Movies Like National Treasure

If you loved National Treasure (2004) for the irresistible treasure-hunt premise, Nicolas Cage's enthusiastic performance, and the fun of decoding clues hidden in American history, these 10 movies deliver a similar experience. We picked each one based on shared tone, themes, and emotional feel — not just surface-level genre tags.

1. 

   1. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

   1981 Adventure

   Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark follows archaeologist Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford, as he races Nazi agents across the globe to find the Ark of the Covenant. National Treasure borrows heavily from it, with ancient clues, booby-trapped sites, and a hero who knows his history. Steven Spielberg's film is grittier and more action-packed, with a 1930s setting and more danger, while National Treasure is more about solving riddles than throwing punches.

   Where to watch Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. 

   2. The Da Vinci Code

   2006 Thriller

   The Da Vinci Code follows Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, who is drawn into a murder investigation in Paris that leads to coded messages in famous artworks and a centuries-old secret. It is the most similar pick in structure to National Treasure, a scholar chasing clues hidden in history while being hunted. Ron Howard's film is more serious and wordier, with religious controversy at its center and less of National Treasure's goofy charm.

   Where to watch The Da Vinci Code
3. 

   3. The Mummy

   1999 Adventure

   The Mummy follows an adventurer, a librarian, and her brother who travel to a lost Egyptian city in the 1920s and accidentally awaken a cursed high priest. Brendan Fraser's swashbuckling hero has the same easygoing appeal as Nicolas Cage in National Treasure, and both mix history with action and comedy. It is much more supernatural, with monsters, curses, and special effects, so it is less about puzzles and more about running from the undead.

   Where to watch The Mummy
4. 

   4. Ready Player One

   2018 Sci-Fi

   Ready Player One follows a teenager in a bleak future who joins a contest inside a vast virtual world to find a hidden prize left by its late creator. Like National Treasure, it is a clue-by-clue hunt where knowledge of an obscure past, here pop culture rather than American history, is the key to winning. Steven Spielberg's film is a sci-fi spectacle full of video game and movie references, with stakes involving corporate control of the game.

   Where to watch Ready Player One
5. 

   5. Now You See Me

   2013 Thriller

   Now You See Me follows a team of stage magicians who pull off seemingly impossible robberies during their shows while FBI agents try to work out how. It lands on a National Treasure list for its puzzle-box plotting, its heist-like set pieces, and its fun, crowd-pleasing tone. There is no history or treasure map here, though; the pleasure comes from misdirection and reveals, and the film cares more about twists than about clues.

   Where to watch Now You See Me
6. 

   6. Sahara

   2005 Adventure

   Sahara stars Matthew McConaughey as adventurer Dirk Pitt, who searches West Africa for a Civil War ironclad warship believed to have vanished there, while also stumbling onto a deadly conspiracy. A lost piece of American history at the center of an action adventure makes it a strong companion to National Treasure. It is more of a buddy action movie, with Steve Zahn as Pitt's sidekick, and it spends more time on chases and shootouts than on decoding.

   Where to watch Sahara
7. 

   7. Uncharted

   2022 Adventure

   Uncharted stars Tom Holland as a young bartender and pickpocket recruited by a veteran treasure hunter, played by Mark Wahlberg, to find the lost gold of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition. Based on the video game series, it shares National Treasure's mix of historical riddles, rival hunters, and heists of priceless artifacts. It is flashier and more action-heavy, with large set pieces, and the characters' loyalty to each other is shakier than Ben Gates' team.

   Where to watch Uncharted
8. 

   8. Tomb Raider

   2018 Adventure

   Tomb Raider stars Alicia Vikander as a young Lara Croft, who follows clues left by her missing father to a remote island said to hold the tomb of an ancient queen. The idea of inheriting a family obsession with a historical secret echoes National Treasure, where Ben Gates carries on his ancestors' search. This reboot is grittier and more survival-focused, with physical struggle and booby traps taking priority over codebreaking.

   Where to watch Tomb Raider
9. 

   9. The Goonies

   1985 Adventure

   The Goonies follows a group of kids in a small Oregon town who find an old treasure map and set off after a legendary pirate's loot to save their homes from foreclosure. It is the family adventure National Treasure most resembles in spirit: riddles, traps, and a band of misfits racing a gang of criminals. It is told from a kid's point of view, with plenty of chaotic humor, and it is a little rougher around the edges.

   Where to watch The Goonies
10. 

    10. Knives Out

    2019 Mystery

    Knives Out follows detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, as he investigates the death of a wealthy crime novelist and the family members who all stood to gain. It earns a spot here for the same joy National Treasure offers in watching a clever investigator piece together clues. It is a whodunit instead of a treasure hunt, set almost entirely in one mansion, with sharper satire about a greedy family.

    Where to watch Knives Out