Survival Adventure backdrop

Survival Adventure movies

The goal is staying alive: extreme conditions, isolation, scarce resources, and endurance over a classic villain.

The Hunger Games

1. The Hunger Games

Science Fiction Adventure Action Thriller Dystopian Sci-Fi
7.2
20122h 22min

Overview

In a dystopian society where the Capitol forces each district to send two young tributes to fight to the death in a televised spectacle, a girl volunteers to take her sister’s place, setting the stage for a struggle of survival and defiance.

Themes

Survival under scarcity, Oppressive regime, Televised violence, Sponsor influence, Resistance and unrest, Alliance dynamics

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Grey

2. The Grey

Action Adventure Drama Thriller Survival Adventure
6.7
20121h 57min

Overview

Following a grueling five-week shift at an Alaskan oil refinery, workers led by sharpshooter John Ottway are flying home for a much-needed vacation. But a brutal storm causes their plane to crash in the frozen wilderness, and only eight men, including Ottway, survive. As they trek southward toward civilization and safety, Ottway and his companions must battle mortal injuries, the icy elements, and a pack of hungry wolves.

Themes

Leadership under crisis, Camaraderie under strain, Survival after airplane crash, Mortality in wilderness, Conflict under stress with wolf pack, Belief vs doubt

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Way Back

3. The Way Back

Drama Adventure History Survival Adventure
7.3
20102h 13min

Overview

A small band of multicultural convicts stages a daring escape from a WWII-era Siberian gulag, and embarks on a treacherous journey across five countries in a desperate race for freedom and survival.

Themes

Political oppression, Group cohesion under pressure, Escape under duress, Loyalty vs ideology, Survival under totalitarianism, Displacement and identity

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

127 Hours

4. 127 Hours

Adventure Drama Thriller Survival Adventure Survival Thriller
7.5
20101h 34min

Overview

In a world where one wrong step turns paradise into a trap, a lone climber slips in a Utah canyon and an 800-pound boulder crushes his arm against the wall. With almost no water and only a camcorder for company, he digs, schemes, and spirals as the clock inside his body starts to run out.

Themes

Survival under isolation, Memory as motivation, Desperation and willpower, Bodily autonomy and adaptation, Self-reliance and endurance, Resourceful improvisation under pressure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Road

5. The Road

Adventure Drama Survival Adventure Tragic Drama
7.2
20091h 51min

Overview

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. Their destination is the warmer south, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there.

Themes

Survival under catastrophe, Scarcity and violence, Paternity under pressure, Loss and endurance, Dystopian social collapse, Shared food and trust

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

9

6. 9

Action Adventure Animation Science Fiction Thriller
7.0
20091h 19min

Overview

When 9 awakens in a dead world, he uncovers a talisman tying him to the war machine that erased humanity. By unlocking its secret, he exposes the last survivors—and himself—to a ruthless mechanical hunt that will not stop until every stitch of their stolen souls is reclaimed.

Themes

Friendship under pressure, Authority vs dissent, Post-apocalyptic future, Man vs machine, Rag doll resilience, Hope amid ruins

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

7. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Animation Comedy Family Adventure Family Animation
6.9
20091h 34min

Overview

Times are changing for Manny the moody mammoth, Sid the motor mouthed sloth and Diego the crafty saber-toothed tiger. Life heats up for our heroes when they meet some new and none-too-friendly neighbors – the mighty dinosaurs.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Protective parenting, Found family in adversity, Survival under external threat, Trust under stress, Birth amid crisis

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Bee Movie

8. Bee Movie

Family Animation Adventure Comedy Family Animation
6.1
20071h 31min

Overview

Barry B. Benson, a recent college graduate who wants more out of his life than making honey, decides to sue the human race after learning about the exploitation of bees at the hands of mankind. What will happen next?

Themes

Labor exploitation through industry, Ecosystem interdependence under threat, Ecological consequences of honey demand, Legal action as leverage, Pollination dependence under disruption, Industry power vs worker agency

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Into the Wild

9. Into the Wild

Adventure Drama Survival Adventure Coming-of-Age Drama
8.0
20072h 28min

Overview

With winter closing in and his supplies nearly gone, a young drifter in the Alaskan wild races to outlast the cold, the hunger, and his own past—alone in a broken-down bus at the edge of the world.

Themes

Search for belonging, Self-sufficiency vs society, Isolation vs connection, Disillusionment with progress, Rebellion against modern life, Quest for meaning

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Rescue Dawn

10. Rescue Dawn

Adventure Drama War Survival Adventure Vietnam War
7.3
20072h 5min

Overview

In a war where surrender means propaganda or death, a downed US fighter pilot refuses to denounce his country and lands in a brutal jungle prison camp. Starving, tortured, and marked for execution, he joins a desperate escape plan that turns the Laotian wilderness into his only shot at survival.

Themes

Survival under captivity, Group cohesion under stress, Hunger and harsh conditions, Emergency rescue and isolation, Torture and resilience, Escape planning under pressure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.