Film

In Like Flynn

Name: In Like Flynn
Genre: Comedy, Action, Adventure
Released: 2018
Cast: Thomas Cocquerel, Corey Large, Clive Standen, William Moseley, David Hennessey

Treasure hunt
Light-hearted

A buoyant adventure comedy about young Errol Flynn before he became a movie star, sailing from Australia to Papua hunting for gold with a misfit crew. It's a gleeful, salty romp that doesn't strain for historical accuracy—it wants you laughing and swept up in the chaos. For anyone who loves scrappy ensemble adventures and charismatic rogues getting into trouble together.

TMDb rating

2.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy scrappy buddy-caper comedy where bragging young charmers blunder through a gold-hunting voyage with more swagger than sense, and you don't mind a loose, lightly historical tale.

Skip it if you want sharp writing or tight plotting, since its shaggy, episodic structure and broad, sometimes crude humour may wear thin quickly.

What it asks of you: Ninety-five minutes of easygoing, sun-bleached chaos with no real pressure to keep up; the mood stays light and rambling, so you can drift in and out without losing much.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.2015

A stylish, witty ensemble adventure with charm to spare. The camaraderie between characters matches Flynn's, and it has that same playful tone—action that doesn't take itself seriously but executes brilliantly.

But The plot is thin by design, which some find unsatisfying. If you want character depth over fizzy entertainment, this won't scratch that itch.

Our Flag Means Death2022

A pirate comedy series with genuine warmth and surprisingly tender character work. It captures that same spirit of misfits on boats, found family, and adventures that go hilariously sideways. Pure joy.

But Tonally it swings hard toward the earnest and heartfelt, not just comedy. If you only want laughs, later seasons might feel uneven.

Crocodile Dundee1986

Australian adventure, impossible charm, fish-out-of-water comedy that actually lands. It's about competence and character rather than plot, and it has that same infectious energy of a roguish lead winning you over completely.

But The gender politics are dated, and the humor relies heavily on 1980s sensibilities. It can feel uneven by modern standards.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from In Like Flynn

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The African Queen1952

Both films treat adventure as a container for character discovery and charm. Flynn's crew and Bogey-Hepburn use travel and crisis to become themselves. Neither film cares much for narrative urgency.

Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn on a river journey through hostile territory. It's a two-hander adventure that moves with real momentum, balancing humor and danger. The chemistry and banter are everything—plot is almost secondary.

But Slower than modern action, and steeped in colonial-era attitudes. The romance can feel unequal by today's standards.

Adventure Time: Distant Lands2020

A series about misfits getting into scrapes across a hostile world, learning as they go. The tone matches—playful danger, genuine affection between characters, and a willingness to be both silly and surprisingly moving.

But It's animated, and it takes several seasons to find its rhythm. Early episodes feel thin compared to later ones.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid1969

Two charming rogues and their banter. It's an adventure film that trusts character and chemistry over spectacle, and the tone—wry, warm, dangerous—runs parallel to Flynn's journey.

But Slower-paced than modern action films. If you want constant movement, this meditative approach might feel slack.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid poster

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen1988

Terry Gilliam's baroque fever dream about a con artist telling tall tales. Same DNA: an unreliable narrator making his own adventure, scrappy supporting characters, the refusal to let reality get in the way of fun.

But Visually overwhelming and narratively chaotic. Some find it exhausting rather than exhilarating, and it can feel self-indulgent.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen poster

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre1948

Gold prospectors in the wilderness battling greed and paranoia. It's the serious shadow-self of Flynn's adventure—same setting and stakes, but Huston uses it to explore corruption and human nature with devastating intelligence.

But It's bleak and slow-burn, the opposite of swashbuckling fun. Not what you watch when you want to feel light.

Backdraft1991

Male ensemble bonding through chaos and danger, with chemistry-driven comedy layered under action. The banter and brotherhood mirror Flynn's crew, even if the setting is completely different.

But The plot is fairly rote, and it leans on '90s blockbuster rhythms that can feel dated. The dramatic beats are occasionally overwrought.

Muppet Treasure Island1996

A ragtag crew on a sea adventure, cheerful chaos, comedy that works for multiple ages. It has the same tonal DNA: adventure played for laughs but with genuine stakes underneath.

But It's a children's film, so the humor and sophistication are calibrated accordingly. Adults without kids might find it slight.

Vice2018

Both are historical comedies where the form deliberately rejects accuracy for tone. Flynn plays fast and loose with dates; McKay breaks the fourth wall and plays with the medium itself. Both ask: what if we just enjoyed the performance of a historical figure without needing to be earnest?

Adam McKay's fractured, profane, hyperkinetic biography of Dick Cheney. It explodes the biopic form into something wild and funny, with a completely unreliable narrator and disdain for linear storytelling or gravitas.

But It's aggressively stylish to the point of distraction. Some find the constant format-breaking and hectoring tone more exhausting than enjoyable. Also tonally the opposite of warm.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel2017

Both films revel in performance, charm, and the idea of a young person making it up as they go, surrounded by people who love them. Neither is interested in restraint or realism—both want you riding the high.

A scrappy, endlessly energetic series about a woman building her own adventure from scratch in 1950s New York. The dialogue is a joyride, the ensemble cast has genuine warmth, and it moves with pure kinetic pleasure—never a dull moment.

But The constant verbal acrobatics can feel exhausting. Some find the pace and tone relentless and the female-lead focus a radical departure if you're coming from a Flynn adventure.