Outside views · South America

10 Best Movies Set in or About Peru

Compare how outside filmmakers have used Peru as a sustained setting or subject.

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Runtime, mood, and entry level help narrow the list without replacing the editorial ranking.

FilmRuntimeGenreMoodBest for
Kon-TikiNot verified
PaddingtonNot verified
Storm in the AndesNot verified
Paddington in PeruNot verified
Dr. CyclopsNot verified
Das Vermächtnis des InkaNot verified
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullNot verified
Tad, The Lost ExplorerNot verified
The Bridge of San Luis ReyNot verified
There Is Only One SunNot verified

10 Movies Set in or About Peru

Foreign-led films whose sustained setting or subject remains centered on Peru.

  1. Kon-Tiki (1950) poster

    1. Kon-Tiki

    1950

    This Oscar-winning documentary chronicles Thor Heyerdahl's audacious 1947 voyage across the Pacific from Peru on a balsa-wood raft to prove that ancient South Americans could have reached Polynesia. A thrilling record of a real expedition.

  2. Paddington (2014) poster

    2. Paddington

    2014

    A polite young bear from darkest Peru travels to London in search of a home and, lost and alone at Paddington Station, is taken in by a wary family — bringing marmalade-fueled chaos and warmth into their lives. A charming family comedy.

  3. Storm in the Andes (2015) poster

    3. Storm in the Andes

    Storm över Anderna · 2015

    A young Swedish woman travels to Peru to uncover the truth about her aunt, a legendary figure in the Shining Path insurgency, confronting the violent legacy of the guerrilla war. A searching documentary.

  4. Paddington in Peru (2024) poster

    4. Paddington in Peru

    2024

    Paddington and the Brown family travel to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, only for her mysterious disappearance to launch them on a thrilling adventure through the Amazon and into the mountains. A warm family sequel.

  5. Dr. Cyclops (1940) poster

    5. Dr. Cyclops

    1940

    Deep in the Peruvian jungle, a half-mad physicist working in secret shrinks a group of visiting scientists down to a fraction of their size, and the tiny explorers must fight to survive and stop him. A pioneering sci-fi horror in Technicolor.

  6. Das Vermächtnis des Inka (1965) poster

    6. Das Vermächtnis des Inka

    1965

    In 19th-century Peru, two envoys sent to make peace with the rebellious Incas are framed for the murder of the Inca ruler by a treasure-hunting bandit, and must clear their names amid the unrest. A German-made adventure.

  7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) poster

    7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

    2008

    In the Cold War 1950s, an aging Indiana Jones races Soviet agents to a mystical crystal skull tied to a legendary lost city of gold hidden deep in the Peruvian jungle. A globe-trotting adventure sequel.

  8. Tad, The Lost Explorer (2012) poster

    8. Tad, The Lost Explorer

    Las aventuras de Tadeo Jones · 2012

    A bumbling Chicago construction worker who dreams of being an archaeologist is mistaken for a famous professor and swept off to Peru, where he stumbles into a real hunt for a lost Inca city. An animated adventure comedy.

  9. The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004) poster

    9. The Bridge of San Luis Rey

    2004

    When five people die in the collapse of an ancient rope bridge in 18th-century Peru, a friar investigates their lives to divine whether the tragedy was fate or divine will. Adapted from Thornton Wilder's novel.

  10. There Is Only One Sun (1998) poster

    10. There Is Only One Sun

    Det finns bara en sol · 1998

    Returning to the Peruvian rainforest after seventeen years, a filmmaker reunites with the Asháninka people, who share the hardships and struggles they now face. A reflective documentary.

Hear the country first

10 Best Peruvian Movies to Watch First

Start with films made from within Peru, then follow the country's own creative voice through the complete ranking.

  1. Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon 2021
  2. The Milk of Sorrow 2009
  3. Captain Pantoja and the Special Services 1999
Open the native-cinema ranking →

Selected by the FilmsAroundThe.World editorial desk

Selections require an outside creative lead and a story or subject substantially centered on Peru. Decision labels are concise editorial aids, and content notes are non-exhaustive. Read the methodology.

Editorial review: 2026-07-13

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