Are you planning to watch some Hawaiian movies but don’t know what to pick? Check out this post for some iconic films set in Hawaii to discover the state’s beauty.
While there have been several movies filmed in Hawaii over the last decade, I thought it would be a great idea to highlight 10 Hawaiian movies that showcase the beauty of the state. These movies by far span several film genres and locations throughout Hawaii while some of them were even on Disney Channel.
So, if you want to watch Hawaiian movies that will help you discover the state’s beauty, you’ve come to the right place. This post alone highlights 10 iconic films that will help you discover Hawaii through motion picture.
Maui Bucket List Series
P.S. This is a post in my Maui Bucket List series. Here is the complete 19-part series:
Hidden Gems: 10 Magical Hidden Gems in Maui, Hawaii
Black Sand Beaches: The 7 Most Amazing Black Sand Beaches in Maui
Poke: 12 Top Places to Get Poke in Maui
Breakfast: 8 Amazing Places to Get Breakfast in Lahaina, Maui
Coffee Shops: 7 Cozy Coffee Shops in Lahaina, Maui
Restaurants: The 12 Best Restaurants in Maui with a View
Accommodation: 10 Unique Places to Stay in Maui on a Budget
Sea Turtles: The 12 Best Places to See Sea Turtles in Maui
Surfing: The 10 Best Surf Spots in Maui
Road to Hana: The 7 Best Stops on the Road to Hana in Maui
Sunsets: 8 Incredible Places to Watch the Sunset in Maui
Waterfall Hikes: The 7 Best Waterfall Hikes in Maui
Vegan Food: 8 Incredible Vegan Restaurants in Maui
Instagram: 10 Incredible Maui Instagram Spots
Cheap Food: 10 Amazing Cheap Eats in Maui
Grocery Stores: The 8 Top Lahaina Grocery Stores You Need To Visit
Ka’anapali Restaurants: 9 Amazing Ka’anapali Restaurants You Don’t Want to Miss
Lahaina Restaurants: The 12 Coolest Restaurants in Lahaina on Front Street
Instagram Captions: 100 Media-Inspired Hawaii Captions for Your Instagram
Soul Surfer (hawaiian movies)
Filmed on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Kauai, and the Big Island, Soul Surfer is a great Hawaiian movie you can watch to learn more about the state’s beauty. The film tells the story about a teenager, Bethany Hamilton, who has a natural talent in surfing. However, one day while she was out surfing, Bethany lost her arm in a tragic shark attack.
Bolstered by her parent’s love and inability to give up, she makes a plan to return back to competing but questions about her future still plague her. It’s not until she sees the devastation in Thailand that was caused by the 2004 tsunami that she discovers God has a greater purpose for her life: to make a difference in the lives of others.
The Descendants (hawaiian movies)
Filmed primarily on the islands of Kaua’i and O’ahu, The Descendants is another great Hawaiian film you can watch to discover the state’s beauty! The film tells the story about a native islander, Matt King, who lives on Hawaii with his two young daughters. His and his daughters’ world shatters when they hear that a tragic accident has left his wife in a coma.
Matt unfortunately must now struggle with the stipulation in his wife’s will that allows her to die with dignity while also facing the pressure from relatives to sell their family’s enormous land trust. Feeling angry and terrified at the same time, Matt tries to be a good father to his two young daughters as they all try to cope with his wife’s possible death.
Check IMDB for specific filming locations for the this movie!
Just Go With It (hawaiian movies)
Filmed on the tropical islands of Maui and Kauai, Just Go With It is another great Hawaiian film you can watch that captures the state’s beauty! The film tells the story about a recently heatbroken plastic surgeon, Danny Maccabee, who pretends to be married in order to obtain future dates with no strings attached. This all goes well for a while until he meets Palmer, the girl of his dreams. She unfortunately doesn’t want to get involved with him because of his web of lies so Danny hires Katherine, his assistant, to be his soon-to-be-ex-wife. However, instead of solving Danny’s problems, the lies lead to more trouble.
Check IMDB for specific filming locations for this movie!
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (hawaiian movies)
Filmed at the Turtle Bay Resort in the North Shore of Oahu, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is another great Hawaiian film you can watch that showcases Hawaii’s beauty! The film tells the story about two young and adventurous brothers, Mike and Dave Stangle, who tend to get out of control at family gatherings. So, when their sister makes plans to get married in Hawaii, their family insists that both brothers bring dates to keep the two of them on their best behavior.
So, rhe brothers place an ad on Craigslist to find dates and they decide to pick Tatiana and Alice who seem like two lovely, charming women. However, it’s not until they all arrive at the wedding in Hawaii that Mike and Dave realize that their dates are looking to get wild and party hard.
Check IMDB for specific filming locations for this movie!
50 First Dates (hawaiian movies)
Mostly filmed on Oahu, 50 First Dates is another great Hawaiian film that showcases Hawaii’s beauty! The film tells the story about a playboy veteran, Henry, who sets his heart on pursuing Lucy, a woman with short-term memory loss. Lucy, unfortunately, can’t remember anything that happened the day before because of her impaired memory so every morning Henry has to woo her continously which leads to 50 first dates. Lucy’s friends and family however are very protective of Lucy so Henry has to convince them that he’s in it for love and only love.
Check IMDB for specific filming locations for this movie!
Johnny Tsunami (hawaiian movies)
Filmed in Oahu, Hawaii, Johnny Tsunami, a Disney Channel Original Movie, is another Hawaiian film you can watch to discover Hawaii’s beauty! The movie tells a story about a young Hawaiian surfer, Johnny Kapahala, who is in for a rude awakening when his dad relocates to Vermont, a U.S. state where surfing is completely nonexistent. While there, he struggles to fit in at his private school since everyone skis. Luckily, he befriends Sam, a public school student, who teaches him the art of snowboarding. Rivalry also brews between Johnny and snooty skier Brett so they settle their frustrations with each other on the slopes.
Aloha (hawaiian movies)
Filmed in Honolulu and at the Hickam Air Force Base, Aloha is another great Hawaiian movie you can watch to discover the state’s beauty! The film tells the story about a military contractor, Brian Gilcrest, who is on assignment in Oahu, Hawaii. While there, he reconnects with an old flame, Tracy Woodside, who is now married to an Air Force recruit. He also spends a lot of time with Allison Ng, a hard nosed fighter pilot whose job is to watch Brian’s every move.
As Allison and Brian travel through the lush terrain of Hawaii, Brian finds himself falling for Allison while his conversations with Tracy provide a shocking revelation from their past relationship.
Check IMDB for specific filming locations for this movie!
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (hawaiian movies)
Filmed on Oahu’s North Shore, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is another great Hawaiian movie that showcases Hawaii’s beauty! The film tells the story about a struggling musician, Peter Bretter, who is the boyfriend of the TV star Sarah Marshall. Sarah, unfortunately, ceremoniously dumps him, leaving him feeling lost and alone. To get over her, Peter heads to Hawaii as a last-ditch bid but it ends up in catastrophe when he realizes Sarah and her new boyfriend are staying at the same hotel as him.
Check IMDB for specific filming locations for this movie!
Running for Grace (hawaiian movies)
Shot on location in Hawaii, Running for Grace is another Hawaiian movie with breathtaking scenery from the archipelago. The film tells the story about an orphan who uses blazing speed to deliver medicine to the coffee pickers in the mountains of Hawaii. However, young love begins to blossom when he starts falling for the daughter of a plantation owner, Grace.
In regard to the filming, local farms like Kona Pacific Farmers’ Cooperative, Hokukano Ranch, Kona Cloud Forest and Billy Dignan’s private farm were used to shoot the film’s coffee plantation setting. You can also check IMDB for other specific filming locations for this movie!
Blue Crush (hawaiian movies)
Filmed in the North Shore, Makaha, Waikiki, and central Oahu, Blue Crush is another great Hawaiian movie that can you watch to admire the state’s beauty. The film tells the story about a surfer, Anne Marie, who doesn’t let anything get between her and her love for the waves. Catching them before dawn, Anne Marie usually surfs every morning as she counts down the days until the Rip Masters surf competition. However, it’s not until pro quarterback, Matt Tollman, comes along that she starts to lose her focus. In the midst of losing her balance on her board, she eventually ends up finding it as she falls for Matt.
Check IMDB for specific filming locations for this movie!
Overall, I really hope you enjoyed this post on the 10 Hawaiian movies I believe help capture Hawaii’s beauty! Please let me know in the comments down below what’s your favorite movie filmed in Hawaii. I would love to hear from you! 🙂
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