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Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park

An adventure 65 million years in the making.

1993127 minPG-13Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Steven Spielberg
Starring
Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

A wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening day, he invites a team of experts and his two eager grandchildren to experience the park and help calm anxious investors. However, the park is anything but amusing as the security systems go off-line and the dinosaurs escape.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Jurassic Park?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Jurassic Park streaming on STARZ and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Jurassic Park?

Jurassic Park earns 12 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Stood the test of time.

Show 4 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Jurassic Park worth watching?

Jurassic Park's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 3.7M ratings across 6 sources. 91% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)98th

82 /100

98th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 1990s

Critics 68 · Audience 83

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

91% liked it

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 1990s
91% rated it 7–109% rated it 1–6

Awards

3 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 39 wins / 27 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Effects, Visual Effects

99th percentile

3.7M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$63M
Opening weekend$47M
Domestic gross$407M
Worldwide gross$1.1B

Returned 17.5× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A landmark spectacle with groundbreaking effects and iconic moments, but the human story and logic are secondary to the dinosaurs.

Fans praised

  • groundbreaking blend of animatronics and CGI that still holds up
  • John Williams' iconic, awe-inspiring score
  • relentless suspense and perfectly constructed set pieces (T-Rex breakout, kitchen raptors)

Detractors panned

  • thin, cliché-ridden plot that collapses under scrutiny
  • flat, one-dimensional characters, annoying kids, wasted cast
  • sacrifices logic and character development for spectacle

What stands out

Effects and spectacle95

groundbreaking, still holds up; universally praised even by detractors

Sound and musicDivisive95

Williams' score is iconic; sound design adds to tension

TensionDivisive90

edge-of-seat suspense, masterful build-up; detractors say predictable but still effective

CinematographyDivisive85

stunning shots, iconic imagery, beautiful island location

AtmosphereDivisive85

immersive, awe-inspiring, and terrifying world-building

ActingDivisive70

cast praised as solid, Goldblum a standout; detractors call it lackluster or overdone

Plot and storyDivisive50

simple but effective premise; detractors say it's predictable and full of holes

CharactersDivisive45

fans find Grant, Malcolm, Hammond memorable; critics call them one-dimensional or annoying kids

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Jurassic Park like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadThrillingTenseWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Awestruck · 1% of films: Wonder at something vast or marvelous.Adventurous · 11% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film balances awe at the miraculous dinosaurs with a grim warning about playing God, and plays its survival scenario with earnest tension and spectacle.
The rideThe film sustains a pervasive sense of dread and tension from the moment the dinosaurs escape, with spikes of thrilling action throughout.
StructureConventional three-act structure: setup of the park tour, disruption by the sabotage and dinosaur escape, and climax in the visitor center.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingFun
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you thrilled by the adventure and unsettled by its cautionary tale about scientific overreach and the unpredictability of nature, making you think about the consequences of playing God.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe plot is driven by genetically engineered dinosaurs escaping their enclosures and hunting the human visitors; the protagonists must survive and escape the island.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% (this title) · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1% (this title)

Ideas

Technology · 1% of filmsSurvivalFate · 1% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores humanity's hubris in using genetic technology to resurrect extinct species, with chaos theory serving as a warning that such control is an illusion.
StanceThe film issues a clear warning about the dangers of unchecked technological ambition and the illusion of control over nature.

The world

ContemporaryWildernessInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral classicalForeground music · original score · John Williams
SettingA remote island theme park housing cloned dinosaurs.
MusicAn iconic, adventure-driven score that alternates between majestic themes for the dinosaurs and tense, rhythmic motifs during chase sequences.

Content guide

Is Jurassic Park okay for kids?

PG-13

Jurassic Park is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for intense science fiction terror” (MPAA). As of August 18, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (65/100), sexual content at minimal (9/100), language at moderate (38/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (32/100) and frightening material at intense (71/100). Overall it is heavier than 82% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 24 other countries
  • UKPG
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • BGC
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO18
  • Russia12+
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11
  • Taiwan保護級
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 51% of all filmsHeavier than 82% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 85%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 9%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 39%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 52%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 91%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Jurassic Park have?

MovieCove's classifier found 4 depicted content warnings in Jurassic Park: Animal cruelty (moderate), Animal death (moderate), Gun violence (moderate), plus 1 withheld here because it would spoil the plot. 1 more is mentioned only, in dialogue or backstory (behind the spoiler gate). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

ModerateAnimal crueltyAnimal deathGun violence

Mentioned: referenced in dialogue or backstory, not shown in the story’s present.

Cast and crew

Who is in Jurassic Park?

Cast

Sam Neill
as Grant
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Laura Dern
as Ellie
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jeff Goldblum
as Malcolm
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Richard Attenborough
as Hammond
Bob Peck
as Muldoon
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Martin Ferrero
as Gennaro
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
BD Wong
as Wu
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Joseph Mazzello
as Tim
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ariana Richards
as Lex
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Samuel L. Jackson
as Arnold

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Jurassic Park?

Movies like Jurassic Park include The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) and Jaws (1975). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written by Michael Crichton, and half are films about technology.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Steven Spielberg directed 4 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Jurassic Park?

578 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: animal. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.