51+ Best Survival Movies of All Time – Watch Now!
There are a lot of survival movies out there. It can be hard to know which ones are worth watching and which ones aren't. That's why I put together this list of the best survival movies of all time.
Personally, I love many of these. How can you go wrong with the first three!? These movies will not only entertain you, but they will also give you ideas and survival concepts to think about. These movies cover it all, from mindset to gear, food, water, and everything in between.
So whether you're looking for a quiet night on the couch, prepping for it to hit the fan, or somewhere in between, these movies have you covered.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links that I may receive a small commission for at no cost to you if you choose to purchase a product through a link on this page.
What are the Best Survival Movies of All Time?
1. Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is a survival movie set in a future, dystopian world.
In the movie, a group of teenagers is forced to compete in a deadly game that is televised live for the amusement of the rich and powerful.
The game is called the Hunger Games, and it is a fight to the death.
The movie follows Katniss Evergreen, a young girl from District 12, competing in the games and trying to survive.
The Hunger Games is an excellent survival movie because it highlights individual struggle within the potential future of a runaway system of the haves vs. the have nots.
2. The Martian
If you're a fan of survival movies, then you'll love The Martian. This movie is about an American astronaut, Mark Watney, who is stranded on Mars after his crewmates mistakenly believe him to be dead.
Watney has to rely on his mindset and survival skills to make it through the harsh environment of Mars and find a way back home.
The Martian is an excellent survival movie with great acting and an exciting plot. It's definitely worth watching if you're looking for some survival inspiration.
Staff review: “This was a really entertaining movie. It won't help much with your long term prep plan, but it's definitely prep related. All of the characters show great resiliency, and Matt's character is next-level resourceful. It's got a lot of funny parts in there, too.”
3. Cast Away
Cast Away is a survival movie with Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt. The film follows the survival of Chuck, an American stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash.
Tom Hanks does a great job playing the main character, Chuck Noland. Noland has to deal with everything from hunger to the loneliness of social isolation on his uninhabited island while he tries to find his way home again.
4. 12 Years a Slave
12 Years a Slave is a survival movie set in the Antebellum South. The film follows Solomon Northup, a free black man who is kidnapped and sold into slavery.
Solomon has to rely on his intelligence and survival skills to make it through the harsh conditions of slavery and find a way to freedom.
12 Years a Slave is an excellent survival movie because it highlights the strength of human resolve in the face of great adversity.
5. Apollo 13
I enjoyed the movie Apollo 13. It is an exciting and suspenseful movie.
The story follows the real-life events of the Apollo 13 mission, which ended in a near-disaster with the entire nation watching.
Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise are the main characters, and they have to work together to survive in space after an explosion knocks out their ship's power and oxygen supply.
I thought the acting was great, and the movie's plot was well executed. If you're looking for a survival movie based on actual events, I highly recommend Apollo 13.
Staff review: “Just the fact that this is true makes it an amazing survival movie. Talk about the ultimate SHTF situation! Such a riveting sample of ‘Improvise – Adapt – Overcome'!”
6. Armageddon
Armageddon is one of my favorite survival movies. The plot follows a group of ragtag oil drillers sent into space to save the world from a massive asteroid.
I liked Armageddon because it showed how essential teamwork is in survival situations.
The movie stars Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Liv Tyler as the main characters.
7. The Book of Eli
The Book of Eli is a survival movie starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman and was directed by the Hughes brothers.
It tells the story of Eli (Denzel Washington), who is on a mission to deliver his book to a safe location to protect humankind from evil forces that would abuse their power.
On his journey, he must fight off gangs and other people while working to save the soul of his wasteland world.
Like any SHTF situation, there are few you can trust in this survival movie, and survival depends on your wits and skills alone!
Staff review: “This is one of my favorite apocalypse movies. The action is pretty non-stop, and Denzel never makes a bad movie. There are lots of little survival tips to be gleaned even though the movie itself is based on a fictional future. Bonus points for plot twists.”
8. Jeremiah Johnson
Jeremiah Johnson is a great survival movie. It stars Robert Redford as the title character, Jeremiah Johnson, who is a mountain man in the 1800s.
Johnson spends his days living off the land and hunting game, and he knows how to survive in the wilderness like nobody else.
The movie follows Johnson's adventures as he hunts down a group of criminals who have been terrorizing the area.
Jeremiah Johnson is an excellent man versus nature survival movie with great acting and an exciting plot. If you're looking for a survival movie to watch, I highly recommend checking this one out.
9. Lion
Lion follows Saroo, a young man who gets lost on a train in India and ends up thousands of miles away from home.
Saroo is forced to rely on his survival skills to make it through the harsh environment and find his way home.
The acting was great, and I thought the plot was well executed. Go check it out.
10. Eight Below
Eight Below is a survival movie set in the icy tundra of Antarctica. The film follows a group of sled dogs left behind when their human masters have to evacuate the area due to a storm.
The dogs must use their survival skills to make it through the harsh conditions and find their way back home.
I really enjoyed Eight Below. The acting is excellent and is a survival movie worth watching.
11. A Quiet Place
A Quiet Place is a survival movie set in the near future. The movie follows a family who must live in silence to avoid being killed by creatures that hunt by sound.
12. World War Z
World War Z is a fantastic movie! It is an exciting and suspenseful movie.
The movie features Brad Pitt as the world's last best hope in a race of heroic survival to save the human race.
13. The Revenant
The Revenant is an excellent survival movie. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, a real-life frontiersman who was mauled by a bear and left for dead by his companions.
Glass must then use all of his survival skills to make it back to civilization to get revenge on the men who betrayed him.
The Revenant is a well-made survival movie with great acting and a thrilling plot. I recommend checking it out if you're a fan of survival films that highlight the human spirit.
14. Lone Survivor
Lone Survivor is a survival movie based on the real story of Marcus Luttrell, a Navy SEAL who was the only one to survive a 2005 mission in Afghanistan.
The movie stars Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell. It follows his journey of an elite Navy SEAL becoming stranded in the mountains of Afghanistan and fighting for survival.
Lone Survivor is a heart-wrenching and action-packed movie. It was well-made, suspenseful, and moving.
I recommend Lone Survivor to anyone interested in survival movies.
15. I Am Legend
I Am Legend is a 2007 American post-apocalyptic tale directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith.
It is the third feature film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same name, following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man.
I Am Legend tells the story of Robert Neville (Will Smith), a scientist who is the last human being on Earth. He spends his days trying to find a cure for the virus and fighting off hordes of infected that live in New York City.
I found I Am Legend to be an excellent survival movie that I can watch repeatedly.
16. Life of Pi
I enjoyed the survival movie Life of Pi.
The story follows a young man, Pi, stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with only a Bengal tiger for company.
Pi has to use all of his survival skills to make it through the ordeal and find his way home.
The acting in this movie was great, and the plot was very exciting. I would definitely recommend watching this survival movie if you're looking for survival-focused enjoyment and inspiration.
17. First Blood
First Blood is an action-packed survival movie that stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a Vietnam war veteran confronted by a less than welcoming town.
When confronted with the hostility of the town, Rambo falls back on his Special Forces training and experience. He knows how to survive in any situation, and he's not afraid to fight for his life. This makes him a formidable opponent and nightmare for the local police.
Staff review: “Classic lone-wolf survival movie. It's not exactly filled with tips for the everyday prepper, but it's one of the best at entertaining by showcasing survival skills in personal combat situations.”
18. Unbroken
I found the movie Unbroken to be very inspiring. It tells the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who becomes a prisoner of war during World War II.
He is taken to a Japanese POW camp, where he endures torture and other hardships.
However, he maintains his enduring motivation and eventually escapes in the true spirit of survival.
This is a fantastic story of survival and determination, and it is definitely worth watching.
19. Captain Phillips
Captain Phillips stars Tom Hanks as the title character, a cargo ship captain who Somali pirates take hostage.
The movie follows Phillips' journey from the beginning of the hijacking to his eventual rescue by U.S. Navy SEALs.
20. The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science fiction disaster film co-written, directed, and produced by Roland Emmerich. It stars Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum, and Sammy Jackson.
The film depicts the sudden onset of a new Ice Age brought about by global warming. It focuses on a family of four trying to make their way from New York City to the survival shelter in Los Angeles.
Staff review: “This is one of those movies I can watch whenever I see it is on. It holds your attention even when you know what's going to happen next. The SHTF focus is almost exclusively on cold weather survival, so there may not be too many tips for viewers in Hawaii. They'll still love the movie though!”
21. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Rise of the Planet of the Apes tells the story of Caesar (Serkis), a chimpanzee who leads an ape uprising against the human race. After being exposed to a serum that improves intelligence, Caesar leads his fellow apes in a revolution against the human race. The film is praised for its strong visual effects and performances from the cast.
22. Into the Wild
Into the Wild is a 2007 American biographical survival film adapted by Sean Penn from Jon Krakauer's 1996 non-fiction book of the same name.
The film stars Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless, a recent college graduate who gives up his material possessions to hitchhike to Alaska in search of adventure.
McCandless's journey is full of danger and excitement, and I found it to be an excellent movie.
Likewise, the movie's unexpected outcome serves as a warning to all potential survivalists that surviving isn't easy!
23. The Impossible
The Impossible is a survival movie based on the true-to-life story of a family caught in the devastating tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004.
The movie follows the family as they struggle to survive in the aftermath of the disaster.
I found The Impossible to be an excellent survival movie.
If you're looking for a well-made and emotionally powerful survival movie, I recommend checking out The Impossible.
24. Waterworld
Waterworld is an American dystopian science fiction action film directed by Kevin Reynolds and starring Kevin Costner.
The film is set in the year 2500 after the cataclysmic flooding of the Earth has left behind a world mostly covered in water. The plot follows a group of characters who attempt to find dry land.
While the film is praised for its strong visual effects, it was criticized for its convoluted plot and poor acting.
25. The Postman
The Postman is a 1997 American postwar dystopian society science fiction film directed by Kevin Costner. It is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin.
The film tells the story of a drifter who takes on the persona of a postman to rebuild society in the aftermath of a devastating world war.
26. The Edge
If you're looking for a survival movie to watch, then I highly recommend The Edge.
It stars Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin as two men stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after their plane crashes.
In their quest to survive, Baldwin and Hopkins not only fight wild animals but also end up fighting one another in a dramatic and ironic turn.
I recommend this as one of the best survival films to watch on movie night.
27. Tremors
If you're a fan of survival movies, then I'm sure you'll enjoy Tremors.
It's a 1990 American science fiction horror film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Reba McEntire.
The movie follows a group of people who are attacked by giant underground worms.
While the acting may not be the best, the movie is still enjoyable to watch and provides some good survival tips.
I recommend Tremors to any survivalist movie fan.
28. Red Dawn (1984)
The original Red Dawn is a classic survival movie about a group of high school students who fight to survive after an invasion of the United States by the Soviet Union.
The Red Dawn all-star cast includes Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey, and other future stars.
The acting was great, and the plot was very suspenseful. I found the movie to be very exciting and well-made.
If you're looking for a good survival movie to watch, I recommend the original Red Dawn.
Staff review: “This movie is definitely in my personal Top 5. Anyone born in the 60's and 70's knows this movie. It's a survival movie classic with an all-star cast.”
29. Doctor Strangelove
Doctor Strangelove is a 1964 black comedy film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick.
The film stars Peter Sellers and George C. Scott and tells the story of an unhinged United States Air Force general who orders a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union.
I found Doctor Strangelove to be an excellent movie.
30. Escape From New York
If you're looking for a great, old-school survival movie to watch, then I recommend Escape From New York.
The movie stars Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken, a former Special Forces operative sent into the dangerous and lawless city of New York to rescue the President of the United States.
Escape From New York is one of my favorite survival movies.
Staff review: “This is an epic apocalypse movie. Not at all serious and downright funny at times. Good lesson in SHTF group dynamics.”
31. Mad Max: The Road Warrior.
32. The Pianist
33. Defiance
34. Papillon
35. Behind Enemy Lines
36. Alive
37. Rabbit-Proof Fence
38. Touching the Void
39. The Way Back
40. San Andreas
41. Room
42. War of the Worlds
43. 2012
44. Mad Max: Fury Road.
45. Deep Impact
46. Reign of Fire
47. 127 Hours
48. Kon-Tiki
50. No Escape
51. Sum of All Fears
52. The Omega Man
53. The 33
54. Everest
55. Escape from L.A.
57. North Face
Best Survival Films Selection Criteria
I chose these movies based upon two criteria:
- The movie has over 500 ratings and reviews on Amazon.
- The film has an overall Amazon rating of four (4.0) or better.
Note: I decided tied rankings by the movie with the most ratings and reviews.
The Bottom Line of Survival Movies
And there you have it, our list of the best survival movies of all time.
My favorite survival movie, which I love to recommend, is Red Dawn (1984). Then again, maybe I'm an old-school prepper who loves many other survival films too.
Are there any survival movies that we missed? Tell us in the comments below.
Stay safe,
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While not a stand alone movie, I find two TV series very educational. The first is called “How the West was Won”, starring James Arness & Bruce Boxleitner. It ran for 3 seasons, was based on the Louis L’Amour book of the same name & followed the adventures of the McCain family.
The second TV series is called “Hawkeye”, stars Linda Carter (of “Wonderwoman” fame) & shows life on a British outpost in New England prior to the American Revolutionary War. This series is based on James Fenimore Cooper’s novels of that era.
Both of these series show how people survived in their respective times, showed skills which were necessary for their survival, as well as interactions with other cultures. Both are available as dvds online.
The movie to watch before SHTF?
Panic In Year Zero, directed by and starring Ray Milland.
The family man does what he must do after the big bombs hits the major cities. Plain, realistic survival without flashy f/x and crazed characters.
Add The Death of Grass/No Blade of Grass too.
Uprising. Watch it on Youtube. Based on a true story of Jews who resisted the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto. Some survived. All were brave and resourceful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chC0r5IBEHY&ab_channel=NedChil
The Inferno. 1953. Robert Ryan and Rhonda Fleming. Wife and boyfriend leave wealthy husband in the desert to die. He has some water, a revolver, and other sparse supplies. Oh, yes, and a broken leg. His will to live based on revenge. Problem solving skills and a cool head keep him moving. Great film noir.
The Naked Prey (1965) is also a classic survival movie. Set in the South African veldt, the film’s plot centers around a safari guide trying to survive in the veldt’s harsh environment, while trying to avoid death at the hands of vengeful African warriors.
Thanks, Jess!
‘dead calm’ [1989]
‘All Is Lost’ [2013]
‘Robinson Crusoe’ [1954]
‘Surviving the Game’ [1994]
‘the road’ [2009]
‘the shining’ [1980]
‘death hunt’ [1981]
‘The Great Escape’ [1963]
Nice post!
I have many of these movies.
I’d add at least one other for you:
The Mountain Between Us…Kate Winslet and Idris Elba…..snowtop mountain, airplane crash, injuries…..good watching.
Some of the following may not be entirely “survival” related, but close:
Maybe the “Taken” series… Liam Neeson
Mysterious Island: 1961 Herbert Lom, Joan Greenwood
Never Cry Wolf: Charles Martin Smith
The Poseidon Adventure 1972 Gene Hackman
Poseidon 2006 Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell
The 5th Wave 2016 (teen)
After Earth: 2013 Will and Jaden smith
African Queen 1964? Bogart, Hepburn
Dances with Wolves: Kevin Costner
Dantes Peak: Brosnan
Flight of the Phoenix: James Stewart 1965; Dennis Quade 2004
Disneys The Swiss Family Robinson: John Mills James McArthur
I wanted to add in a TV series to this list. I just finished watching a show called “Sanctuary”. I believe it aired around 2007. (4 seasons) Amanda Tapping.
About “abnormals” and the people who try to save them and have a place to house them. There were many episodes that were about surviving in hostile areas or around hostile people, or having no power etc. Really nicely done show.