Stayin’ Alive: Great Movies About Survival

After an explosion in the mine they were working in seemingly buried them alive, 33 Chilean miners began the fight for their lives as the world watched, waited and hoped. 'The 33' tells their harrowing true story. Here, also, are other movies about survival, both based on true stories and fictional.

'Everest’ tells the true story of two mountain climbers who fight for survival while fighting against intense elements and seemingly insurmountable odds during a fierce snowstorm on Mount Everest.

This Academy Award-nominated epic adventure based on the best seller tells the story of a young man who survives a disaster at sea and the unexpected connection he forms with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger. Universally hailed by critics the world over, the film took home four Oscars, including a Best Director statue for Ang Lee.

Based on a true story, this survival saga tells the story of Aron Ralston (James Franco) a world-class rock climber who truly finds himself between a rock and a hard place when his arm gets pinned by a boulder. Franco took home a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the unfortunate climber who was forced to cut off the trapped limb to free himself.

Ryan Reynolds plays a kidnap victim buried alive inside a coffin in this psychological thriller set in worn-torn Iraq. Armed with nothing but a cell phone and a cigarette lighter, Reynolds must orchestrate the delivery of a $5,000,000 ransom to free himself from certain death. Whether his survival techniques work or not, he makes every effort possible from six feet under. 

This fan favorite from director Robert Zemeckis tells the story of a plane crash survivor (Tom Hanks) who finds himself stranded on a desolate island with nothing but his thoughts...and a volleyball.  Shot over the course of two years, production was halted for nearly 12 months so Hanks could lose over 50 pounds and grow out his hair to indicate time spent on the island. The weight loss was worth it, as Hanks took home the Golden Globe Award for his performance.

It’s Liam Neeson vs. the elements after the plane carrying him and six others crashes in the Siberian wilderness. As a survival expert, he is the best shot the others have when it comes to staying alive and evading the menacing wolves lurking in the shadows.

Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins turn in outstanding performances as two men stranded in the wintry Alaska woods. Bad enough that they have to figure out how to stay warm, find food and ward off a determined grizzly, turns out one of them has had his way with the other’s wife. 

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star as two doomed shuttle astronauts in this interstellar survival story. When their ship is destroyed during a routine space walk, the pair are left completely alone — tethered to nothing but each other as they spiral through the blackness. Director Alfonso Cuarón took home a Best Director Oscar for his work on the film. 

Similar to ‘Castaway,’ this tale is a mostly solo performance. Here Robert Redford plays a shipwrecked sailor navigating the Indian Ocean with only a life raft and a handful of supplies separating him from certain death.

Based on the true story of Olympian Louis Zamperini, this sweeping saga chronicles two different tales of survival — the 47 days Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) spends adrift at sea after a near-fatal plane crash and the 2 years he spent as a POW after being captured by the Japanese navy. Produced and directed by Angelina Jolie, the film was honored as 2015’s Film of the Year by the American Film Institute. 

Ethan Hawke stars in this gritty survival story of the Uruguayan rugby team and their fight to stay alive after their plane crashes in the Andes mountains. Directed by Frank Marshall, the film is based on a true story and one of the survivors, Nando Parrado (Hawke’s character) actually has a cameo in the film.  (He is seen in photo still of the team at the beginning of the film.)