The teen survival genre exploded in the early 2010s with several dystopian features catapulting the genre into the "golden age" of young adult features. Within the last decade or so, Hollywood and television have begun the evolution of young adult characters, demonstrating they can handle a lot more than predeceasing characters. These teens take on and acknowledge trauma of all kinds through various survival stories.
From becoming stranded in nature to infected outbreaks, the teens of these movies and series define what it means to truly survive circumstances beyond control. These characters seek to make a change in society or to push their limits to come out the other side, almost never unscathed. No matter which generation audiences hail from, these archetypes of survival are worth watching.
10 'The Last of Us' (2023 - )
In an epic, record-breaking first season, The Last of Us dutifully represented its source material onscreen. It brought this generation a refreshing teen survival tale audiences hadn't seen in a hot minute. Trekking across the United States following a terrible parasitic fungus outbreak, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) holds the key to a cure after she's been bitten twice by the infected and survived.
Even with surrogate caretaker Joel (Pedro Pascal) by her side, Ellie still must learn to survive without him and for him when circumstances don't go their way. An excellent performance by Ramsey, The Last of Us adapted an iconic video game character and produced a resiliency tale that rivals the best in the genre.
9 'The Hunger Games' (2012)
The early 2010s were the heyday of teen dystopian and survival franchises. Another faithful adaption, The Hunger Games (and its sequels) tells the story of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman who must compete in a brutally vicious annual competition in which 24 teens must fight to the death, leaving only one survivor.
Katniss and the other tributes must hone in on their skills to not only physically survive the onslaught of their competitors, but handle the emotional toll of killing for the pleasure of a dystopian government. Based on the books by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is the epitome of the teen survival story.
8 'The Wilds' (2020-2022)
The teen version of Lost with a little less sci-fi, The Wilds is a thrilling tale that captures the complex battle of a group of castaway girls. After their plane crashes on a remote island, a group of teenage girls must survive the elements while dealing with the emotional toll of the lives they left behind.
An Amazon Prime original, The Wilds lasted for two seasons, expanding the cast by adding a group of castaway boys suffering from the same plight. Throughout both seasons, these teens recount what happen to them and relive the traumas of their survival and the lives they lived preceding it demonstrating the forced resiliency of young women, especially.
7 'The Blue Lagoon' (1980)
It's one of those movies that's so bad, it's good, The Blue Lagoon doesn't hold its own against teen survival tales of the last decade; however, it's still a tale of thriving in the natural elements post-wreck. Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins star as two teens who grew up on a tropical island following a childhood shipwreck. The pair of unsupervised teens learn to survive and thrive on the simple life while quickly discovering the nature of maturing.
Based on the novel by Henry De Vere Staacpoole, this adaptation didn't really win over audiences or critics. It's corny and laughable but does bring lighthearted romance to a genre saturated with devastation and destruction. This R-rated 1980s version is one of many long remakes in this source material's history that is probably due for another.
6 'All of Us Are Dead' (2022 - )
This Netflix original merged so many elements of the teen survival genre into one, making it one of Netflix's most successful series. Taking place inside Hyosan High School, an infection outbreak overtakes the school and a group of surviving students must outrun and outlast a surge of zombies until help arrives.
All of Us Are Dead still remains one of Netflix's top shows, holding its own over a year later. The Korean zombie drama landed on the heels of the Squid Game success, but still managed to captivate viewers of all ages, the teen survivors forced to make devastating choices.
5 'Red Dawn' (1984)
With a cast full of 80s icons like Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, and Charlie Sheen, Red Dawn is a foundational teen survival movie that paved the way for modern-day stories. A group of teens escapes to the mountains of Colorado following a Soviet invasion sparking the dawn of World War III. They band together to save their loved ones who've been captured and to win back their town and country.
This movie may not be a direct inspiration for today's teen survival hits, but its entry into the genre certainly established a blueprint that's been amplified throughout the decades succeeding it. The 2012 remake of the same name didn't feature much more than a few tributes to the original film and a hot streak cast featuring Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, and Josh Peck.
4 'Prey' (2022)
A sci-fi prequel to one of the most iconic franchises in cinema, Prey is still a story of teen survival and protecting the ones you love at all costs. Naru (Amber Midthunder) is a Comanche teen and one of the most skilled warriors of her tribe who must take on one of the most dangerous and highly-evolved first Predators stalking Earth.
A Hulu original that exploded with rave reviews, Prey not only revitalized the Predator franchise but showcased a strong, young Native woman who can hold her own against the unworldly threat. She's no damsel in distress in this installment of the teen survival filmography.
3 'The Fallout' (2021)
Teen trauma and survival go hand-in-hand, especially in the HBO Max original The Fallout. In the wake of a school shooting, Vada (Jenny Ortega) must figure out how to navigate the emotional aftermath and trauma, her worldview and relationships with friends and family are altered forever.
Co-staring Maddie Ziegler, Ortega and Ziegler complement each other as they tackle performances that hit too close to home for many audience members. Surviving the devastation of this modern tragedy rivals the grit and endurance of any outdoor castaway tale.
2 'Yellowjackets' (2021 - )
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A provocative Showtime original series, Yellowjackets offers audiences another prime example of flashback production centered around adolescent endurance. After their high school soccer team crashes deep within the Canadian wilderness, the now-adult survivors recount their survival and the secrets surrounding it.
Led by the immaculate Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Juliette Lewis, and Tawny Cypress, Yellowjackets is every bit survival, horror, thriller, and emotional drama. Stretching the limits of any teen in a catastrophic set of circumstances, this series is a refreshing change of pace for the genres it finds home within.
1 'The Maze Runner' (2014)
A series of three movies that culminate into the ultimate dystopian apocalyptic survival test, The Maze Runner is an excellent binge-worthy set of teen resiliency features. With no memory of his arrival, Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) is inserted into an established community of teen boys trapped within a structured maze.
The group of "runners" day in and day out seeks to find the end of the maze and plans for escape. The succeeding films The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and The Maze Runner: Death Cure expose the characters to the outside world they originated from, putting their bonds and survival skills to the test.