We all love a movie we can grit our teeth into and be cast away into a different world where our pesky modern-day problems are replaced by shocking thrills. Survivalist movies are brilliant to take your mind away from the urban lifestyle and throw you into fantasy on a beach, jungle, space, or snow.
Some of the best survivalist movies and series include Castaway, The I-land, and Jungle starring many fan favorites. If you are craving movies and series to watch that will give you true escapism from reality in a wide variety of formats then keep reading.
'Castaway' (2000)
The movie, Castaway, is one of the classics released in 2000 and classified as an adventure/drama. It stars the one and only Tom Hanks as the protagonist, Chuck Noland, working as a FedEx executive who ends up crash landing on a desert island.
Chuck has to fight his way around this island to survive its unlivable conditions, making a well-known inanimate friend, Wilson, one the way. You watch as he hunts for food and water, attempts to create heat and shelter, and loses his mind a little. If you haven't already seen this movie it is a must-watch.
'Love and Monsters' (2020)
Love and Monsters is an apocalyptic comedy released in 2020 starring the beloved Dylan O'Brian as the protagonist, Joel. This movie is truly about love and monsters as Joel leaves his group of survival-savvy friends to find the potential love of his life, Aimee.
During his hunt for love, he comes across many monsters and a monster-woke father and daughter who teach him that not all monsters are evil and show him some new skills. This movie is great for those who love a survivalist movie with a bit of spice; love and monsters to be specific.
'Everest' (2015)
Everest is an adventure/thriller released in 2015 starring Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal, and if Gyllenhaal has taught us anything, it's if he's in the movie, it's going to be brilliant. This movie is based on a true story where two groups join together on an exhibition ascending Everest in 1996.
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This thrilling adventure turns horribly wrong for a mixture of reasons; the guides' inexperienced decisions, over-crowding, and delays, and a terrifying blizzard. It depends on whose story you chose to believe to tell what happened, but it is a captivating watch that will shock the system.
'Jungle' (2017)
Jungle is an adventure/thriller movie released in 2017 starring the brilliant Daniel Radcliffe named Yossi Ghinsberg. This movie is based on a shocking true story from 1981 where Yossi embarks on an adventure through the Amazon rainforest with a mysterious guide and new friends.
This adventure turns into life-threatening danger, they all get separated and Yossi is left with no tools, aid, or training. We can see a shocking drop in Radcliffe's weight in dedication to resemble Ghinsberg's horrifying reflection. This movie should be watched with caution as it truly depicts the horrors of being stranded in the Amazon.
'127 Hours' (2010)
127 Hours is an adventure/drama released in 2010 starring James Franco. This movie follows Aron, a mountain climber who ends up trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone in Utah. He has to fight all odds and bring every survival instinct he knows to the table to survive.
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This movie is based on true events from a mountain climber called Aron Ralston. It is a heartbreaking account of what happened from the courageous man himself. It included many difficult decisions entailing what Ralston had to go through in 127 hours.
'The Grey' (2011)
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The Grey is an adventure/ thriller released in 2011 starring the infamous Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson. This movie follows a group of six oil workers and a skilled huntsman after they crash-land in the middle of ice-cold Alaska.
The group encounters many problems along the way including being hunted and followed by a pack of wolves. As the team gets picked apart one by one, the only one left by the end is Ottway, freezing, starving, and tired, fighting to make his way back home.
'Life Of Pi' (2012)
Life Of Pi is a unique adventure/drama movie released in 2012. Pi Patel survives a horrific disaster at sea where he is able to climb onto a boat, he discovers this boat also holds a wild hyena, an injured Grant's Zebra, and an Orangutan.
This movie has an unpredictable ending and a beautiful story if you chose to see it as that. It has religious under waves that give it a unique twist. The beautiful scenery takes away from the terrifying circumstances they are facing. It is a brilliant movie to watch if you are addicted to survivalist movies, but want a switch-up.
'The Martian' (2015)
The Martian is a sci-fi/drama movie released in 2015 starring Matt Damon as Mark Watney. This movie follows the astronaut Mark as his team presumes he is dead and leaves him stranded on Mars. He uses his time to think of unique, ingenious ways to contact earth and survive.
This Martian was nominated for 7 Oscars and received 40 awards and 200 nominations. It is set in the year 2035 when Mark sets up a video camera to document his amazing, yet horrifying adventure to survive on Mars. He creates water and potatoes from rocket fuel and bio-waste from the rocket. It is a beautiful story of a man's unique survival in space.
'Bird Box' (2018)
Bird Box is a horror/sci-fi released in 2018 starring Sandra Bullock. It grew notorious among the population for its confusing, yet beautiful hidden meanings, which people still disagree with to this day. It follows a heartbreaking story where families get torn apart due to an unexplained disaster.
After people suddenly begin to take their own life, the population decreases to a very small proportion. Malorie is attempting to take care of two children in the hope of traveling to a rescue zone, all while being blindfolded. This movie gives many flashbacks to Malorie's life before and during the unexplained disaster which gives you a greater idea of what's going on.
'The I-Land' (2019)
The I-Land is a thriller series released in 2019 following a group of confused people who wake up on a desert island. They presume they were in a crash and have to figure out who they are, what happened, and what they are going to do next.
This series has an amazing plot that will leave you wanting more. The stranded group is very suspicious of each other as there is an extreme mix of contrasting personalities. Once the truth gets unraveled by the end, it leaves shock waves down your back.