I’m making a movie guide for each of the 50 states, listing and discussing some of the most famous, most successful, or most important movies that are set there.
It’s time to move on to Alaska!
A lot of the movies set in Alaska are adventure movies — people striking out into the unknown or battling the elements. Let’s take a look at some of the best movies in Alaska, starting with the highest Rotten Tomatoes score.
Insomnia (2002): 92% Fresh
Insomnia was directed by Christopher Nolan. It was only his third movie, following the huge success of Memento.
This psychological thriller stars Al Painco as a detective investigating a murder in a small Alaskan town. The twist? The killer knows the detective’s darkest secret and uses it to manipulate him. The movie plays with the theme of guilt and the blurred line between good and evil, as the detective becomes more and more unstable under the constant sunlight of the Alaskan summer.
It also stars Robin Williams and Hillary Swank. It was set in the real town of Nightmute, Alaska, but it was mostly filmed in Canada.
Into the Wild (2007): 83% Fresh
Based on the true story that Jon Krakauer told in his nonfiction book of the same name, Into the Wild follows the journey of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch). McCandless–who goes by Alexander during the film–was a young man who gave up his privileged life to live in the Alaskan wilderness. The film depicts his encounters with different characters and his struggles with hunger, loneliness, and the harshness of nature. It’s a poignant exploration of the human desire for freedom and the consequences of extreme choices.
McCandless is a highly contentious figure in narratives about Alaska and the wilderness, but in 2015, Krakauer published an update with more information about how he died. In some ways, this vindicated McCandless because it turns out that his death was not from an amateur mistake. However, people still debate his decisions and their implications for solo traveling and responsible wilderness survival.
A good follow-up to the movie is The Wild Truth, authored by McCandless’s sister Carine McCandless.
The Grey (2011): 79% Fresh
The Grey is a survival thriller that stars Liam Neeson as John Ottway, a sharpshooter working for an oil company in Alaska. When his plane crashes in the remote wilderness, Ottway and a group of other survivors have to face not only the freezing temperatures and lack of food but also a pack of wolves hunting them down.
White Fang (1991): 67% Fresh
White Fang is based on Jack London’s famous novel of the same name. Ethan Hawke plays Jack Conroy, a gold prospector who befriends a wolf-dog hybrid in the Alaskan and Yukon wilderness. Together, they face the challenges of the era: vicious hunters, harsh winter conditions, and a cruel dog-fighting ring.
The film was filmed, in part, in Haines, Alaska.
The Proposal (2009): 45%
One of the only romantic comedies set in Alaska, The Proposal stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Bullock is a demanding editor who is going to be deported to Canada unless her scheme to marry her assistant (Reynolds) works out. She forces him to go along the plan and travel to Reynolds’s hometown in Alaska to meet his family. They are pretending to be engaged, but things get complicated when they actually do fall for each other.
More Films Set in Alaska
Don’t fret! If I left your favorite Alaskan movie out of the list above, here are a few more!
- North to Alaska (1960)
- Never Cry Wolf (1983)
- Alaska (1996)
- The Edge (1997)
- Mystery, Alaska (1999)
- The Frozen Ground (2003)
- The Guardian (2006)
- Big Miracle (2012)
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