stars two females who road trip in the Southern US and find themselves in interesting circumstances.

Inspiration to travel to Europe

Married early thirty-somethings Joanna and Mark Wallace are making the three-day drive from their home in London to St. Tropez to unveil a house. The two are at a rough stage of their relationship, and much of their conversation along the way centered on the possibility of divorce.

Inspiration to travel to the US

Easy Rider is an iconic film from the 1960s and came to define an era while welcoming a new generation of films. The film follows two motorcyclists across the American South and Southwest with money from a cocaine deal. It’s full of gorgeous shots and desert landscapes and captures a hedonistic lifestyle.

Inspiration to travel to the US

A road trip comedy movie at its finest. But what could you expect from Steve Martin and John Candy? They share a fun and interesting few days trying to get home for Thanksgiving with the family. John Hughs never fails to disappoint here.

Set in the Savannah (Likely Kenya or Tanzania)

I grew up in the 90s, and I can’t think of the animals in Africa without thinking of the Lion King. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, stop reading right this second, get on Amazon, hop on Netflix, or go about your usual way of accessing movies and watch it tonight.

I mean, cmon that opening scene? “NA SEE WANG YA” and Simba’s christening! I can’t even watch the first five minutes without a tear in my eye. This movie about Africa is forever loved, and even though it’s animated, it shows the beauty of some of these countries.

It is one of my favorite movies about Africa that is still very relevant today. Seeing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda has been high on my list for years (UPDATE: We checked that off!), but I never knew the full story behind these beautiful creatures.

Meet Dian Fossey, an American primatologist that dedicated her life to studying the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Gorillas in the Mist, starring the fabulous Sigourney Weaver, is an 80’s movie documenting Dian’s struggles and achievements while in Africa.

A Netflix original movie garnered international recognition and won many awards this past season. Beasts of No Nation takes place in an unnamed West African country and follows a young boy who loses his family to a brutal war.

He is soon adopted as a child soldier into a rising rebel group. Although the film remains ambiguous about the location, it portrays the horrors the military use of children has on young boys’ lives in Africa.

I recently saw this pop up on my Netflix suggestions, and seeing that it was directed by one of my favorite actors, Chiwetel Ejiofor I knew I had to watch it. Within the first few minutes, I was completely mesmerized as the scenes brought me back to our time in Malawi. 

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is based on the same book by William Kamkwamba, who is also the film’s main subject. Kamkwamba lives in a rural Malawian village that is experiencing a great drought. Wanting to save his family and village from starvation and death, he plans to build a windmill and power a water pump.

Another Netflix original, this documentary focuses on conserving the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Or at least that’s how the documentary starts until the filmmakers and park rangers find themselves embroiled in the middle of a civil war. The film showcases heart-stopping footage as conservationists work to protect the park, which is home to some of the world’s last mountain gorillas.

Called the “African Schindler’s List,” this film is an absolute must-watch for just about anyone wanting to watch movies about Africa. It’s deeply saddening to remember that just 20 years ago there was a genocide happening in Rwanda, with the ethnic Tutsi being the victims of the Hutu militia, killing off 20% of the Rwandan population!

This is the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, who saved more than a 1,000 refugees by hiding them in a hotel that he managed.

This was in my Netflix queue forever and is now one of my favorite thriller movies set in Africa. Although I love Ralph Fiennes, I never ever brought myself to watch it. I recently sat down to watch this political thriller and LOVED it.

Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are unlikely couples living and working in Kenya. Tessa (Weisz) is a diehard Amnesty activist who is uncovering big secrets in the pharmaceutical industry. What drew me more was that this movie was loosely based on a true story in Nigeria.

This romantic drama was nominated for 12 Academy Awards in 1996 and features young Ralph Fiennes in his prime. Did I mention I love Ralph Fiennes? Set during WWII, The English Patient tells the story of a widowed nurse caring for a severely burned patient.

This injured man is known only as “The English Patient” for his distinct English Accent and has an interesting life story.

A United Kingdom is a film based on the true life story of Seretse Khama, heir to the throne of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), and his romance with Ruth Williams Khama, white English women post WWII. The film follows their courtship, eventual marriage, and the hardships they endured because of their racial differences in Bechuanaland and Southern Africa.

Seretse Khama went on to become the first president of Botswana and to this day, is a well-loved figure in Botswana. During his presidency, the country underwent positive social and economic changes. Their son, Ian Khama, was even recently the President of Botswana and was also beloved by the country.

This movie about Africa is based on Mandela’s own autobiography. Long Walk to Freedom lends viewers a deeper understanding of the politics of South Africa.

The movie does a great job at showcasing historical events, but still mixes in a bit of Hollywood to keep viewers engrossed in the story. During our three months in South Africa, we saw images of the anti-apartheid revolutionary everywhere. From statues and important buildings to street names and street art, you can truly see the impact of Mandela.

A feel good movie about a group of Sudanese siblings who escape the brutal Second Sudanese Civil War. These brothers win a lottery to relocate in the United States, and the film follows their integration into American culture and takes audiences on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

This film didn’t deserve any academy awards, but it excited me about traveling to Africa. The film tells the true story of Kuki Gallman, an Italian woman who relocates to Africa to run a farm. It’s like Under the Tuscan Sun, but set in Africa.

The film is adapted from Kuki’s autobiography, I Dreamed of Africa, and is heartbreaking at times and uplifting at others.

Half of the Yellow Sun is a Nigerian film that opens viewers eyes to some of the terrifying atrocities of the Nigerian Civil War. Interweaving two love stories, family betrayal, and an undiscovered mystery this film is based off the 2006 novel by African feminist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

This is one of the many movies we watched in film school and it would be hard for me not to mention it on this “movies about Africa” list. Ranked as one of the greatest American films of all time, this 1942 romance takes place in Casablanca, one of the largest cities in Morocco. Rick and Ilsa are star-crossed lovers during the second world war.

If you’re looking for a tear-jerker movie that takes place in Africa, I recommend this one. I can’t count the number of times I cried from sadness and joy in The First Grader. Telling the true story of Kimani Maruge, an 84-year-old Kenyan farmer that enrolled in elementary school in 2003 after the Kenyan government granted citizens free universal primary education. Today, Maruge still holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest pupil in primary school.

If you’re looking for an African movie on Netflix, one of the Madagascar films is always bound to be there. I had to throw this one in with so many serious films on this list! Madagascar 1, 2, and 3 are some of the funniest animated films I have seen and feature some brilliant song and dance scenes ( I Like to Move it Move it).

Madagascar tells the story of four zoo animals who escape Central Park and get stranded on the island of…Madagascar! You will laugh your way through this 90-minute film with an all-star comedic cast.

One of the more critically acclaimed films on this list, The Last King of Scotland is an intense thriller set in 1970s Uganda. Forrest Whitaker gives a stellar performance as Idi Amin, the third Ugandan president, was heavily criticized for human rights abuse. The film shows Amin’s harsh ruling from the eyes of his personal physician.

Sierra Leone went through an atrocious civil war less than 20 years ago. This film, featuring my boy Leo, follows one local fisherman’s gut-wrenching hardship during the conflict. It’s a good African war movie with a compelling storyline. Blood Diamond mostly focuses on just that, a “blood diamond.” Blood diamonds are the harvesting and mining of diamonds in war zones, sold by warlords to intermediaries to finance their wars. The diamonds are then worked into legal circulation of diamonds through several middlemen.

They are still very much an issue in the world. Shame on me, for I knew nothing about blood diamonds or the consequences of buying one before seeing this film and reading another favorite, A Long Way Gone, in 2007. Sadly, even after the Kimberly Process, it is damn near impossible to certify a diamond as conflict-free. The only way to ensure you are an ethical and ecological consumer is to purchase a synthetic stone.

An alien species makes contact in Johannesburg and must remain there until they can fix their craft. The aliens, “prawns,” are then subjected to living in terrible conditions and ghettos, and face daily discrimination. The film may just seem like your typical Alien film, but District 9 actually holds a much deeper meaning than a bunch of invasive “Prawns.”

The South African director draws on much of South Africa’s apartheid history, including District Six’s infamous clearing in Cape Town. The narrative extends to current issues facing South Africa today. It manages to do all of this while making a hugely entertaining alien picture. 

Oh, Merryl Streep and Robert Redford, you both produced one great African safari movie together when you were young. Out of Africa is a film set in colonial Africa and garnered seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. The film follows the life of Karen Blixen, who establishes a coffee plantation in Africa.

This is one of the movies on traveling on this list that portrays parts of an African safari and is based off of an autobiographical book of the same name shows Karen’s complicated life in Kenya, with a side twist of a young love affair with Robbie Red.

Chess is the escape from poverty for a young Ugandan woman living in Kampala. This movie is based on true events in Africa and tells of a girl defying the odds and her story of becoming a top chess champion. This is a must watch movie about Africa before heading to Uganda!

The Gods Must be Crazy is the top South African film of all time. Although the story is set in Botswana, this movie tells the tale of a rural village with little knowledge of the outside world. One day a glass bottle of coke falls from the sky, and the villagers take it as a sign from god. Only a comedy can ensue from there!