Survival movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant survival movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out intense, serious, realistic, interesting, suspenseful and dramatic films and TV shows about / with survival, nature, danger, storytelling, death, suspense, survivor, catastrophe, mentor and dialogue plots mostly in Drama, Thriller and Adventure genres shot in USA, UK, Spain and other countries.
survival

TOP 10 movies tagged as survival: The Impossible (2012), Backcountry (2014), Jungle (2017), Frozen (2010), Apocalypto (2006), Into the Wild (2007), Cast Away (2000), Six Days Seven Nights (1998), The Road (2009), The Grey (2011).
Best films
List of survival movies

Genre: Adventure, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Spain, Thailand, USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of ...
Style:
motivational, heartbreaking, emotional, touching, captivating ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night
Plot:
disaster, natural disaster, survival, catastrophe, ocean, courage, suspense, tsunami, forces of nature, destruction, hopes, family in danger ...
Time:
year 2004, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
thailand, southeast asia, asia
Is relevant ?

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
A couple on a deep-wilderness hike become hopelessly lost within an aggressive black bear's territory.
Style:
tense, suspenseful, serious, captivating, realistic ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
survival, nature, camping, wilderness, forest, dangerous animal, suspense, bear, isolation, bear attack, lost, lost in the woods ...
Time:
70s, 21st century
Place:
canada, ontario canada
Is relevant ?
59K

Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, Thriller
Country: Australia, UK
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
A mysterious guide escorts an enthusiastic adventurer and his friend into the Amazon jungle, but their journey turns into a terrifying ordeal as the darkest elements of human nature and the deadliest threats of the wild force them to fight for ...
Style:
serious, atmospheric, realistic, suspenseful, tense ...
Plot:
survival, jungle, amazon rainforest, suspense, alone, nature, adventurer, rescue, wilderness, hallucination, river, raft ...
Time:
20th century, year 1980, year 1981
Place:
south america, bolivia, andes mountains
Is relevant ?
76K

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Three skiers are stranded on a chairlift and forced to make life-or-death choices that prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death.
Style:
suspenseful, scary, disturbing, psychological, atmospheric ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
survival, isolation, suspense, snow, stranded, ski resort, frostbite, survival horror, winter, sole survivor, mountain, youth ...
Time:
21st century
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
318K

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 139 min.
Story:
Set in the Mayan civilization, when a man's idyllic presence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, he is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate ...
Style:
exciting, tense, breathtaking, suspenseful, disturbing ...
Plot:
survival, slavery, tribe, chase, jungle, manhunt, ancient history, solar eclipse, warrior, violent, ancient civilization, sacrifice ...
Time:
16th century, middle ages
Place:
central america, mexico
Is relevant ?
630K

Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 148 min.
Story:
The true story of top student and athlete, Christopher McCandless, who after graduating from Emory University in 1992, abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness.
Style:
road movie, philosophical, melancholic, inspirational, motivational ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
survival, road trip, self discovery, wilderness, solitude, freedom, journey, life philosophy, isolation, lifestyle change, adventurer, beautiful scenery ...
Time:
20th century, year 1990, year 1992, year 1991, 90s
Place:
alaska, los angeles, north america, usa, arizona ...
Is relevant ?
603K

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
Chuck, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia ditches at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and he washes up on a tiny ...
Style:
captivating, psychological, serious, emotional, sad ...
Audience:
family outing, kids, teens, date night
Plot:
survival, loneliness, isolation, island, desert island, air disaster, stranded on an island, lost at sea, courage, solitude, determination, survivor ...
Time:
20th century, year 1999, year 1995, year 2000, 2000s ...
Place:
moscow russia, russia, fictional island
Is relevant ?

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
When Quinn, a grouchy pilot living the good life in the South Pacific, agrees to transfer a savvy fashion editor, Robin, to Tahiti, he ends up stranded on a deserted island with her after their plane crashes. The pair avoid each other at first, ...
Style:
feel good, romantic, humorous, entertaining, funny ...
Audience:
chick flick, date night, girls' night
Plot:
survival, island, love and romance, desert island, stranded, jungle, opposites attract, initially antagonists, battle of the sexes, fall in love, disaster, air disaster ...
Time:
90s
Place:
hawaii, usa, tahiti, new york, fictional island
Is relevant ?
244K

Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind and water. It is cold enough to crack stones, and, when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the ...
Style:
bleak, harsh, rough, depressing, gloomy ...
Plot:
survival, apocalypse, post apocalypse, distopia, father son relationship, cannibalism, catastrophe, suspense, starvation, journey, on the road, thief ...
Time:
future
Place:
canada, usa
Is relevant ?
256K

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
An oil drilling team struggles to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wilds of Alaska. Hunting them is a pack of wolves that sees them as intruders.
Style:
suspenseful, bad ending, exciting, tense, harsh ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
survival, wilderness, animal attack, snow, wolf, hunting, air disaster, dangerous animal, forces of nature, wolf attack, stranded, struggle for survival ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
alaska, usa
Is relevant ?

Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Australia, Spain
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s ...
Style:
scenic, exciting, inspirational, realistic, captivating ...
Audience:
teens, kids, adult
Plot:
survival, ocean, ship, whale, sea, boat, disaster, starvation, shipwreck, man versus nature, dangerous animal, castaway ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, future, middle ages, georgian era ...
Place:
new england, ecuador, pacific ocean, south america, massachusetts
Is relevant ?
119K

Genre: Adventure, Drama, History
Country: USA, United Arab Emirates, Poland, India
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
Peter Weir's follow-up to Master & Commander (2003) is the stark & brilliant The Way Back, which takes on the theme of man's struggle for freedom. At the dawn of WWII, several men escape from a Russian gulag. The film ...
Style:
realistic, rough, epic, inspirational, serious ...
Plot:
survival, escape, prison escape, freedom, war, wilderness, world war two, journey, desert, gulag, pow, human spirit ...
Time:
20th century, 1940s
Place:
himalaya, russia, poland, germany, ussr ...
Is relevant ?
383K

Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, UK, France
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
The true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah.
Style:
inspirational, psychological, breathtaking, intense, thought provoking ...
Plot:
survival, isolation, suspense, trapped, mountain, loneliness, courage, human spirit, alone, climbing, canyon, life philosophy ...
Time:
2000s, year 2003, 21st century
Place:
utah, usa
Is relevant ?
88K

Genre: Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
In their new overseas home, an American family soon finds themselves caught in the middle of a coup, and they frantically look for a safe escape in an environment where foreigners are being immediately executed.
Style:
exciting, suspenseful, tense, intense, scary ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
survival, suspense, family in danger, riot, execution, rebellion, coup d'etat, violence, race against time, american abroad, wrong place wrong time, father daughter relationship ...
Time:
2010s, 21st century
Place:
asia, california, middle east, thailand, canada ...
Is relevant ?

Genre: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
A bush pilot in nothern Canada who with the aid of modernity thinks he can handle it all & knows it all. After reluctantly agreeing to transport a local indian girl to a medical facility his light plane crashes & they have to survive whilst ...
Style:
emotional, serious, sentimental, breathtaking, realistic ...
Plot:
survival, nature, wilderness, friendship, arctic, airplane, human spirit, rescue, hunter, stranded, isolation, hopes ...
Time:
50s, 20th century, post world war two, year 1953
Place:
canada
Is relevant ?
819K

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Western
Country: Hong Kong, Taiwan, USA
Duration: 156 min.
Story:
In the 1820s, a frontiersman, Hugh Glass, sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling.
Style:
breathtaking, atmospheric, exciting, scenic, suspenseful ...
Audience:
date night, boys' night, adult
Plot:
survival, wilderness, revenge, vengeance, snow, bear attack, life & death, obsessive quest, lone hero, father son relationship, bravery, violent ...
Time:
19th century, 1820s, georgian era
Place:
los angeles, usa
Is relevant ?
136K

Genre: Action, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
An injured surfer stranded on a buoy needs to get back to shore, but the great white shark stalking her might have other ideas.
Style:
scary, exciting, tense, harsh, absurd ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
shark, survival, surfing, animal attack, shark attack, creature feature, ocean, beach, sea, killer shark, trapped, surfer ...
Time:
future
Place:
mexico, australia, tijuana mexico, texas
Is relevant ?
772K

Genre: Action, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Robert Neville is a scientist who was unable to stop the spread of the terrible virus that was incurable and man-made. Immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and perhaps the world. For three years, Neville ...
Style:
intense, scary, atmospheric, suspenseful, exciting ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
zombie, survival, apocalypse, loneliness, post apocalypse, virus, distopia, supernatural, isolation, infected, end of the world, dog ...
Time:
future, jurassic, 2000s, year 2012, near future ...
Place:
new york, usa, vermont, manhattan new york city, brooklyn new york city
Is relevant ?
318K

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story:
After a violent storm, a dense cloud of mist envelops a small Maine town, trapping artist David Drayton and his five-year-old son in a local grocery store with other people. They soon discover that the mist conceals deadly horrors that threaten ...
Style:
atmospheric, twist ending, psychological, scary, bad ending ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
monster, survival, apocalypse, suspense, religious fanatic, fear, creature, small town, macabre, spider, twists and turns, chaos and mayhem ...
Time:
2000s, 21st century
Place:
usa, maine
Is relevant ?
293K

Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, War
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative must make an impossible moral decision in the mountains of Afghanistan that leads them into an enemy ambush. As they confront unthinkable odds, the SEALs must find ...
Style:
rough, tense, brutal, captivating, emotional ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
military, survival, terrorism, soldier, war, gunfight, courage, military life, selflessness, squad, swat team, army ...
Time:
2000s, year 2005, 21st century
Place:
afghanistan, middle east, iraq, usa, israel
Is relevant ?

Genre: Action, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952.
Style:
exciting, serious, realistic, tense, scenic ...
Audience:
girls' night, boys' night
Plot:
survival, natural disaster, disaster, ocean, courage, shipwreck, forces of nature, storm at sea, coast guard, daring rescue, catastrophe, sinking ship ...
Time:
50s, 20th century, year 1952, year 1951
Place:
new england, massachusetts, england, usa
Is relevant ?
845K

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music, War
Country: France, Poland, Germany, UK
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
The true story of pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he ...
Style:
emotional, harsh, bleak, heartbreaking, touching ...
Plot:
holocaust, world war two, survival, nazi, genocide, jewish, war, anti semitism, nazism, classical music, suspense, pianist ...
Time:
1940s, post world war two, 20th century, 1930s, year 1944 ...
Place:
poland, germany, europe, eastern europe, central europe ...
Is relevant ?

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
During a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, a veteran mariner awakes to find his vessel taking on water after a collision with a stray shipping container. With his radio and navigation equipment disabled, he sails unknowingly into a violent storm and ...
Style:
harsh, touching, suspenseful, tense, reflective ...
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
survival, boat, isolation, sea, storm, survivor, loneliness, forces of nature, ship, ocean, human spirit, sailor ...
Time:
21st century
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
76K

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
The plane carrying wealthy Charles Morse crashes down in the Alaskan wilderness. Together with the two other passengers, photographer Robert and assistant Stephen, Charles devises a plan to help them reach civilization. However, his biggest obstacle ...
Style:
tense, suspenseful, serious, compassionate, intense ...
Plot:
survival, wilderness, suspense, bear, grizzly bear, bear attack, marital infidelity, hunter, nature, older man younger woman relationship, billionaire, survivor ...
Time:
90s
Place:
alaska, usa, california
Is relevant ?
58K

Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: Hong Kong, Iceland, USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
A woman and her fiancé find themselves caught in a hurricane after departing Tahiti by boat. She wakes up after being knocked out, only to discover him missing, and the elements threatening.
Style:
sincere, suspenseful, sad, inspirational, touching ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
survival, survivor, boat, sailboat, storm, human spirit, female protagonist, young couple, love, sea adventure, power of love, sailing ...
Time:
year 1983
Place:
pacific ocean, tahiti
Is relevant ?
48K

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min.
Story:
Four friends fleeing a viral pandemic soon learn they are more dangerous than any virus.A deadly virus has spread across the globe. Contagion is everywhere, no one is safe and no one can be trusted. Four young attractive people race through the back ...
Style:
scary, road movie, suspenseful, psychological, absurd ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
survival, virus, infection, post apocalypse, pandemic, road trip, biohazard, apocalypse, deadly virus, suspense, end of the world, zombie ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Is relevant ?
222K

Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Iceland
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Inspired by the incredible events surrounding a treacherous attempt to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, "Everest" documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one ...
Style:
realistic, breathtaking, dramatic, scenic, tense ...
Plot:
survival, mountain, mountaineer, climbing, mountain climbing, natural disaster, stranded, snow, beautiful scenery, man versus nature, forces of nature, disaster ...
Time:
year 1996, 90s, 20th century
Place:
mount everest, himalaya, nepal, asia, texas
Is relevant ?
163K

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Spain, UK, France, USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Paul 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.
Style:
suspenseful, psychological, scary, surprise ending, depressing ...
Plot:
survival, trapped, suspense, confined, buried alive, isolation, terrorist, captivity, claustrophobia, deathtrap, twists and turns, characters in danger ...
Time:
2000s, year 2006, 21st century
Place:
iraq, middle east
Is relevant ?

Genre: Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
A survival story about a honeymooning couple who get lost in the wide expanse of the Grand Canyon.
Style:
tense, scary, suspenseful, realistic, sexy ...
Plot:
survival, wilderness, desert, honeymoon, grand canyon, tour guide, dangerous animal, suspense, isolation, newlyweds, stranded, expedition ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, arizona
Is relevant ?
58K

Genre: Biography, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
The amazing, true story of a Uruguayan rugby team's plane that crashed in the middle of the Andes mountains, and their immense will to survive and pull through alive, forced to do anything and everything they could to stay alive on meager ...
Style:
realistic, emotional, inspirational, disturbing, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
survival, air disaster, disaster, stranded, starvation, cannibalism, death, airplane accident, mountain, snow, human spirit, airplane ...
Time:
70s, 20th century
Place:
andes mountains, chile, uruguay, south america, latin america
Is relevant ?
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