The hot sun. The drifting sand. The shimmering mirages. There's something inherently cinematic about the desert, and it continues to be a go-to location for action-packed movies. The best action and adventure desert movies feature life or death situations at every turn. This is a list of the top desert action movies including everything from The Mummy to Dune to The Jewel of the Nile.
What films will you find on this list of the best movies set in the desert? Maybe your number-one pick will be Mad Max: Fury Road. Following in the footsteps of previous films from the franchise, Fury Road takes place in a dystopian wasteland void of compassion and, crucially, water. Tremors is another good action movie set in the desert. The Way Back finds an international group of refugees crossing vast deserts and freezing mountains to escape a Soviet gulag during World War II. Other good projects featured here include Beyond the Reach and Three Kings.
Which desert adventure film is the best? Give your favorites a thumbs up and add any great features that are missing.1
4313Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Hardy, Charlize TheronReleased: 2015
Directed by: George Miller
Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 action film directed by George Miller. In a post apocalyptic... more2
278Stargate
Kurt Russell, James SpaderReleased: 1994
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Stargate is a 1994 French-American adventure science fiction film released through... more3
2511Tremors
Kevin Bacon, Reba McEntireReleased: 1990
Directed by: Ron Underwood
Tremors is a 1990 American western monster film directed by Ron Underwood, written by Brent... more4
238Mad Max 2
Mel Gibson, Bruce SpenceReleased: 1981
Directed by: George Miller
Mad Max 2 is a 1981 Australian post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller. The... more5
3422The Mummy
Rachel Weisz, Brendan FraserReleased: 1999
Directed by: Stephen Sommers
The Mummy is a 1999 American fantasy adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers... more6
199The Flight of the Phoenix
James Stewart, Richard AttenboroughReleased: 1965
Directed by: Robert Aldrich
The Flight of the Phoenix is a 1965 American drama film starring James Stewart, produced and... more7
2011The Mummy Returns
Dwayne Johnson, Rachel WeiszReleased: 2001
Directed by: Stephen Sommers
The Mummy Returns, is a 2001 American fantasy adventure film written and directed by Stephen... more8
2011Dune
Sting, Patrick StewartReleased: 1984
Directed by: David Lynch
Dune is a 1984 American science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the... more9
167The Jewel of the Nile
Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVitoReleased: 1985
Directed by: Lewis Teague, David Teague
The Jewel of the Nile is a 1985 action-adventure romantic comedy and a sequel to the 1984 film... more10
2114Sahara
Penélope Cruz, Matthew McConaugheyReleased: 2005
Directed by: Breck Eisner
Sahara, an American/Spanish 2005 action–comedy adventure film directed by Breck Eisner, is... more11
1511Sahara
Jim Belushi, Michael MasseeReleased: 1995
Directed by: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Sahara is a 1995 American/Australian made-for-television action drama war film shot in... more12
128Rabbit-Proof Fence
Kenneth Branagh, Jason ClarkeReleased: 2002
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Rabbit-Proof Fence is a 2002 Australian drama film directed by Phillip Noyce based on the book... more13
14Sahara
Brooke Shields, John MillsReleased: 1984
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
Sahara is a 1983 British-American adventure drama film directed by Andrew McLaglen and... more14
119Jarhead
Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie FoxxReleased: 2005
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Jarhead is a 2005 biographical drama film based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford's 2003 memoir... more15
1311Three Kings
George Clooney, Mark WahlbergReleased: 1999
Directed by: David O. Russell
Three Kings is a 1999 satirical comedy film written and directed by David O. Russell from a... more16
1211Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Gemma Arterton, Jake GyllenhaalReleased: 2010
Directed by: Mike Newell
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a 2010 American adventure action fantasy film written... more17
108Flight of the Phoenix
Hugh Laurie, Jared PadaleckiReleased: 2004
Directed by: John Moore
Flight of the Phoenix is a 2004 survival drama film and a remake of a 1965 film of the same... more18
1011Tank Girl
Naomi Watts, Ice-TReleased: 1995
Directed by: Rachel Talalay
Tank Girl is a 1995 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Rachel Talalay,... more19
710The Way Back
Colin Farrell, Saoirse RonanReleased: 2010
Directed by: Peter Weir
The Way Back is a 2010 epic drama film directed by Peter Weir, from a screenplay by Weir and... more20
811Holes
Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney WeaverReleased: 2003
Directed by: Andrew Davis
Holes is a 2003 American comedy-drama adventure film based on the 1998 novel of the same title... more21
713Inferno
Alida Valli, Veronica LazărReleased: 1980
Directed by: Dario Argento
Inferno is a 1980 Italian supernatural horror film, written and directed by Dario Argento. The... more22
712The Scorpion King
Dwayne Johnson, Kelly HuReleased: 2002
Directed by: Chuck Russell
The Scorpion King is a 2002 American action film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne... more23
613Beyond the Reach
Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irvine24
010Desert Saints
Kiefer Sutherland, Rachel TicotinReleased: 2002
Desert Saints is a 2002 crime thriller film starring Kiefer Sutherland as a hitman named... more
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24