Survival: 49

Beast (2022), a survival action horror-thriller film directed by Baltasar Kormákur and written by Ryan Engle, tells the story of recently widowed Dr. Nate Samuels and his daughters, Meredith and Norah. They have arrived at the Mopani Reserve in South Africa for a much-needed vacation. Nate is reunited with his old friend Martin Battles, a biologist and manager of the reserve who had initially introduced Nate to his wife. Martin offers to take them to the village where Nate’s wife grew up. As they explore the restricted areas of the reserve on their tour the next day, Martin notices an injured lion among the local pride and shares that Nate has confided in him ...

Against the Ice (2022) is a survival film set in 1909, based on the true story from Two Against the Ice by Ejnar Mikkelsen. Directed by Peter Flinth and written by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Joe Derrick, it follows Danish explorer Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen as he leads an expedition to Shannon Island in East Greenland. The purpose of this journey is to retrieve records from the ill-fated Denmark expedition. Unfortunately, their first attempt is unsuccessful and results ...

Thirteen Lives (2022) is a biographical survival film by director and producer Ron Howard, with a screenplay by William Nicholson. The movie tells the story of the Tham Luang cave rescue, which took place in 2018. On June 23rd of that year, twelve boys from the junior football team “Wild Boars” and their assistant coach Ekkaphon Chanthawong decide to explore the Tham Luang cave after practice. When they fail to show up for a birthday party arranged by their parents, their families head to the caves. To their horror, they discover that the boys are missing and ...

Fall (2022), a survival thriller film directed and co-written by Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank, follows Becky and Hunter, two thrill-seekers who are climbing a mountain with Becky’s husband, Dan. During their climb, Dan is startled by a bat in a small cave and falls to his death after the harness breaks. 51 weeks later, Becky has become an alcoholic and has distanced herself from her father, James. James urges her to move on from Dan’s death, but Becky refuses and considers taking her own life with prescription medication. However, Hunter interrupts her with ...

Based on Ian McGuire’s 2016 novel, The North Water (2021) is a five-part television miniseries directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Colin Farrell and Jack O’Connell. It is an international co-production between British broadcaster BBC, Canadian broadcaster CBC Television, premium channel Super Channel, and French-language counterpart ICI Radio-Canada Télé. The series premiered in the US on AMC+ on July 15, 2021, followed by premieres in the UK on BBC Two on ...

The Rescue (2021), a documentary, sheds light on the incredible Tham Luang cave rescue mission of 2018. This joint project was directed and produced by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. Initially, Kevin Macdonald was set to direct the documentary, but in February 2021, it was announced that Vasarhelyi and Chin would take over as directors while Macdonald remained an executive producer. National Geographic Documentary Films was on board as the production company for this film since March 2019. However, due to certain ...

The American historical adventure film, Togo (2019), was directed by Ericson Core and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It follows the story of Leonhard Seppala and his beloved sled dog during the 1925 serum run to Nome. The film alternates between Seppala’s early days with Togo, when he is initially raised as a puppy, and the intense journey they undertake years later. In Nome, Alaska in 1913, Seppala and his wife Constance add a Siberian Husky puppy to their pack of sledding dogs. Though Seppala suggests retiring him due to his small size, Constance has unwavering faith in the young dog. However, he proves to be ...

Arctic (2018) is an Icelandic survival drama film directed by Joe Penna and written by Penna and Ryan Morrison. Overgård, stranded in the Arctic Circle after his plane crashes, goes about his daily routine of checking fishing lines, mapping his surroundings, and operating a distress beacon powered by a hand-crank dynamo. However, one day his supply of fish is raided by a polar bear. As he continues to wait for rescue, a helicopter finally responds to his beacon’s signal. Unfortunately, it crashes upon landing. The ...

The Skin of the Wolf (2017) is a Spanish drama film directed by Samu Fuentes. Living in solitude on a mountaintop in an abandoned town, Martinon’s rugged appearance and isolated lifestyle intimidate those he encounters. His daily routine involves tending to his goats, maintaining his land and setting traps for wolves that he trades their skins. Surrounding his rocky home are steep hills and a dense forest teeming with wildlife. During a trip to the nearby town, Martinon collects a bounty for wolf skin from the mayor, who haggles over the price. The bar owner Severino suggests that Martinon consider marriage and ...

The American survival drama film, The Mountain Between Us (2017), was directed by Hany Abu-Assad and written by Chris Weitz and J. Mills Goodloe, adapted from the 2011 novel of the same name by Charles Martin. After a storm cancels their flight, neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Bass and photojournalist Alex Martin hire pilot Walter to take them to Denver for connecting flights – Alex’s for her wedding in New York and Ben’s for emergency surgery in Baltimore. ...

Jungle (2017) is an Australian biographical survival drama film, based on the true story of Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg’s 1981 journey into the Amazon rainforest. Taking place in South America, it follows three friends – Yossi (Israeli), Kevin (American), and Marcus (Swiss) – who meet Karl (Austrian), a stranger claiming to be a unique guide. He promises to take them deep into the Amazon jungle to see a lost Indian tribe. After some convincing, they embark on this adventure, bringing along supplies and planning to restock at a village along the way. Led by Karl, they trek through the jungle smoothly until arriving at their planned stop for ...

Directed by Scott Waugh and written by Madison Turner, 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain (2017) is a gripping American survival drama. It tells the true story of an adventurous snowboarder who becomes stranded in a brutal winter storm in the High Sierras. As he faces extreme conditions and confronts his inner struggles, his determination to survive is put to the ultimate test. Starring Josh Hartnett, Mira Sorvino,

The 33 (2015) is a biographical disaster-survival drama film directed by Patricia Riggen. In August 2010, a group of miners from Copiapó, Chile are working in the San José mine when it collapses due to the owner’s negligence. This unfortunate event leaves them trapped and without a way out. As the miners gather in a rescue chamber, they quickly realize they lack necessary supplies for a long stay – the radio is broken, the medical kit is empty, and there is little food. Amidst this dire situation, Mario Sepúlveda emerges as a leader, taking charge of rationing food and maintaining order among the group. Despite ...

The historical adventure-drama film In the Heart of the Sea (2015), directed and produced by Ron Howard and written by Charles Leavitt, is based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s non-fiction book The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. This true story follows the sinking of the American whaling ship in 1820, which served as inspiration for Herman Melville’s famous novel Moby-Dick. In 1850, Melville seeks out Thomas Nickerson, the last surviving member of the ...

The science fiction film, The Martian (2015) was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Matt Damon. It was adapted from Andy Weir’s 2011 novel of the same name by Drew Goddard. In the year 2035, the Ares III mission to Mars was exploring Acidalia Planitia on sol 18 of their 31-sol expedition. However, a severe dust storm threatened to topple their Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). During the evacuation, astronaut Mark Watney was hit by debris and presumed dead. With the MAV in ...

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant (2015) is an American Western action drama film based on the experiences of frontiersman Hugh Glass in 1823. The screenplay, written by Mark L. Smith and Iñárritu, was adapted from Michael Punke’s 2002 novel of the same name and inspired by the 1915 poem The Song of Hugh Glass. In late 1823, Glass leads Captain Andrew Henry’s trappers through present-day ...

Unbroken (2014) is an American biographical war drama film directed by Angelina Jolie and written by a team including the Coen brothers, Richard LaGravenese, and William Nicholson. Inspired by Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 non-fiction book, also titled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, the story follows Louis ‘Louie’ Zamperini during his time as a bomber in World War ...

Wild (2014) is a 2014 biographical adventure drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Nick Hornby. It is based on Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Despite her lack of experience, in June 1995, Cheryl embarks on a 1,100-mile solo hike along the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. She grapples with painful memories of her mother’s death from cancer and her own struggles with depression, drugs, and promiscuity. After losing her marriage and having ...

Backcountry (2014) is a Canadian nature-survival horror film, written and directed by Adam MacDonald as his debut feature film. It is loosely based on the real-life story of Mark Jordan and Jacqueline Perry, who were attacked by a black bear while camping in Missinaibi Lake Provincial Park, located north of Chapleau, Ontario in 2005. For his bravery during the incident, Mark received the Star of Courage award from Governor General Michaëlle Jean. The movie follows Alex and his girlfriend Jenny as they arrive at a provincial park for a weekend camping trip. Excited to explore a trail he loved as a child, Alex declines a ...

The action drama film, All Is Lost (2013), is written and directed by J. C. Chandor and stars Robert Redford as the main character. Redford is the only actor in the film, which has a total of 51 spoken English words. The story begins with a flash-forward where the man narrates a letter to the people he will miss. As the camera shows a lost shipping container in the ocean, we are taken back eight days earlier when the man wakes up to find his boat flooded with water after colliding with a stray container. He uses a sea ...