10 best survival movies on Netflix

Whether shipwrecks, desert, plane crashes, or other disasters, survival stories not only entertain, but inspire and challenge viewers to look at themselves and consider what really matters. And all this is done by showing how hard people try to overcome adversity.

The best survival films immerse viewers in life-or-death scenarios, balancing realism and suspense. So here are 10 survival movies to awaken your most primal instincts, all available on Netflix.

Whether based on real events or not, films with themes ranging from natural disasters, to the awakening of human conflicts, to wars and the daily struggle for supplies, to stranded or trapped travelers, tell stories of survival.

Given all this, would you have what it takes to survive? Check out the 10 best survival movies available on Netflix below.

10. Open Sea (2004)

Open Sea is a movie about sharks, a classic theme in survival movies. However, Chris Kentis’ screenplay is based on true events, which concern the disappearance of an American couple who were diving near the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

In this story, a couple goes on a vacation diving expedition, but ends up stranded about 20 miles offshore when the boat’s crew accidentally leaves them behind.

9. The Decline (2020)

This Canadian thriller film, directed by Patrice Laliberté, follows Antoine, a man very worried about a possible natural disaster. Because of his fears, he enters a survival training program, led by an experienced middle-aged survivor. Although the participants are united at first, they become divided after one of the trainees dies in an accident.

8. Awake (2021)

After a sudden global event destroys all electronic devices and eliminates one of the most basic human capabilities, sleep, chaos and violence quickly begin to spread across the world.

Directed by Mark Raso, this apocalyptic thriller tells the story of Jill, who discovers that her daughter may be immune to the disorder that causes chronic sleep deprivation, so she tries to get her into a lab to help her develop a cure-all.

7. The Well (2019)

The Well is a Spanish science fiction and social horror film directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. The story takes place in a large tower, which functions as a prison, and its inhabitants are fed through a platform initially filled with food.

Once a day, the platform gradually descends through the levels of the tower, stopping for a few minutes at each level. Residents of the upper levels can eat as much as they can, and each level receives only leftovers from the previous levels. Therefore, the lower the level, the less food remains on the platform, which inevitably leads to conflicts.

6. Destinies Adrift (2023)

This Netflix production, directed by Albert Pintó, follows Mia, a pregnant woman who must flee a totalitarian government to save her daughter’s life. This is because, in a dystopian Spain, children and pregnant women are sacrificed to preserve the country’s increasingly scarce resources.

To escape, Mia and her husband try to hide in a container, but they get separated and the pregnant woman has to fend for herself. As if that wasn’t enough, during the journey, a strong storm causes the container to be thrown into the sea.

5. Solo (2018)

Solo is another Spanish drama, this time directed by Hugo Stuven. The film tells the true story of a surfer who, after falling from a cliff and suffering serious injuries, must face the sea, the merciless nature and his own physical and mental agony to try to survive.

4. Where is Monday? (2017)

In the not-too-distant future, global overpopulation has led to a strict one-child policy, whereby any illegal children found by the government are removed from their families and placed in cryosleep indefinitely.

In this dystopian sci-fi thriller, directed by Tommy Wirkola, a grandfather tries to hide the existence of identical septuplets by pretending they’re all one person – until Monday comes home from work.

3. The Impossible (2012)

This Spanish drama film, directed by JA Bayona, is based on the real-life experience of María Belón and her family in the tsunami that occurred in 2004 in the Indian Ocean.

In this storyline, Maria Bennett, her husband and their three children go on a Christmas vacation, headed to Khao Lak, Thailand. When they arrive, they begin to enjoy relaxing days at the resort where they are staying. Two days later, however, the massive Indian Ocean tsunami floods the area and the family must band together to survive.

2. Bird Box (2018)

This post-apocalyptic thriller film, directed by Susanne Bier, follows Malorie Hayes as she tries to protect herself and her two children from entities that cause people who look at them to enter a trance and kill themselves.

Amid the mass suicides destroying society and trying to survive these entities, Malorie must lead her children on a journey to safety, to find a group of other survivors, all blindfolded.

1. Against the Ice (2022)

This survival film, directed by Peter Flinth, is based on the true story told in the book entitled Two Against the Ice, by Ejnar Mikkelsen. The story follows a Danish mission deep in the Arctic to recover a lost map and evidence that could disprove the United States’ claim to northern Greenland.

During the expedition in cold isolation, the men are forced to spend two winters in a cabin with limited food and supplies, while their crewmates struggle to mount a rescue mission.

The 10 Best Survival Movies on Netflix appeared first on Olhar Digital.

Source: Olhar Digital

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.