The Best Survival Movies You Need to Watch Now

If you love watching characters fight to stay alive in hostile environments, then this article is for you! We take you through a selection of the best must-see survival films to prepare you for any adventure! These films aren't just entertaining, they're also inspiring! Some are based on true stories, others on fiction. But all of them plunge us into terrible worlds that echo our own fears and ask us about our limits!

Whatever situation the characters find themselves in, these films are there to remind us what we should do once in front of danger. So, do you know the list of edible plants in the forest? Do you know how to light a fire in wet conditions? Not yet? As Tom Hanks says: I've got to keep breathing because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?" in Castaway, which is, the first film of our selection! Just grab a friend and some popcorn and click on play!

Castaway (2002)

The first epic film on the list of the best survival movies is Castaway, a box office hit of the 2000s. At that time, it was raking in over $424 million worldwide ! Movie-goers flocked to theaters, dying to see how A-list American actor Tom Hanks survives on a deserted Fijian island. If you haven’t seen it yet, drop everything now and grab a box of tissues, you’ll for sure need them for the scene where a volleyball floats off into the horizon. Tom Hanks plays a workaholic FedEx manager who takes a last-minute Christmas Eve flight to help packages make it to Malaysia. Along the way, a violent storm brings down his plane, and he ends up stranded on a totally deserted island for like, 5 years!

The audience watches as he fumbles his way through learning how to catch fish, finding fresh water, and keeping some degree of sanity as he adjusts to live in survival mode. Can you imagine how much lower the learning curve would have been if he had taken a survival course prior to his crash landing?

The Revenant (2015)

"The Revenant" (2015), directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, is an epic film of survival inspired by true events. It tells the story of Hugh Glass, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a trapper and explorer in the American West in the early 19th century. After being severely wounded by a bear attack and left for dead by his hunting companions, Glass embarks on a relentless quest to survive in extreme natural conditions and exact revenge on those who betrayed him, in particular John Fitzgerald, played by Tom Hardy. The film has been hailed for its intense performances, its breathtaking cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki, and its brutal and realistic portrayal of the struggle to survive. Leonardo DiCaprio won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role, and the film also won Oscars for Best Director and Best Cinematography, cementing "The Revenant" as a masterpiece of the genre.

Into the Wild (2007)

"Into the Wild" (2007), directed by Sean Penn, is a touching film based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, an idealistic young man played by Emile Hirsch. Based on the book of the same name by Jon Krakauer, the film follows the journey of McCandless who, after graduating from university, decides to get rid of all his material possessions and donate his savings to charity. Adopting the pseudonym "Alexander Supertramp", he sets off on an adventure across North America, seeking a life of freedom and connection with nature. His journey eventually leads him to the Alaskan wilderness, where he tries to live self-sufficiently.

The film explores themes of spiritual quest, the search for self and the consequences of extreme isolation. Emile Hirsch's performance is praised for its depth and authenticity, while Sean Penn's direction and Eddie Vedder's emotive soundtrack add a lyrical and introspective dimension to this tragic and inspiring story. "Into the Wild" is a tribute to the adventurous spirit and the search for meaning in a world often dominated by materialism and social convention.

127 hours (2010)

"127 Hours" (2010), directed by Danny Boyle, is an intense and inspiring film based on the true story of Aron Ralston, a mountaineer and adventurer played by James Franco. The film recounts the incident in 2003 when Ralston, exploring a remote canyon in Utah on his own, became trapped by a boulder that crushed his arm against the canyon wall. Unable to free himself, he was forced to spend five days, or 127 hours, without any hope of rescue. While rationing his meager supplies and fighting against hypothermia and dehydration, he faces severe physical and psychological difficulties.

The movie delves into Ralston's memories, hallucinations, and introspective thoughts. Both Danny Boyle's dynamic directing and James Franco's intense and engrossing performance - for which he was nominated for an Oscar - are lauded for "127 Hours." A meditation on human willpower, perseverance, and the capacity to find hope and strength in the most hopeless circumstances, the movie is also an amazing tale of survival.

The Blue Lagoon (1980)

The Blue Lagoon is one of the best survival movies you need to watch! This classic tale of survival has been re-made twice since its original release in 1980 and is based on a British novel by Henry De Vere Stacpoole written in 1908. The plot involves two young children who were shipwrecked on an island and find themselves alone in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. Good fortune strands them alongside the ship’s grumpy, but good-hearted cook, who cares for them. He teaches them how to tie knots, build shelter, make fires, weather storms and catch fish. As the film evolves, we see them reach their teenage years, as they become teenagers, eventually develop a love relationship...

Overall, the movie is a great reminder of the importance of teaching yourself, as well as your children survival skills! Certain survival training courses are perfect for families to learn life-saving techniques and have a fun bonding experience simultaneously!

Everest (2015)

This 2015 film is a Hollywood recreation of a true story depicting a group of amateur climbers attempting to summit Mount Everest. In real life, the team was led by New Zealander Rob Hall, founder of the commercial climbing company called Adventure Consultants. Some members of the team were already experienced climbers, like Yasuko Namba, a Japanese woman who had already submitted 6 of the 7 most famous summits in the world. Yet experience proved worthless when the mountain became too unpredictable for even the most experienced and organized climbers. While some didn’t make it, others had to fight to survive in harsh conditions.

At 8.848 kilometres, Everest’s peak temperatures are at best, a frigid high of -19 °C. There is the constant threat of frostbite, snow-blindness and being crushed by an avalanche. If you have your sights set on surviving something like this, your best bet on making it is preparing for worst-case scenarios ahead of time!

The Way Back (2011)

Next up on the list of the best survival movies you need to watch is called "The Way Back". This is the true story of seven prisoners who escape from a Siberian labor camp in 1940. But Siberia is a remote region, and the journey to freedom requires the escapees to travel 6,000 kilometres over the Siberian Taiga, the vast plains of Mongolia, and over the burning sands of the Gobi Desert, by foot! Oh, and they also have to trek over the summits of the Himalayan mountains in Nepal.

Released in 2010, starring big-name actors such as Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, and Ed Harris, this is an epic depiction of the depth of human will to survive. The drive is so strong, these seven endure freezing temperatures, bloody feet, and mosquito armies along their path. They don’t all survive, and emotional battles are just as great as the physical challenges they encounter along the way. While it’s unlikely you’ll be stuck in a camp like this anytime soon, might as well learn some survival skills just in case!

Open Water (2003)

Discover the thriller "Open Water", a film that will take you to the heart of the sea for an unforgettable cinematic experience. This captivating tale plunges you into the terrifying story of a young couple, Susan and Daniel, who find themselves abandoned in the open sea after a diving trip that turns into a nightmare. "Open Water" was released in 2003 and is based on a true story that took place in Australia in 1998!

The situation looks hopeful, but as it unfolds, problems arise. As the hours tick by, they face shark-infested waters, battling hunger, thirst and exhaustion as they desperately search for a way out of their desperate situation. With gripping performances from Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis, "Open Water" will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last minute. Chris Kentis's realistic and immersive direction, combined with striking images and palpable tension, make "Open Water" a must-see film for fans of thrills and suspense. We won’t give away the ending, but If you’re a scuba diver, it’s a definite reminder to always prepare for the worst. Keep an eye on your boat for instance, and prepare yourself for survival in even the most unlikely scenarios. "Open Water" is also one of the best scuba diving movies of all times!

Alive (1993)

"Alive" is last but not least on our list of the best survival movies you need to watch. This 1993 American survival film based on Piers Paul Read’s 1974 book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors. The book and film both depict the tragic plane crash carrying the Uruguayan rugby team aboard Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 into the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972. Filmed in the Purcell Mountains in British Columbia, the movie was narrated by John Malkovich and features a cast that includes Ethan Hawke.

The movie begins with the boisterous rugby players and their relatives looking forward to an upcoming match in Chile. Suddenly, the plane experiences turbulence and abruptly crashes into the mountainside. Seven passengers are immediately ejected from the plane and die. Antonio, the team captain, survives along with two medical students, and a few other injured people. Now the remaining few must survive in the snowy Andes mountains, injured, cold and uncertain if help will ever come. At least they have wine and chocolate leftover! After making desperate choices, the injured group must figure out how to save themselves in this true story about life and death.

Do you want to try to survive as well? (For fictitious, of course)

There are plenty of survival training course options to choose from. You can take a survival training course locally, or learn how to stay alive in places like the deserts of Morocco, or the Jura mountain in France. For more information about survival training, check out this ultimate guide!

Want a change of movie topic but still want to watch some good films? Check out our selection of the best surfing films and the best skydiving films!