How to Watch the Indiana Jones Movies in Chronological Order
Believe it or not, the original films were not released in the correct order.
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Indiana Jones has been capturing ancient artifacts—and our hearts—for more than 40 years. The iconic film series from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas is known for its action-packed adventures, cutting edge special effects, and suspense-building John Williams theme music. Of course, Indy's khaki-colored wardrobe, wide-brimmed hat, and mischievous grin are also pretty darn memorable. The Indiana Jones franchise is made up of the original film plus three movie sequels that somehow don't leave viewers disappointed. Now, there's a new addition to the franchise: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, starring Harrison Ford in his final portrayal of the beloved titular character, plus old favorites like John Rhys-Davies and Karen Allen and newcomers like Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Due out on June 30, the highly anticipated sequel follows Indy and his goddaughter (Waller-Bridge) on an archeological adventure to recover a mysterious dial.
With the release of the fifth film in the franchise, why not pay tribute to everyone's favorite whip-carrying crusader by watching all of the Indiana Jones movies in order? While it's always a great option to watch the films in the order that they were released, between 1981 and 2023, that lineup doesn't actually follow Indy's adventures in the order that they happened. To watch the Indiana Jones movies in chronological order, you'll have to jump around a bit—but it's worth it to see all of the exciting escapades unfold in real time.
Here's how to watch the Indiana Jones movies by release date and in chronological order. When you're done, make it an '80s movie marathon by watching some more old-school faves!
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The very first film in the franchise made everyone (including Ree!) fall in love with Harrison Ford's iconic character. It takes place in 1936, when a globe-trotting archaeologist named Indiana Jones goes head to head with a group of Nazis to stop them from finding an ancient relic that could help them take over the world.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
The second Indiana Jones movie takes Indy back in time, to the year 1935. He embarks on a dangerous quest to India, where children are being mysteriously kidnapped from a small village. This one is definitely the darkest film in the franchise, and actually contributed to the creation of the PG-13 rating. It has also been criticized for its culturally insensitive depiction of Indian culture.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
This fan-favorite movie sequel is all about keeping up with the Joneses—Indiana Jones and his father, Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), that is. After Indy's first encounter with the evil Nazis, they've returned to find the Holy Grail and kidnapped Henry along the way. Now, it's up to Indy to save his dad and the world.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Nearly two decades after the third movie in the Indiana Jones franchise was released, Indy (finally!) returns. This time, the year is 1957 and the adventurer is dealing with the consequences of the Cold War. He heads to Peru, where he tries to outrace a beautiful secret agent (Cate Blanchett) to locate an all-powerful artifact.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Indy is back and doing what he does best once more: battling Nazis. This time, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford, in his final portrayal of the role) and his goddaughter (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) are on a mission to recover a mysterious dial known as the Antikythera. Fans of the original trilogy will be happy to hear that John Rhys-Davies and Karen Allen will reprise their roles as Sallah and Marion Ravenwood, respectively.
The Chronological Order
If you're familiar with the Indiana Jones movies, you may have noticed that the time-traveling sequence of events doesn't make all that much sense. It's one of few franchises in which the films' release order and the chronological order are different. Want to watch it how it was meant to unfold? Here are the Indiana Jones movies in chronological order:
- Start with The Young Indiana Jones, a television series about a 9-year-old Indy that's available to stream on Paramount+.
- Then watch the first 12 minutes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where River Phoenix plays Indy as a teenager.
- Next comes Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
- Follow that with Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- Then, go back and watch the rest of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
- Next up is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
- And finally finish with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
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