Survival movies are about a person alone against the ocean, the mountains, the cold or a natural disaster. We have gathered 12 films that are already out, from the classic disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure (1972) to Society of the Snow (2023). Six of the stories are based on real cases, and each of them comes with a one-line note on what actually happened; the other plots are fictional. Each entry gives the year, director, runtime and a reason to watch. No spoilers and no graphic details: only the setup. The facts come from Wikipedia pages checked on October 21, 2026. We do not list age ratings: they differ between countries and services, so check the rating on the film’s page before watching.
The Poseidon Adventure
Official trailer · “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972)The Poseidon Adventure is a disaster film based on Paul Gallico’s 1969 novel. The old liner Poseidon is on its final voyage from New York to Athens when, on New Year’s Eve, a huge wave capsizes it. Passengers and crew are trapped, and a priest (Gene Hackman) leads a small group of people through the upside-down ship in search of a way out. The film received eight Oscar nominations and won two awards, including one for the song The Morning After. Why watch: Ukrainian Wikipedia calls it the benchmark of the disaster-film genre.
Cast Away
Official trailer · “Cast Away” (2000)Cast Away is a survival drama starring Tom Hanks. After a plane crash over the South Pacific, FedEx systems analyst Chuck Noland is stranded alone on an uninhabited island and tries to survive and get back home. Most of the film was shot, and then production paused so that Hanks could lose weight and grow out his hair and beard, like a man who has lived on an island for years. Hanks won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination. Why watch: almost the whole film rests on a single actor.
The Day After Tomorrow
Official trailer · “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004)The Day After Tomorrow is a science fiction disaster film. A disruption of the North Atlantic currents sets off a series of extreme weather events and a new ice age. Paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) warns of the danger, while his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal) is in New York at the time. It is based on a 1999 book by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber. Why watch: a large-scale fictional disaster for an evening when you want a spectacle.
127 Hours
Official trailer · “127 Hours” (2010)True story: on April 26, 2003, Aron Ralston became trapped in a narrow, remote canyon in Utah. 127 Hours is based on Ralston’s own memoir: a canyoneering enthusiast sets off on a hike without telling anyone where he is going, and a boulder pins his arm. Ralston is played by James Franco, and almost the whole film is his lonely struggle. It received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Why watch: a tense, intimate drama in which the title is the length of the ordeal.
The Impossible
Official trailer · “The Impossible” (2012)True story: the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 and the experience of María Belón’s family. The Impossible is an English-language Spanish drama: a couple with three sons arrive at a resort in Thailand for the Christmas holidays when a tsunami strikes the coast. The lead roles are played by Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland, in his first live-action film role. Watts was nominated for an Oscar, and the film won five Goya Awards, including Best Director. Why watch: a natural disaster seen through the eyes of one family.
Life of Pi
Official trailer · “Life of Pi” (2012)Life of Pi is based on Yann Martel’s 2001 novel. After a shipwreck, 16-year-old Indian boy Pi Patel ends up in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. It was Suraj Sharma’s first film role, and the film was shot in India, Taiwan and Montreal. It received 11 Oscar nominations and won four, including Best Director. Why watch: a fairy-tale-like, vivid story about survival and faith.
All Is Lost
Official trailer · “All Is Lost” (2013)All Is Lost is a drama about a man left alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean after his yacht collides with a drifting shipping container. Robert Redford is the only actor on screen, and only 51 words of English are spoken in the entire film. Alex Ebert’s score won a Golden Globe, and the sound editing was nominated for an Oscar. Why watch: an almost silent story in which the hero’s actions explain everything.
Everest
Official trailer · “Everest” (2015)True story: the May 1996 disaster on Everest, when eight climbers died on the mountain. Everest follows two commercial expeditions, one led by Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) and the other by Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal). The cast also includes Josh Brolin, Robin Wright and Keira Knightley. The film opened the 2015 Venice Film Festival. Why watch: a large ensemble cast and the true story of a climb on the highest mountain in the world.
The Revenant
Official trailer · “The Revenant” (2015)True story: the experiences of fur trapper Hugh Glass in 1823 in what are now the states of North and South Dakota. The Revenant is based in part on Michael Punke’s 2002 novel, which describes these events. Glass, who is left alone in the wilderness after a bear attack, is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and one of the trappers by Tom Hardy. The film won three Oscars: for Best Director, for Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography and for Best Actor, DiCaprio’s first win. Why watch: harsh wilderness filmed in natural light.
Arctic
Official trailer · “Arctic” (2018)Arctic is an Icelandic-American drama starring Mads Mikkelsen. After a crash, a pilot named Overgård lives in the wreckage of his plane above the Arctic Circle: every day he checks his fishing holes, maps the surrounding area and cranks the handle of an emergency beacon while waiting to be rescued. The film premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Why watch: an intimate story of one man against ice and cold.
Thirteen Lives
Official trailer · “Thirteen Lives” (2022)True story: the 2018 rescue operation in the Tham Luang cave in Thailand. Thirteen Lives tells how 12 boys from the Wild Boars youth football team and their assistant coach went to explore a cave, and it flooded. The cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton. Ron Howard also directed Rush from our selection of racing movies, and Thirteen Lives was released on Prime Video. Why watch: a detailed account of a real rescue.
Society of the Snow
Official trailer · “Society of the Snow” (2023)True story: the crash of a Uruguayan Air Force plane in the Andes on October 13, 1972. Society of the Snow is based on Pablo Vierci’s 2008 book: a plane carrying a rugby team and their supporters crashes onto a glacier in the mountains. It is the third feature film about this disaster; the cast is mostly young Uruguayan and Argentine actors, and it was filmed mainly in Spain’s Sierra Nevada. The film won 12 Goya Awards, including Best Film and Best Director, and received two Oscar nominations. Why watch: the newest film in the selection; Netflix calls it one of the most incredible stories of the 20th century.
How we chose
We took films that are already out, have detailed Wikipedia pages and show survival in different ways: at sea, in the mountains, in the cold, during natural disasters and in solitude. We use the “True story” label only where Wikipedia says the film is based on real events. Stories of survival in space are collected separately, in our selection of space movies. This is not a ranking: we do not invent our own ratings or compare box office, and we take English titles from English Wikipedia.
What to choose by mood
| What you want | What to pick |
|---|---|
| Alone with the ocean | Cast Away, Life of Pi, All Is Lost |
| Mountains, ice and cold | Everest, Arctic, Society of the Snow, The Revenant |
| Natural disasters and catastrophes | The Poseidon Adventure, The Impossible, The Day After Tomorrow |
| Trapped in a tight space | 127 Hours, Thirteen Lives |
| True stories | 127 Hours, The Impossible, Everest, The Revenant, Thirteen Lives, Society of the Snow |
Look for historical disasters such as Titanic in our selection of historical movies.
Tip. If you want a spectacle without heavy real-life details, start with the fictional The Day After Tomorrow or Life of Pi. Films based on real events, such as Society of the Snow or Everest, are better saved for an evening when you are in the mood for a serious story.
Frequently asked questions
Which films are based on real events?
127 Hours (Aron Ralston in a Utah canyon, 2003), The Impossible (the 2004 tsunami), Everest (the 1996 disaster), The Revenant (in part, through a novel about events in 1823), Thirteen Lives (the Tham Luang cave, 2018) and Society of the Snow (the crash in the Andes, 1972).
What should I watch if I want a spectacle?
The Day After Tomorrow, about a fictional climate disaster, or the classic The Poseidon Adventure, about a capsized liner.
Is there a film here with almost no dialogue?
Yes, All Is Lost: Robert Redford is the only actor, and only 51 words of English are spoken in the whole film.
Where can I watch these films?
Streaming catalogs change, so we do not list them. Society of the Snow was released on Netflix and Thirteen Lives on Prime Video; for the rest, check the film’s page on a service available to you.
Sources
- 127 Hours (Wikipedia)
- The Impossible (2012 film) (Wikipedia)
- Everest (2015 film) (Wikipedia)
- Thirteen Lives (Wikipedia)
- Society of the Snow (Wikipedia)
Data was checked against Wikipedia on October 21, 2026.
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