Desert Movies

Kinora's catalogue lists 132 films set in desert environments, spanning 1939–2024. Each is tagged by where and when it takes place — filter by real-world setting, era, and environment, or open any film for its full tagged world.

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2010
127 Hours
Utah — 2000s
Wilderness · Desert · Undergrounddir. Danny Boyle
1977
3 Women
California — 1970s
Desertdir. Robert Altman
2007
3:10 to Yuma
Bisbee · Contention — 1800s
Desert · Wildernessdir. James Mangold
1957
3:10 to Yuma
Bisbee · Contention — 1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. Delmer Daves
2000
A Dog's Will
Taperoá — 1930s
Rural · Desertdir. Guel Arraes
1951
Ace in the Hole
Albuquerque — 1950s
Desert · Ruraldir. Billy Wilder
1992
Aladdin
Timeless
Urban · Desertdir. John Musker
1994
Ashes of Time
Desertdir. Wong Kar-wai
1990
Back to the Future Part III
California — 1800s · 1950s · 1980s
Rural · Desertdir. Robert Zemeckis
1955
Bad Day at Black Rock
California — 1940s
Desert · Ruraldir. John Sturges
1987
Bagdad Cafe
Mojave Desert — 1980s
Desertdir. Percy Adlon
2000
Beau Travail
Djibouti · Marseille — 2000s
Desert · Coastal Seadir. Claire Denis
1974
Blazing Saddles
1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. Mel Brooks
1997
Breakdown
Arizona — 1990s
Desert · Ruraldir. Jonathan Mostow
1977
Capricorn One
1970s
Desertdir. Peter Hyams
1995
Casino
Las Vegas — 1970s · 1980s
Desert · Urbandir. Martin Scorsese
1973
Charley Varrick
New Mexico · Reno — 1970s
Rural · Desertdir. Don Siegel
1997
Con Air
Carson City · Las Vegas — 1990s
Desert · Urbandir. Simon West
1997
Contact
New Mexico · Puerto Rico · Hokkaido · Florida — 1990s
Desert · Off Worlddir. Robert Zemeckis
2000
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Beijing — 1700s
Mountain · Desertdir. Ang Lee
1978
Death on the Nile
Egypt — 1930s
Desertdir. John Guillermin
1945
Detour
Reno · Arizona · Los Angeles — 1940s
Urban · Desertdir. Edgar G. Ulmer
1971
Duck, You Sucker
Mexico — 1910s
Rural · Desertdir. Sergio Leone
1971
Duel
California — 1970s
Desert · Ruraldir. Steven Spielberg
2021
Dune
Space — Far Future
Desert · Off Worlddir. Denis Villeneuve
1984
Dune
Space — Far Future
Desert · Off Worlddir. David Lynch
2024
Dune: Part Two
Far Future
Desert · Off Worlddir. Denis Villeneuve
1998
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Las Vegas — 1970s
Urban · Desertdir. Terry Gilliam
1943
Five Graves to Cairo
Egypt — 1940s
Desertdir. Billy Wilder
1965
For a Few Dollars More
El Paso — 1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. Sergio Leone
1948
Fort Apache
Arizona — 1800s
Desertdir. John Ford
1996
From Dusk Till Dawn
Texas · Mexico — 1990s
Desert · Ruraldir. Robert Rodriguez
1981
Gallipoli
Australia · Cairo · Turkey — 1910s
Desert · Rural · Urbandir. Peter Weir
1957
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Tombstone · Dodge City · Fort Griffin — 1800s
Rural · Desertdir. John Sturges
1973
High Plains Drifter
1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. Clint Eastwood
1967
Hombre
Arizona — 1800s
Desert · Mountaindir. Martin Ritt
1967
Hour of the Gun
Tombstone · Mexico — 1800s
Rural · Desertdir. John Sturges
1958
Ice Cold in Alex
Libya · Egypt · Alexandria — 1940s
Desertdir. J. Lee Thompson
1996
Independence Day
Los Angeles · Washington, D.C. · Nevada — 1990s
Urban · Desertdir. Roland Emmerich
1989
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Venice · Austria · Hatay — 1930s
Desert · Urbandir. Steven Spielberg
2007
Into the Wild
Alaska · California · South Dakota — 1990s
Wilderness · Rural · Desertdir. Sean Penn
2008
Iron Man
Afghanistan — 2000s
Desert · Urbandir. Jon Favreau
1963
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
California — 1960s
Desert · Ruraldir. Stanley Kramer
2005
Kingdom of Heaven
France · Jerusalem — Medieval
Desert · Urbandir. Ridley Scott
1962
Lawrence of Arabia
Cairo · Jerusalem · Damascus — 1910s
Desertdir. David Lean
1989
Licence to Kill
Key West — 1980s
Coastal Sea · Urban · Desertdir. John Glen
1979
Life of Brian
Judea — Ancient
Urban · Desertdir. Terry Jones
2006
Little Miss Sunshine
Albuquerque · Redondo Beach · Scottsdale — 2000s
Suburban · Desertdir. Jonathan Dayton
2017
Logan
El Paso · Mexico · North Dakota — Near Future
Desert · Ruraldir. James Mangold
1997
Lost Highway
Los Angeles — 1990s
Urban · Desertdir. David Lynch
1981
Mad Max 2
Australia — Near Future
Desert · Wildernessdir. George Miller
2015
Mad Max: Fury Road
Near Future
Desert · Wildernessdir. George Miller
1996
Mars Attacks!
Washington, D.C. · Las Vegas — 1990s
Urban · Desertdir. Tim Burton
2011
Meek's Cutoff
Oregon — 1800s
Desert · Wildernessdir. Kelly Reichardt
1988
Midnight Run
New York City · Arizona · Los Angeles — 1980s
Urban · Desertdir. Martin Brest
1946
My Darling Clementine
Tombstone — 1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. John Ford
1983
National Lampoon's Vacation
Kansas · Colorado · Arizona · California — 1980s
Desert · Ruraldir. Harold Ramis
1994
Natural Born Killers
New Mexico — 1990s
Desertdir. Oliver Stone
2007
No Country for Old Men
Texas — 1980s
Desert · Ruraldir. Joel Coen
1968
Once Upon a Time in the West
Arizona — 1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. Sergio Leone
1961
One-Eyed Jacks
Sonora · Monterey — 1800s
Coastal Sea · Desertdir. Marlon Brando
1991
Operation Condor
Madrid · Sahara — 1990s
Desert · Undergrounddir. Jackie Chan
2023
Oppenheimer
Los Alamos · Princeton — 1930s · 1940s · 1950s
Desert · Urbandir. Christopher Nolan
2020
Palm Springs
Palm Springs — 2020s
Desertdir. Max Barbakow
1984
Paris, Texas
Los Angeles · Houston — 1980s
Desert · Urbandir. Wim Wenders
1973
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
New Mexico — 1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. Sam Peckinpah
1970
Patton
Sicily · France · Germany · Tunisia — 1940s
Desert · Ruraldir. Franklin J. Schaffner
2000
Pitch Black
Space — Far Future
Off World · Desert · Undergrounddir. David Twohy
1968
Planet of the Apes
Far Future
Desertdir. Franklin J. Schaffner
2002
Rabbit-Proof Fence
Australia — 1930s
Desert · Wildernessdir. Phillip Noyce
1981
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Cairo · Nepal — 1930s
Desert · Urbandir. Steven Spielberg
1987
Raising Arizona
Tempe — 1980s
Desertdir. Joel Coen
1983
Return of the Jedi
Space — Timeless
Off World · Desert · Wildernessdir. Richard Marquand
1942
Saboteur
California · New York City — 1940s
Urban · Desertdir. Alfred Hitchcock
1995
Safe
Los Angeles — 1980s
Suburban · Desertdir. Todd Haynes
1943
Sahara
Libya · Sahara — 1940s
Desertdir. Zoltan Korda
1949
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Arizona — 1800s
Desertdir. John Ford
2015
Sicario
Ciudad Juárez · Texas — 2010s
Urban · Desertdir. Denis Villeneuve
1985
Silverado
New Mexico — 1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. Lawrence Kasdan
1987
Spaceballs
Space — Timeless
Off World · Desertdir. Mel Brooks
1939
Stagecoach
1800s
Desert · Wildernessdir. John Ford
1977
Star Wars
Space — Far Future
Off World · Desertdir. George Lucas
1984
Starman
Wisconsin · Arizona — 1980s
Rural · Desertdir. John Carpenter
1994
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Sydney · Alice Springs — 1990s
Desertdir. Stephan Elliott
1951
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
Libya · Germany · Normandy — 1940s
Desertdir. Henry Hathaway
1996
The English Patient
Cairo · Sahara · Italy — 1930s · 1940s
Desert · Ruraldir. Anthony Minghella
1965
The Flight of the Phoenix
Libya — 1960s
Desertdir. Robert Aldrich
1977
The Gauntlet
Las Vegas · Phoenix — 1970s
Urban · Desertdir. Clint Eastwood
1966
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
1800s
Desert · Wildernessdir. Sergio Leone
1965
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
Galilee · Jerusalem — Ancient
Rural · Desertdir. Pier Paolo Pasolini
1953
The Hitch-Hiker
Baja California — 1950s
Desertdir. Ida Lupino
1973
The Holy Mountain
Mexico
Desert · Urban · Island · Mountaindir. Alejandro Jodorowsky
2008
The Hurt Locker
Iraq — 2000s
Urban · Desertdir. Kathryn Bigelow
1985
The Jewel of the Nile
Egypt — 1980s
Desert · Urbandir. Lewis Teague
1988
The Land Before Time
Ancient
Wilderness · Desert · Mountaindir. Don Bluth
1988
The Last Temptation of Christ
Jerusalem · Judea — Ancient
Desert · Urban · Ruraldir. Martin Scorsese
1994
The Lion King
Africa — Timeless
Wilderness · Desertdir. Roger Allers
1955
The Man from Laramie
New Mexico — 1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. Anthony Mann
1988
The Milagro Beanfield War
New Mexico — 1980s
Rural · Desertdir. Robert Redford
1961
The Misfits
Reno — 1960s
Desert · Urbandir. John Huston
2004
The Motorcycle Diaries
Buenos Aires · Chile · Peru — 1950s
Mountain · Desert · Ruraldir. Walter Salles
1999
The Mummy
Cairo — 1920s
Desert · Urbandir. Stephen Sommers
1979
The Muppet Movie
Florida · Los Angeles — 1970s
Rural · Desertdir. James Frawley
1975
The Passenger
Chad · London · Munich · Barcelona — 1970s
Desert · Urbandir. Michelangelo Antonioni
1998
The Prince of Egypt
Egypt — Ancient
Desert · Urbandir. Simon Wells
1966
The Professionals
Mexico — 1910s
Desertdir. Richard Brooks
2005
The Proposition
Australia — 1800s
Desert · Wildernessdir. John Hillcoat
1983
The Right Stuff
California · Space — 1940s · 1950s · 1960s
Desert · Off Worlddir. Philip Kaufman
1956
The Searchers
Texas · New Mexico — 1800s
Wilderness · Desertdir. John Ford
1956
The Ten Commandments
Egypt — Ancient
Desert · Urbandir. Cecil B. DeMille
1953
The Wages of Fear
1950s
Desert · Wildernessdir. Henri-Georges Clouzot
1969
The Wild Bunch
Texas · Mexico — 1910s
Desert · Ruraldir. Sam Peckinpah
2005
The World's Fastest Indian
Invercargill · Los Angeles · Utah — 1960s
Rural · Desert · Urbandir. Roger Donaldson
1991
Thelma & Louise
Arkansas — 1990s
Rural · Desertdir. Ridley Scott
1954
Them!
New Mexico · Los Angeles — 1950s
Desert · Urban · Undergrounddir. Gordon Douglas
1999
Three Kings
Iraq — 1990s
Desertdir. David O. Russell
2014
Timbuktu
Timbuktu — 2010s
Desertdir. Abderrahmane Sissako
1985
To Live and Die in L.A.
Los Angeles — 1980s
Urban · Desertdir. William Friedkin
1967
Tobruk
Libya — 1940s
Desertdir. Arthur Hiller
1993
Tombstone
Arizona — 1800s
Desert · Ruraldir. George P. Cosmatos
1990
Tremors
Nevada — 1990s
Desert · Ruraldir. Ron Underwood
1970
Two Mules for Sister Sara
Mexico — 1800s
Desert · Wildernessdir. Don Siegel
1971
Two-Lane Blacktop
Arizona · New Mexico · Memphis — 1970s
Rural · Desertdir. Monte Hellman
2012
V/H/S
Arizona — 1990s · 2010s
Urban · Rural · Desertdir. David Bruckner
1971
Vanishing Point
Denver · Nevada · California — 1970s
Desertdir. Richard C. Sarafian
1954
Vera Cruz
Veracruz — 1800s
Desert · Wildernessdir. Robert Aldrich
1950
Wagon Master
Utah — 1800s
Desert · Wildernessdir. John Ford
1971
Wake in Fright
Australia — 1970s
Desert · Ruraldir. Ted Kotcheff
1971
Walkabout
Australia — 1970s
Desert · Wilderness · Urbandir. Nicolas Roeg
1964
Woman in the Dunes
Japan — 1960s
Coastal Sea · Rural · Desertdir. Hiroshi Teshigahara
1994
Wyatt Earp
Iowa · Kansas · Arizona — 1800s
Rural · Desertdir. Lawrence Kasdan
1970
Zabriskie Point
Los Angeles · Death Valley — 1970s
Desert · Urbandir. Michelangelo Antonioni

Frequently asked

How many movies are set in desert environments?

Kinora's catalogue lists 132 films set in desert environments, spanning 1939–2024.

What are some movies set in desert environments?

Films set in desert environments in our catalogue include 127 Hours (2010), 3 Women (1977), 3:10 to Yuma (2007), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and A Dog's Will (2000).

What is the oldest movie set in desert environments?

Stagecoach (1939) is the earliest film set in desert environments in our catalogue; the most recent is Dune: Part Two (2024).