6 Best Explorer and Adventurer Biopic Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 4, 2026

The restless, daring spirit of history’s great explorers and adventurers has powered some of cinema’s most sweeping biographical epics. In The Right Stuff (1983): America’s first astronauts risk their lives testing the limits of speed and space during the early space race. Equally memorable is Kon-Tiki (2012): A Norwegian explorer sails a primitive balsa wood raft across the Pacific to prove an ancient migration theory.

The Aeronauts (2019)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A daring balloon pilot and a determined scientist risk their lives to break the world altitude record.

Directed by Tom Harper · 1h 40m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Kon-Tiki (2012)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A Norwegian explorer sails a primitive balsa wood raft across the Pacific to prove an ancient migration theory.

Directed by Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg · 1h 58m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Amelia (2009)

TMDB ★ 5.5

The pioneering aviator's record-breaking career is defined by her fateful attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

Directed by Mira Nair · 1h 51m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

TMDB ★ 6.6

A determined explorer's voyage across the Atlantic leads to the discovery of the New World and its tragic aftermath.

Directed by Ridley Scott · 2h 34m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Right Stuff (1983)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 96% Metacritic 91

America's first astronauts risk their lives testing the limits of speed and space during the early space race.

Directed by Philip Kaufman · 3h 13m · Rated PG

Won 4 Oscars14 wins & 18 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)

TMDB ★ 6.0

A young Venetian merchant embarks on a perilous journey to the court of Kublai Khan in medieval China.

Directed by Archie Mayo · 1h 44m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

6 Best Explorer and Adventurer Biopic Movies

The Aeronauts (2019)

Kon-Tiki (2012)

Amelia (2009)

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

The Right Stuff (1983)

The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)

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