The most memorable movies and TV shows set in Alaska

Charlie Chaplin is one of the icons of silent film. Among his most famous movies is The Gold Rush. Chaplin appears as his Little Tramp character, and the story takes place during the Alaskan gold rush.

Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour went on a lot of adventures down various “roads.” Usually, it ended up with the trio in some tropical location. Road to Utopia features Crosby and Hope as vaudevillians who go to Alaska to, well, seek gold.

Noir movies of the 1950s often take place in New York or Los Angeles. What if one took place in Alaska? Well, one did. Cry Vengeance. Mark Stevens stars and directs in this film as an ex-cop who heads to Alaska to seek revenge on a mob boss.

Have you ever heard of a “Northern"? It’s a somewhat joking name given to Westerns that took place in the north. Sure as, say, Nome, Alaska. John Wayne is one of the stars of this comedic Western, er, Northern, and he reportedly co-directed it.

The premise of Runaway Train is pretty great. Two escaped convicts are on board a runaway train in the Alaskan wilderness. The film's energy is a little weird, but apparently, it connected with some people. Both Jon Voight and Eric Roberts got Oscar nominations for Runaway Train.

If you were a kid in the 1990s, you probably saw Balto. You also may have been disappointed in it. The thing is, the movie is based on a true story and can’t help but feel a little educational. Maybe you just wanted a rollicking cartoon film about a dog. The story is worth telling, though. It focuses on the titular sled dog who helped deliver much-needed medication to Nome in 1925.

Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins are hunted by a bear. What else do we need to say about The Edge? How about the fact David Mamet wrote it? This is about as good of a survival thriller as you will find.

Alas, Mystery, Alaska did not live up to the fun of the premise. It’s a middling sports comedy about ragtag Alaskans facing the New York Rangers in an exhibition. You know, underdog stuff. However, it feels like a lot of people were drawn in by the premise before being disappointed. Mystery, Alaska is remembered but often for how unmemorable it is, weirdly.

Christopher Nolan is one of the most beloved filmmakers working today. Sure, a lot of that is due to his Batman trilogy and the movies he’s made after earning cache from that. Before beginning with Batman, Nolan directed Insomnia, a crime thriller set in Alaska during the summer, when the sun rarely sets.

Remember when Cuba Gooding Jr. won Best Supporting Actor for Jerry Maguire? Things went pear-shaped pretty quickly after that. Case in point, Snow Dogs. This infamous Disney comedy is pretty lousy — one of the movies people point out when lamenting Gooding’s film career. When Sisqo and Michael Bolton were cast, maybe we should have known what was up.

Disney delivered us this fable about a boy who turned into a bear as a punishment. You know, the thing where you have to learn a lesson to be changed back. It’s a classic story, and Brother Bear was a hit, even if critics didn’t like it. The movie is also notable for Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis providing voices, as Moranis retired from acting soon after this film.

It’s the inverse of Insomnia. During the winter, the sun hardly rises. Indeed, in this film, a town settles in for 30 days of the polar night. The problem? Vampires. As you likely know, vampires can’t face the sunlight. A town without sun is in trouble. Yeah, this is a pretty killer idea for a horror movie.

Based on a true story, Into the Wild is about a wayward young man who hikes across North America and then camps away from civilization in the Alaskan wilderness. Ah, but nature is as cruel as it is kind, though we don’t want to deliver any spoilers. The film was critically well-received, and Hal Holbrook got a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

This is Liam Neeson in the thick of his slick action movie renaissance. This time, a bunch of oil company workers survives a plane crash, only to be hunted by wolves. It’s man vs. nature, and our only note is that there isn't enough of Neeson fighting wolves in the “Liam Neeson fights wolves” movie.

Jack London’s iconic novel has been made into a film a few times. Why is this The Call of the Wild the most memorable? Well, for one, it is the most recent, and recency bias is a thing. Two, Harrison Ford is in it. Third, the CGI dog looks so weird. Look into that dog’s face for like two seconds. You’ll never forget him.

In a fish-out-of-water dramedy, a rare TV dramedy, Rob Morrow plays a doctor from New York City who has to go to Anchorage to practice medicine to repay his school bills. The show ran for six seasons and was a huge hit, especially on the awards front. Northern Exposure got 39 Emmy nominations, winning seven of them, including Outstanding Drama Series one time.

From the people who brought you Bob’s Burgers, and animated in the same vein, The Great North has the same sensibilities. The show takes place in a fake town in Alaska called Lone Moose. This show has an impressive voiceover cast, including Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate, and Will Forte.

Yes, another fish-out-of-water Alaska show. This time, a Carrie Bradshaw-type woman played by Anne Heche moves to Elmo, Alaska, after finding out her fiancé was cheating on her. That means it is also an occupational irony show, in that Heche’s character is a relationship coach and author whose own relationship falls apart. Men in Trees lasted two seasons and 36 episodes on ABC.

You may need to have a young kid to know Molly of Denali, but if you do, this one is a clear choice for the list. The PBS Kids show focuses on a 10-year-old vlogger who is a native Alaskan. It is, of course, educational. The show is mostly animated, but each episode has a live-action section shot in Alaska. Molly of Denali won a Peabody in 2020.

The freshest addition to the list and a show with quite an impressive star and creator. Alaska Daily comes to us from Tom McCarthy, who wrote and directed, among other things, Best Picture winner Spotlight . Speaking of the Oscars, the star is Hilary Swank, who has two for acting. Sure, the ABC show is about a New Yorker who moves to Alaska to start anew, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be good!