How can you watch all the Indiana Jones movies in order? Throw me the idol; I'll throw you my whip! Just kidding — I'll just be throwing a guide at you. Considered to be among the best movies of all time, the Indiana Jones series follows the exploits of Dr Henry Walton 'Indiana' Jones Jr — a full-time archaeology professor and part-time adventurer.
George Lucas first conceived of Indiana Jones back in the '70s — naming the character after his dog, Indiana. Shortly after the first Star Wars movie premiered in 1977, Lucas jetted off to Hawaii to see longtime friend Steven Spielberg and pitched the adventure movie to him, describing it as "like James Bond, but better." After some convincing, Spielberg signed on to direct Raiders of the Lost Ark, with Lucas set to executive produce.
After Lucas was impressed by Ford's performance in The Empire Strikes Back, he landed the role of Indiana Jones — and the rest is history. But with the Indiana Jones movies now involving time travel (and there already being some non-linearity involved before all that), we've decided to list the definitive way to watch the Indiana Jones movies in order.
How to watch all the Indiana Jones movies in chronological order:
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, and Paramount Plus
OK, I know what you're thinking… wasn't Raiders of the Lost Ark released first? You're right to think that, but with the Temple of Doom being a prequel to the first movie, you need to start with Temple of Doom if you're looking to watch the '80s movies chronologically.
Set in 1935, we find Indiana Jones in India, which at that time is still under British colonial rule (boo!). With the help of sidekick Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) and reluctant singer Willie (Kate Kapshaw), Jones faces run-ins like Chinese gangsters and a kinda creepy cult who enjoy ripping out people's hearts and lowering them into lava. But what's a bit of poison and human sacrifice when you're after the fortune and glory that comes with the Sankara Stones?
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, and Paramount Plus
The first film in the franchise and the second chronological adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark takes place in 1936 (personally, after the stress of Temple of Doom, I'd want to go on a sabbatical if I was Indy but each to their own). It's also probably the best of them all, but that's just our preference.
With the help of his ex Marion (Karen Allen) and the "best digger in Egypt" Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), Jones faces off against the Nazis to find the Ark of the Covenant. The artefact, which once held the Ten Commandments, is a golden chest that is believed to grant supernatural powers like invincibility to whoever wields it.
I always find it funny that the graphic scenes in the Temple of Doom came as a shock to people when Raiders of the Lost Ark literally depicts people having their faces melted off.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, and Paramount Plus
In 1938, we find out two things about Indiana Jones. The first is that he's facing off against the Nazis to find a Biblical relic with potential supernatural qualities once again: this time, the Holy Grail.
The second thing is that he has mad daddy issues. Fortunately, Dr Henry Walton Jones Snr (Sean Connery) manages to repair his relationship with his son while accompanying him on this adventure.
Sallah also returns to give Indiana a hand in this movie, while Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody) acted as the movie's magpie and made it clear she'd betray her own grandmother if it meant she could get the shiny cup.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, and Paramount Plus
With a near-twenty-year gap and poor critical reception, many Indy fans argue that this movie is near-unrecognizable from its predecessors. The good news is, like in The Last Crusade, daddy issues are once again a focal point in this movie, with Shia LaBeouf playing Indy's surprise son with Marion.
Karen Allen and Ford reprise their roles from Raiders, while John Hurt and Cate Blanchett give strange but nonetheless endearing performances as a former professor and KGB agent (respectively) who have both gone a bit mad in their pursuit of the mysterious Crystal Skull.
Taking place 19 years after the events of the Last Crusade, the baddies in this movie are the Soviets, with Jones and the gang in the thick of the Cold War in 1957.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Where to watch: Movie theaters
After Crystal Skull, even the most dedicated Indy fan was slightly conflicted about a new movie joining the saga. But the good news is, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's predecessor set the bar so low, none of us really cared whether the 2023 movie was objectively good. It just had to be better than whatever the hell the last one was.
As explained in our Indiana Jones 5 review, this film delivers on just that. Is it good? Eh. But it's good enough to make the nostalgia brain chemicals go brrr.
Because it's a direct sequel to the last film, Indy 5 should be the final Indiana Jones movie you watch, irrespective of whether you're watching the series in release order or chronological order.
Set in 1969, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny takes place in the middle of the Space Race. But don't worry; this film takes Indy back to his roots by having him do what he does best: punching the shit out of Nazis. We also get to meet Helena Shaw, a major new character played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who keeps our long-suffering protagonist on his toes.
How to watch all the Indiana Jones movies in release order:
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
As mentioned above, the first four Indiana Jones movies are all available to watch on the streaming service Disney Plus, along with more of the best movies ever made. The fifth one will be on there, too, eventually, but not until it finishes its run in theaters. So, if you're wondering how to watch Indiana Jones 5 without leaving the house, you're out of luck, I'm afraid.
For more on the classics, take a look at our picks for the best Steven Spielberg movies. Or take a look at the Robert Duvall classic which is Harrison Ford's favorite movie.