The Six Films that Influenced Rian Johnson with Star Wars: Episode VIII

Gunga Din (1939)

 Synopsis: The movie that inspired Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gunga Din follows “three British soldiers and a local water carrier attempt to stop a secret mass revival of the murderous Thuggee cult before it can rampage across the land.”

Let’s see: A murderous cult needs to be stopped by soldiers…why does that sound familiar? Supreme Leader Snoke and his Knights of Ren are the very definition of a cult.

There’s also the bonus of Leia and her Resistance taking on the roles of the British officers, trying to thwart a mass revival of an old cult-like faction — The Galactic Empire (the First Order).

If the Jedi and Sith, and the Force as a whole, is a mystery by the time this new Star Wars trilogy takes place, then the revival of the Dark Side — through the Knights of Ren and the First Order — is an excellent parallel to Gunga Din. The same goes for the awakening of Rey, as a Light Side Force user.

Next: Sahara