Movie Word Search Database
★★★ If you like movies and word searches, then this is your page! ★★★
Below you'll find links to hundreds of word search puzzles on the world of cinema. These themed puzzles are organized by year of movie release. You'll find movie trivia and fun quizzes on some of these links too.
The word search puzzles come in two types. The first hides movie titles. The second hides terms associated with particular movies. In total, there are 444 movie word searches with 14,800 search terms.
The plan is to encompass every year of cinema from the current year back to 1914. Thus far we have puzzles on movies from 1980 through 2016. We are currently moving forward, year-by-year, to the latest releases. This means this page is constantly being updated. So be sure to check back later to see how we're doing. As Arnold says in The Terminator from 1984, "I'll be back with more puzzles."
Well, we might be taking some liberties with that quote. But you know what we mean. 😜
Note: these puzzles are printer-friendly — like all our free, downloadable puzzles. As long as your computer can open PDF files and your printer is loaded with standard 8.5" × 11" paper, you are all set to start solving!
The 1980s
Movies that are outrageous and escapist. Flamboyant visuals with synth-pop soundtracks. Bombastic, larger-than-life heroes, over-the-top special effects, epic action sequences. No ambiguity, clear-cut heroes and villains, optimistic tone, focus on winning. Adolescent angst, rebellion, high school life. Corporate excess and personal ambition.
• Airplane! • Caddyshack • The Shining • Stir Crazy • Private Benjamin • Nine to Five • The Blues Brothers • The Empire Strikes Back
• Stripes • Arthur • Body Heat • Time Bandits • The Cannonball Run • The Great Muppet Caper • Raiders of the Lost Ark • Escape from New York
• 48 Hrs. • Tootsie • Poltergeist • First Blood • Blade Runner • Sophie's Choice • ET: The Extra-Terrestrial • An Officer and a Gentleman
• Flashdance • WarGames • Valley Girl • Trading Places • Risky Business • A Christmas Story • Return of the Jedi • National Lampoon's Vacation
• Gremlins • Footloose • Ghostbusters • The Terminator • Sixteen Candles • Beverly Hills Cop • The Muppets Take Manhattan • Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Cocoon • Witness • The Goonies • Weird Science • The Color Purple • The Breakfast Club • Back to the Future • Desperately Seeking Susan
• Aliens • Platoon • Top Gun • Blue Velvet • Pretty in Pink • Three Amigos! • Crocodile Dundee • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• Moonstruck • Wall Street • Dirty Dancing • Fatal Attraction • Lethal Weapon • The Princess Bride • Good Morning, Vietnam • Three Men and a Baby
• Big • Colors • Die Hard • Rain Man • Young Guns • Beetlejuice • A Fish Called Wanda • Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Batman • Uncle Buck • Parenthood • Field of Dreams • Lethal Weapon 2 • Dead Poets Society • Look Who's Talking • Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
The 1990s
Movies that are gritty and individualistic. Cynical, ironic, self-aware. Turn toward realism, more texture, less polish. Independent, alternative, postmodern, self-referencing. Ambiguous, psychological and complex characters. Anti-hero, detached, too-cool. Groundbreaking special effects, advanced CGI, digital film.
• Ghost • Flatliners • Dick Tracy • Total Recall • Home Alone • Pretty Woman • Days Of Thunder • Kindergarten Cop
• Hook • Backdraft • Cape Fear • City Slickers • The Addams Family • The Silence of the Lambs • Sleeping with the Enemy • Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
• Sister Act • Beethoven • Basic Instinct • The Bodyguard • Wayne's World • Batman Returns • A League of Their Own • White Men Can't Jump
• The Firm • Cliffhanger • The Fugitive • Jurassic Park • Mrs. Doubtfire • Groundhog Day • Indecent Proposal • Sleepless in Seattle
• Speed • True Lies • The Mask • The Lion King • Forrest Gump • The Flintstones • The Santa Clause • Interview with the Vampire
• Se7en • Casper • Toy Story • Apollo 13 • GoldenEye • Pocahontas • Waterworld • Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
• Twister • Ransom • The Rock • Jerry Maguire • 101 Dalmatians • Independence Day • The Nutty Professor • Mission: Impossible
• Titanic • Con Air • Contact • Liar Liar • Face/Off • Men in Black • Air Force One • My Best Friend's Wedding
• Rush Hour • A Bug's Life • Armageddon • Deep Impact • The Waterboy • Doctor Dolittle • Saving Private Ryan • There's Something About Mary
• Fight Club • The Matrix • Notting Hill • Office Space • Runaway Bride • The Green Mile • The Sixth Sense • Wild Wild West
The 2000s
Movies that are naturalistic and grounded in dark realism. Distinctive visual style, somber tone, desaturated colors, hand-held camera work. Terrorism, surveillance, paranoia, loss of personal safety. Mind-bending, non-linear narratives, cultural confusion, brooding anxiety. Franchise-driven, rise of superhero genre.
• Gladiator • Cast Away • Erin Brockovich • Space Cowboys • Charlie's Angels • Meet The Parents • What Women Want • How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Shrek • Harry Potter • Donnie Darko • Monsters, Inc. • Ocean's Eleven • A Beautiful Mind • Black Hawk Down • The Lord Of The Rings
• Signs • Ice Age • Chicago • Spider-Man • Scooby-Doo • Minority Report • Catch Me if You Can • My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Elf • Big Fish • Seabiscuit • Finding Nemo • Bruce Almighty • Kill Bill: Volume 1 • Anger Management • Cheaper by the Dozen
• Troy • I, Robot • Dodgeball • The Incredibles • National Treasure • Million Dollar Baby • The Day After Tomorrow • The Passion of the Christ
• Hitch • King Kong • Chicken Little • Walk the Line • The Longest Yard • Wedding Crashers • War of the Worlds • Mr. and Mrs. Smith
• Cars • The Departed • Pan's Labyrinth • Talladega Nights • The Da Vinci Code • Little Miss Sunshine • Night at the Museum • The Devil Wears Prada
• Zodiac • Superbad • Hairspray • Ratatouille • I am Legend • Transformers • The Bucket List • No Country for Old Men
• WALL-E • Hancock • Twilight • Iron Man • Gran Torino • Mamma Mia! • The Dark Knight • Sex and the City
• Up • Avatar • Star Trek • Zombieland • The Hangover • The Blind Side • Sherlock Holmes • Inglourious Basterds
The 2010s
Movies that are polished, smooth and clean. Remakes, reboots, nostalgia for the 1980s. Reflection on politics and social issues. Establishment and saturation of multi-film superhero franchises. Elevated horror and psychological tension. Blending of genres, experimental narratives. Advancements in CGI and camera techniques. Online streaming.
• True Grit • Inception • Grown Ups • Black Swan • Despicable Me • The King's Speech • The Social Network • Alice in Wonderland
• Super 8 • The Help • Moneyball • Bad Teacher • Bridesmaids • Horrible Bosses • Captain America • Crazy, Stupid, Love
• Argo • Lincoln • The Vow • Magic Mike • 21 Jump Street • Wreck-It Ralph • Hotel Transylvania • The Hunger Games
• Frozen • Gravity • The Heat • The Croods • World War Z • The Conjuring • The Great Gatsby • The Wolf of Wall Street
• Gone Girl • Divergent • Neighbors • Maleficent • Interstellar • The Lego Movie • American Sniper • Guardians of the Galaxy
• Spectre • Minions • Cinderella • The Martian • San Andreas • Jurassic World • The Hateful Eight • Fifty Shades of Grey
• Sully • Deadpool • The Revenant • Suicide Squad • Doctor Strange • Hacksaw Ridge • Central Intelligence • The Secret Life of Pets
