The All-time Best River Movies

The leaves are starting to turn, it’s getting dark earlier and it’s the perfect time of year to pop some popcorn and snuggle up with a friend or loved one for a good ole’ movie night.  What to watch you ask?  We’re thinking something classic that will not only keep you entertained, but provide plenty of adventure and stunning scenery to stare at too.  A little Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn or Brad Pitt, perhaps? Check out our picks for the all-time best river movies…

A River Runs Through It

This 1992 classic starring a young Brad Pitt has become a favorite of many, but it’s not Pitt that gives this film its following. In A River Runs Through It, viewers are drawn in by the complicated relationship between two brothers and the magic of fly fishing on Montana’s rivers.

River of No Return

This adventure flick from 1954 gets its name from the actual River of No Return—Idaho’s Main Salmon—where scenes of this classic adventure film were shot. Did we mention it stars Marilyn Monroe? That’s probably worth a few hours of your time right there.

The African Queen

Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn (that should grab your attention) star in this ultimate adventure movie about a heavy-drinking riverboat captain who’s convinced by a missionary to attack an enemy warship during World War I. Selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry, The African Queen has withstood the test of time.

The River Wild

It’s not necessarily the plot of this 1994 thriller about a family rafting trip interrupted by two criminals that makes The River Wild one of the best river movies of all-time, rather it’s the film’s great cinematography that transports viewers to the iconic rivers of the West like the Colorado and Rogue that makes it worth watching.

Into the Wild

Adapted from the book of the same name by Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild is the compelling story of Christopher McCandless, a wandering soul who leaves everything behind and turns to the wilderness for a sense of place in the world. From his adventures on the Colorado River to the Alaskan wilderness, McCandless’ travels instill the spirit of adventure in all of its viewers, despite a tragic ending.

Got a comment about our list or want to add another one to the list?  Chime in below.