If you want to enjoy the adventures of everyone's favorite whip-cracking and treasure-hunting archaeologist, here's how to watch the Indiana Jones movies in order.
This article will help you figure out two things. Firstly, how to actually watch the movies. You'll want to know which streaming services to catch them on!
Secondly, it'll lead you through the two different orders you can watch the movies in. They didn't come out in the order that they fit in-universe, so you've got a few different options!
Indiana, more formerly Dr. Henry Jones, is a professor of archaeology who also happens to be a handsome daredevil who never forgets his trademark hat and whip.
By day he teaches lectures, by night he goes on fabulous adventures which usually involves reaching the treasure before the Nazis.
Without further ado, here’s how to watch the Indiana Jones movies in order….
How to watch each Indiana Jones movie
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom actually comes before Raiders of the Lost Ark. Although Temple of Doom came out in the cinema afterwards, it is actually set before Raiders.
The prequel to Raiders is based in 1935 and opens in Shanghai, where Indiana survives a murder attempt (lots of people try and murder him throughout the series!). After narrowly escaping from a plane about to crash, Indiana, sidekick Short Round (Quan) and nightclub singer Willie (Capshaw) find themselves in India. The gang then heads to the Temple of Doom to retrieve captured stones and save a group of children who’ve been kidnapped.
This isn’t the greatest of the Indiana Jones films and feels rather dated, so in fact we’d recommend starting with Raiders. Doom doesn’t have the pace of Raiders, although it does have some great moments, including the legendary bridge scene.
You can watch Temple of Doom in two main ways in the US: it's on Disney Plus as well as Paramount Plus, with both offering it in 4K. In the UK it's only on Disney Plus,
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Denholm Elliott
The original Indiana Jones movie and arguably the best. It’s now four years after Temple of Doom and opens in 1936. Indiana is tasked by the American government with finding the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis, who're convinced it will make them unstoppable. Soon, Indiana teams up on his quest with Marion, who’s less than pleased to see him again!
Indiana heads to Egypt as he tries to beat the Germans to find the Ark against the odds. At less than two hours long, the film zips along and Ford has never been better. Watch out for the scene where a tired Indiana hilariously deals brutally with a show-off swordsman!
As with Temple of Doom, Raiders is on Disney Plus and Paramount Plus in the US, but just Disney Plus in the UK.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, River Phoenix, Alison Doody
Now, there’s an argument for saying this is the first movie in chronological terms as it actually opens in 1912! However, the bulk of the film is set later in 1938, so we're placing it third.
Back in 1912, young Indiana (played by River Phoenix) is on a quest to rescue a relic that he believes should be in a museum. But he's up against a hardy adventurer who ultimately defeats Indiana — but at least he does get his foe's hat!
So with the question of how Indiana got his hat solved, we switch to 1938 and Indiana discovers his father, who’s been searching for the Holy Grail, has vanished. After being sent his dad’s notebook packed with clues, Indiana and Elsa (Doody), an Austrian colleague of his father, sets off on the trail.
Indiana tracks his father down to a Nazi castle but shortly after rescuing his dad, wonderfully played by Sean Connery, the pair are captured again!
There are a bunch of terrific scenes between dad and son, with Indiana infuriated that his father keeps calling him "junior". Again Indiana must defeat the Germans and this time the quest gets very personal for him.
The movie is on Disney Plus in the US and UK, and also Paramount Plus if you live in the US.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf
It’s now 1957 and although Indiana is a lot older, he’s not necessarily any wiser! Our hero is kidnapped by KGB agents and they force him to find an alien body from the Roswell UFO in a remote secret warehouse.
There's a tremendous scene where Indiana finds himself in the middle of a nuclear bomb test and saves himself by hiding in a fridge!
Like the other films, it all boils down to a quest, this time Indiana is seeking a mythical crystal skull. Also trying to get the skull is Russian baddie Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett).
But while the plot is good fun this never reaches the heights of either Raiders or the Last Crusade.
You can use Disney Plus to watch Crystal Skull in the US and UK, and also Paramount Plus in the US.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook.
Indy's final rodeo (for now) is set in 1969, when the Space Race is in full force and NASA is chock-full of Nazi scientists.
The movie teams up Indy with his goddaughter, Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena, who's a treasure hunter like him. However while Indy has a heart of gold, she just has a purse of gold, and so they clash about the ethics of what they're doing.
Their quest makes them trot the globe in order to find the dial of destiny, another mythical instrument that could have world-changing effects. They need to find it before Nazi scientist Dr. Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) can use it for a nefarious end.
Unlike all the previous movies, Dial of Destiny isn't on Paramount Plus. You can use Disney Plus to stream it in the US, while in the UK you'll be able to do so from December 15, 2023.
How to watch the Indiana Jones movies in order
How to watch the Indiana Jones Movies in order of release
If you want to watch the Indiana Jones movies in order of release, here’s how (note release dates varied globally, dates here are US release dates).
Raiders of the Lost Ark — June 12, 1981
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom — May 23. 1984
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade — May 24, 1989
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — May 22, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — June 28, 2023
How to watch the Indiana Jones Movies in chronological order
Alternatively, you could watch Indie's adventures in the order they take place in, in-universe. There's only one change, and it's quite minor. In fact, you might not notice it if you watch them, as the one movie being a prequel isn't mentioned much!
The year attached to each movie shows when it's set.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom — 1935
Raiders of the Lost Ark —1936
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade — 1938 (though with prologue set in 1912)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — 1957
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — 1969
