The 5 Best Treasure Hunt Movies To Watch If You Love ‘Outer Banks’
I’m so in denial about Outer Banks (2020) ending (and JJ’s death in Season 4) that I haven’t watched the final season in its entirety—yet. I have friends who I trust to tell me must-know spoilers. What can I say? I’m bad at closure when it comes to TV shows. With Outer Banks, the ending both feels natural and impossible. The show’s action-adventure qualities mean that it could go on forever.
Theoretically, there will always be another treasure hunt for the Pogues (the show’s central friend group) to go on. Sadly, though, it makes sense for Outer Banks to end now. The characters have been all around the world and back, and, honestly, I would love for them to just be able to exist for a little while outside of those life-or-death stakes. They’ve more than earned it. But if you’re in denial about the show ending like me, there are plenty of treasure-hunting movies you can watch to fill the void. They are available on Disney+, Hulu, and more.
When I think of a treasure-hunt movie, National Treasure is the first one that comes to mind. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the early 2000s, so I remember being swept away by these movies. Maybe it’s because I’m still bitter that Disney+ didn’t let National Treasure: Edge of History (2022) grow into itself beyond a single season. Maybe it’s because that third movie finally feels like a thing that’s actually happening, instead of just a wish on a star.
No matter what, it’s a perfect watch for Outer Banks fans; the show doesn’t really cling to real-world accuracy but is very earnest, which makes it fit alongside National Treasure. Also, the concept of Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) stealing the Declaration of Independence aligns so nicely with the Pogues. I’m honestly surprised that they never got to the government-level treasure hunts like the ones in National Treasure. Maybe if there were one more season…
There are some team-ups in cinematic history that remain unmatched. Harrison Ford, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg are one of those trios. Not to mention, the score was done by the incomparable John Williams. Putting their top-tier work into it, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the best movies, well, ever. It deserves to be known as one of the most revered action/adventure movies—it sets a new bar for those that follow.
For that reason, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark is a must-watch for Outer Banks fans. As the show grew and its treasure-hunting adventures expanded to literal new heights, the action sequences felt less like a slice of a small-town teen drama and more like those that exist in an ‘80s action movie. Yes, I’m talking about the end of Season 4 because I still don’t know how all the Pogues—JJ included—made it out of that fight with the mercenaries.
The Goonies feels like the quintessential watch for Outer Banks fans. For that reason, it may be overlooked. On the other hand, it may be mentioned too often at the expense of other great treasure-hunting movies. The truth is that The Goonies is the perfect companion for Outer Banks fans, and the show itself confirms as much in its second season. So, it's a must-watch.
In a direct reference to The Goonies, JJ (Rudy Pankow) plays the organ in the church in Outer Banks Season 2, Episode 8, “The Cross.” More broadly, though, Outer Banks itself pays homage to the ‘80s film. Though Outer Banks has more mature themes, it’s still about a group of friends facing off against both absurd and very intimidating antagonists along the way. While the Goonies say, “Goonies never say die,” Outer Banks’s Pogues have “Pogues for life.”
The truth is, any Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) movie could land on this list. Narrowing it down to one comes down to personal preferences. For me, I believe that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is the one most worth Outer Banks’s fans’ time. Sure, it may be a bit hard (but not really) to follow because it is the third movie in the franchise, but the romance is worth it.
Since Sarah (Madelyn Cline) and John B (Chase Stokes) went by the Russian aliases Val and Vlad, they have been the couple at the heart of Outer Banks Season 1. The show would grow to include romances between Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant), as well as Kiara (Madison Bailey) and JJ. Gradually, the Pogues’ rule about “No Pogue-on-Pogue macking” was broken for love. For that reason, I think Outer Banks fans who love the show’s romance would appreciate Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth’s (Keira Knightley) romance and epic kiss on the ship, which I will never forget, in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
I can’t write a list without showing love for a romantic comedy, and Fool’s Gold may be one that not a lot of people know about. Years after Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey starred in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), one of the best to ever exist in the genre, they teamed up for the truly absurd but somehow super enjoyable treasure-hunting rom-com Fool’s Gold.
Sometimes, I think that Outer Banks’s sense of humor gets lost among its other appealing qualities. The show can be big, dark, and dramatic, but it also has these wonderful moments of levity—some more intended than others—that cut through that tension. Fool’s Gold (for better and worse) is lighthearted, and it’s romantic—mostly because of Hudson and McConaughey’s chemistry. Not to mention, the characters are searching for literal treasure. If fans of Outer Banks’s fun and romance want something similar, Fool’s Gold is the movie for them.
