The genre of survival drama has always been defined as the sub-genre of adventure films, war films and safari films. But the kind of survival films that we have come across in recent years really makes one think ‘is it fair to call it a sub-genre?’. Not everybody craves for such movies but still they have got a huge fan following all over the world. The story flow of these movies is such that they need to be avoided by the weak-hearted. In almost all of these, the main protagonist or a group of people try to survive in a physically harsh condition by attempting all the possible choices that they have. Here’s a list of some of the finest survival films ever made.
The Edge (1997)
It is surely one of the most underrated survival films and deserves recognition. Anthony Hopkins was casted along with Alec Baldwin but still things went south. Lee Tamahori directed a well written story about a billionaire who along with his wife and a photo shoot crew arrives at an Alaskan locality. Things go berserk when their plane crashes in the woods. The pilot died but the other three survived the crash. The actual plot is about how these three people try to survive in the wild without any external help. Sir Hopkins gave a fine performance and showcased why he is praised all over the world for his skills.
Cast Away (2000)
Undoubtedly it is the most popular survival film of them all and any list of great survival movies would be incomplete without it. Tom Hanks gave the performance of his life and got a nomination at the 73rd Academy Awards. A time-obsessed person gets stranded on an island due to a plane crash. He tries to survive on the island using the leftovers from the plane. The movie has got very few dialogues and that is where it leaves its impact.
Also Read: Movies of the War; Mirrors the History
Into The Wild (2007)
Very few people dare to do what they have in mind and when they do it, they become part of history. This movie is based on the real story of Christopher McCandless accounted in the biography written by Jon Krakauer. After graduating with high honors, Christopher leaves his conventional life by donating $24,000 to an organization, destroying his credit cards and sets out to a cross country drive to fulfill his dream of living in the wild. The movie is about his journey and how he touches the lives of the people he meets on the way.
The Grey (2011)
Based on the short story by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers who also wrote the screenplay, this masterpiece showcased why Liam Neeson is one of the most admired actors of our time. The story is about John Ottway who is a wolf hunter protecting the oil drilling team of his employers. He along with the oil drillers get stuck in the killing Alaskan cold due to a plane crash. The Grey wolves try to hunt them down and eventually their survival skills are put at test.
Life of Pi (2012)
When Yann Martel wrote the fantasy novel by the same name in 2001, it was rejected by at least five publishing houses. But when it was published, it became a bestseller and provided him with a Man Booker Prize. Eleven years later when a movie was made on his book, he got the kind of popularity very few people get in a lifetime. The story is about an Indian teenager who survives a shipwreck in which he loses his family and he is stuck in a lifeboat where he tries to survive along with a Bengal Tiger.
Also Read: Underrated “Superhero” Movies That You Might Have Missed