Powerful Survival Films That Dig Deep (No Zombies or Aliens)
Survival films that dig beneath the surface of human emotions
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19 titles
- DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsRobert RedfordAfter a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.A dramatic and captivating film that's existential whilst using minimal dialogue in a highly effective manner. The definition of 'Tour De Force' and both Candor and Redford are at the top of their games.
- DirectorSean PennStarsEmile HirschVince VaughnCatherine KeenerAfter graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.An incredibly powerful and moving film that can have the upbeat feel of a road movie, but that's partially why it carries your emotions up, down, all over the place.
- DirectorJoe CarnahanStarsLiam NeesonDermot MulroneyFrank GrilloAfter their plane crashes in Alaska, six oil workers are led by a skilled huntsman to survival, but a pack of merciless wolves haunts their every step.An underrated gem that stands out even amongst Neeson's array of tough yet human takes on male-oriented action films. This isn't about whether the wolf behavior is realistic. It's an existential take on human nature with males facing the grimmest realities that creates harrowing, sad and moving moments. Precise direction by Carnahan utilizes intense, grainy cinematography like his earlier work ('Narc') along with quality sfx and action that really make me wonder why this is so overlooked.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsSimon YatesJoe SimpsonBrendan MackeyThe true story of two climbers and their perilous journey up the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.A documentary that embodies the concept of survival in a way that feels like a film.
- DirectorJohn HillcoatStarsViggo MortensenCharlize TheronKodi Smit-McPheeIn a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.Very dark and difficult for some to watch, especially one part that almost leads me to avoid watching it repeatedly despite how great it is. Brilliantly directed by Hillcoat (The Proposition) , who certainly gets the Hobbesian perspective on human nature, and well acted across the board, this dystopian thriller leaves you with a lot to think about.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJim SturgessEd HarrisColin FarrellSiberian gulag escapees travel four thousand miles by foot to freedom in India.Another version of a "road movie" that deals with survival and is arguably Peter Weir's most overlooked work. He's taken on the topic of survival if you wish to argue that I'm not quite sure you would throw into this category ('Master and Commander,' 'The Truman Show') but also tells us why he knows how to do it in a way that digs into your emotions. Excellent acting and beautiful cinematography has also led to me to repeated watches.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsTom HanksHelen HuntPaul SanchezA FedEx executive undergoes a physical and emotional transformation after crash landing on a deserted island.A classic now of the genre you have to say. Do I have to say much here? It's a bit heavy handed in its Hollywood-ness at times so some cynics might not bite, but Hanks puts in an A+ performance and that's all you really need.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsJames FrancoAmber TamblynKate MaraA mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.Boyle's slick emotive style takes perfect hold. Entertaining and fast paced even when the character is stuck in one location for much of the film
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsSandra BullockGeorge ClooneyEd HarrisDr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.Not Curon's best film, but the one that garnished awards in Hollywood even as a summer blockbuster. Incredible to see in 3D (one of those worth watching this way) he pulls out all of stops of heart thumping action mixed in with moments of silence that fits the environment and human touches that all of his other films probably do better, but do more than enough here to grab you.
- DirectorJoe PennaStarsMads MikkelsenMaria Thelma SmáradóttirTintrinai ThikhasukA man stranded in the Arctic after a plane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown.Similar in approach to 'All Is Lost' Penna's debut feature film uses sparse levels of dialogue that stands on strong acting from Mads Mikkelsen (The Hunt, Casino Royale), and Penna's direction.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsMatt DamonJessica ChastainKristen WiigAn astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.
- DirectorRodrigo CortésStarsRyan ReynoldsJosé Luis García-PérezRobert PatersonPaul is a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
- DirectorLee TamahoriStarsAnthony HopkinsAlec BaldwinElle MacphersonAn intellectual billionaire and two other men struggle to band together and survive after getting stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with a blood-thirsty Kodiak Bear hunting them down.Highly underrated, and appropriately titled "Edge" of your seat action-adventure mono e mono Hitchcockian thriller that retains enough high-brow components, exploring human nature and masculinity, to appeal to adults.
you should just go watch you have not and you like some on this list.
**Recommendation: Best to watch on a larger screen**
Written by one of the grandmasters of sharp, witty and stylized for the stage dialogue, David Manet (The Untouchables, Ronin, Glengarry Glen Ross, Redbelt, Spanish Prisoner, Spartan, House of Games, The Verdict), creating twisted storylines and exploring the complexity of masculine identity in modern society he does it again here matched with some brilliant acting, particularly another iconic Hopkins performance. - DirectorDebra GranikStarsThomasin McKenzieBen FosterJeffery RifflardA father and his seventeen-year-old daughter are living an ideal existence in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon when a small mistake derails their lives forever.
- DirectorKelly ReichardtStarsMichelle WilliamsBruce GreenwoodPaul DanoSettlers traveling through the Oregon desert in 1845 find themselves stranded in harsh conditions.
- DirectorCasey AffleckStarsAnna PniowskyCasey AffleckTom BowerA father and his child journey through the outskirts of society a decade after a pandemic has wiped out half the world's population. As the father struggles to protect his child from, their bond and the character of humanity are tested.
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsConrad AnkerGrace ChinJimmy ChinThree elite climbers struggle to find their way through obsession and loss as they attempt to climb Mount Meru, one of the most coveted prizes in the high stakes game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HardyWill PoulterA frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
- DirectorJosh LowellPeter MortimerStarsJohn BranchTommy CaldwellKevin JorgesonIn an unbelievable story of perseverance, free climber Tommy Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson attempt to scale the impossible 3000ft Dawn Wall of El Capitan.That this is real is almost hard to believe.