6 Best Scavenger Hunt Movies

By Vlad Zakh · September 7, 2026

From a grieving boy chasing a mystery key across New York to an inheritance up for grabs, these are the best movies built around a wild scavenger hunt. In Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011): A grieving young boy embarks on a citywide scavenger hunt after discovering a mysterious key left behind by his late father. Worth seeking out is Christmas Scavenger Hunt (2019): A woman returning home for the holidays is forced to team up with her ex for her town’s annual Christmas scavenger hunt.

You Must Be Joking (1965)

TMDB ★ 5.4

A motley group of soldiers is set loose across England on an initiative test to collect a list of bizarre items.

Directed by Michael Winner · 1h 35m · Rated NR

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Scavenger Hunt (1979)

TMDB ★ 5.6

An eccentric games inventor's death sets off a madcap scavenger hunt among his family and staff for a massive inheritance.

Directed by Michael Schultz · 1h 56m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Kino Film Collection

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Midnight Madness (1980)

TMDB ★ 5.8

A genius grad student organizes an all-night citywide treasure hunt pitting five rival teams of oddballs against each other.

Directed by Michael Nankin & David Wechter · 1h 52m · Rated PG

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sleepover (2004)

TMDB ★ 6.1

Four best friends enter an all-night scavenger hunt against the popular clique to save their social standing before high school begins.

Directed by Joe Nussbaum · 1h 29m · Rated PG

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Christmas Scavenger Hunt (2019)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A woman returning home for the holidays is forced to team up with her ex for her town's annual Christmas scavenger hunt.

Directed by Marita Grabiak · 1h 20m

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Philo, Hallmark+ Amazon Channel, Hallmark+ Apple TV channel, Hallmark TV Amazon Channel · Rent: Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A grieving young boy embarks on a citywide scavenger hunt after discovering a mysterious key left behind by his late father.

Directed by Stephen Daldry · 2h 09m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · 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

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 Scavenger Hunt Movies

You Must Be Joking (1965)

Scavenger Hunt (1979)

Midnight Madness (1980)

Sleepover (2004)

Christmas Scavenger Hunt (2019)

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

You might also like

6 Best Pizza Delivery Movies

6 Best Roller Skating Rink Movies

6 Best Weather Forecaster Movies

6 Best Ice Cream Truck Movies

6 Best Driving School Movies of All Time

6 Best Film Critic Movies of All Time