Raiders of the Lost Ark
In 1936, archaeologist Indiana Jones is tasked by Army Intelligence to help locate a legendary ancient power, the Ark of Covenant, before the Nazis get it first.
Directed by Steven Spielberg · Action · Adventure · 115 min · 1981
Trailer
Director
Steven Spielberg
Studio
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Release
12 Jun 1981
Runtime
115 min
Genres
Action, Adventure
Full Plot
The year is 1936. An archeology professor named Indiana Jones is venturing in the jungles of South America searching for a golden statue. Unfortunately, he sets off a deadly trap but miraculously escapes. Then, Jones hears from a museum curator named Marcus Brody about a biblical artifact called The Ark of the Covenant, which can hold the key to human existence. Jones has to venture to vast places such as Nepal and Egypt to find this artifact. However, he will have to fight his enemy Rene Belloq and a band of Nazis in order to reach it.
Cast & Characters
Indiana Jones: An archaeology professor and adventurer
Harrison Ford
Marion Ravenwood: A spirited, tough bar owner and Jones's former lover
Karen Allen
René Belloq: A rival archaeologist to Jones, in the employ of the Nazis
Paul Freeman
Major Arnold Toht: A sadistic Gestapo agent
Ronald Lacey
Sallah: An Egyptian excavator and old acquaintance of Jones
John Rhys-Davies
Marcus Brody: A museum curator and Jones's loyal friend
Denholm Elliott
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $18.0M, Raiders of the Lost Ark has grossed $389.9M worldwide — about 21.7x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Raiders of the Lost Ark is part of TMDb's "Indiana Jones Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Steven Spielberg has directed 7 films in our catalog, including Jaws, Saving Private Ryan.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Here's a summary of the key points about the making and success of "Raiders of the Lost Ark":
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The film was shot over 73 days in September 1980.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The script was loosely detailed, leading to much improvisation during filming.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The scene where Marion puts on a dress to conceal a weapon was improvised.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Raiders of the Lost Ark holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (1,102,713 votes), 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 86/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 3, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (1,102,713 votes), 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 86/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Raiders of the Lost Ark's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Raiders of the Lost Ark holds a 94% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Raiders of the Lost Ark's IMDb rating?+
Raiders of the Lost Ark has a 8.4/10 rating on IMDb from 1,102,713 votes.
What is Raiders of the Lost Ark's Metacritic score?+
Raiders of the Lost Ark has a Metascore of 86/100 on Metacritic.
Is Raiders of the Lost Ark good? What are critics saying?+
Raiders of the Lost Ark holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (1,102,713 votes), 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 86/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Raiders of the Lost Ark?+
Raiders of the Lost Ark has a runtime of 115 min.
Who directed Raiders of the Lost Ark?+
Raiders of the Lost Ark was directed by Steven Spielberg.
Where can I watch Raiders of the Lost Ark?+
Raiders of the Lost Ark is available to stream, rent, or buy on Disney Plus, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand, Plex, Channel 4 Plus, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, Netflix.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is generally positive, with many reviewers praising its engaging storytelling, well-developed characters, and iconic action sequences. The film has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest movies of all time by various critics and publications. Despite some criticisms about its portrayal of Nazis, the movie remains a beloved classic in the world of cinema.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
**Trailblazers of a Lost Art** Little wonder James Cameron and Joss Whelon movies are the biggest box-office earners. They are masters of cinematic rhetoric. The unfolding dramatic situations and controlled dialogue are meticulously contrived. Cameron could probably have potted m…
I think for a lot of people, Raiders is their favourite (x) movie. Be that their favourite adventure movie, favourite '80s movie, favourite Spielberg movie, whatever. None of those ring true for me, but it is my favourite Indiana Jones movie. I was a mad fiend for Temple of Doom…
Gimly · 7/10Good watch, could watch again, and can recommend. For Spielberg's American Alan Quartermaine, I can certainly understand what the hype is about, but I've never been a big fan myself. For starters, Nazis are boring. I'm sure they were all the rage once upon a time as a classic vil…
Kamurai · 7/105 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My favorite action film of all time due to one of the most iconic death scenes at the end being my personal favorite and being featured in my melt movie lists on many different websites!!!
John Critic · 10/10This is trailblazing stuff - a great action film in the vein of earlier Technicolor swashbucklers. Harrison Ford is engaging and hugely charismatic and his battles with Karen Allen and Paul Freeman make for a considered, slightly dark but funny and memorable piece of cinema. So m…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
What better way to show off a 4K transfer by showing it at 1080. Bravo!
@UberNeuman · 350 likesI am so glad I was born when I was. Being a kid when this movie came out in theaters in the 80’s was magic.
@chrishanson8277 · 90 likesClassic film. It is truly remarkable how well the series has done over the years. Harrison Ford is such a great actor and a humble individual.
@thetennisprofessional · 202 likesThis is a classic Steven Spielberg film. My personal favorite Spielberg film. Everything from the action choreography to the music is great. The way Spielberg builds the films environment is great. It really feels like you are in the 1930's.
@Gkm- · 78 likesOne of the Greatest movies of all time. It truly sets to tone for an action movie.
@primebeef3938 · 130 likesYou have to admire how much they've preserved and remastered this movie over the last 40 years. There's no other movie from 1981 that looks this good today.
@moviefan8533 · 151 likes1:15 wow he’s got a strong punch. Blew up a car thousands of miles away.
@Just_A_Wandererr · 24 likesAs a kid seeing this for the first time back in the day, this blew my mind and it's 1 of my favorite movies of all time I love this movie
@Eternaldarkness3166 · 9 likes
