Right, that's why the edges of what classifies as a survival film gets fuzzy.

We could start to say any plot that involves a life being threatened is a "survival" film - and that would include a whole heck of a lot of film genres. (For instance, almost any war film could be called a survival film because people are fighting to survive and not get killed in an extremely hostile environment)

So I'm not sure where to draw the line.

When I was thinking about what movies to list here, I tried to draw the line at movies about only one person, or a very small group of people, trying to survive, as opposed to everyone fighting for survival.

In other words, the world around them is "business as usual". It's just the people who the movie is focused on who are fighting to survive.

Re: Best SURVIVAL Films!
 

I'd draw the line (albeit a personal one) at one person struggling to survive against insurmountable odds.

Re: Best SURVIVAL Films!
 

This is a good segue to mention Unbroken (2014)
It's a war film, it's a P.O.W. film (and that experience itself could be classified as survival), but the real survival portion of the film is the 47 days at sea in a life raft, surrounded by sharks, and forced to eat raw birds & fish.

On that account, The Bounty (1984) is not a survival film, but has a historic survival-at-sea portion when Captain Bligh and his men are set adrift in a skiff - also 47 days at sea.

I can't limit it to one person since Alive is about a whole plane full of people.

Re: Best SURVIVAL Films!
 

I don't know if you could class it as a survival film, but I really enjoyed You're Next.

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Cast Away hasn't been mentioned yet

Hi Ghoulio! Yeah, I mentioned it back on page one, right under Apollo 13 - it's the Tom Hanks honorary post! :)

Now, should Captain Phillips (2013) be included?
I'm going to say no. It's a hijacking / hostage film, not a survival film. (Sure, a guy has to survive being hijacked and kidnapped by pirates but the story is about the taking of a ship and a subsequent hostage situation as opposed to being a survival-at-sea story.)

Re: Best SURVIVAL Films!
 

Castaway was an interesting movie, but I don't know that it's a "How To" on surviving on a deserted island. For one thing, it was kind of convenient that the crashed plane offered up manufactured conveniences that made his life easier. It seemed to almost be an analogy, honestly, about homelessness. Especially when Hanks is sporting sun-bleached, wild hair and an untrimmed beard, running around in his filthy rags. To further this impression, it's actually a porta-potty - like what a bum might use - that thrusts him onto a crossroads to take a desperate gamble, or finally submit to circumstance.

Later, when he's overcome his homelessness, the end of the movie finds him at yet another crossroads, where he's "homeless" by his own choosing, that's under his control, this time. And this analogy has never been confirmed by the filmmakers, but that's what I got out of it. So, yeah, it's got that gimmick of "Alone on a Deserted Island" that none of us will ever know, but the actual situation they're referring to could happen to anybody. I think that's what's so enduring about the story, the movie.

Re: Best SURVIVAL Films!
 

Interesting take on Castaway, Rhett. And yes, the movie did seem rife with metaphors.

And, it wasn't exactly Old Yeller, but how many people started to well up when Wilson floated away?
First time people cried over a volley ball! ;)

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Vertical Limit is the best survival movie i have ever seen.

How about Deliverance

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fw_UOtPH9Y...liverance1.jpg

Yeah... it's in that fuzzy area where it's more man against man than man against nature. There's a bit of survival in braving the rapids, but most of it is surviving the bad guys.

Here's some criteria to think about - if a concern in the plot becomes any of the following:
having a sustainable supply of breathable air,
finding potable water,
obtaining food (and no, Harold and Kumar going to White Castle doesn't count - I'm talking about getting food to stave off death by starvation),
making fire for cooking, to decontaminate water, for warmth or protection,
making or finding protection from exposure (this could mean clothes, shoes, etc.)
making or finding shelter for protection from the elements (extreme heat or cold),
protection from wildlife due to an extended period of time in a predator's territory.

Re: Best SURVIVAL Films!
 

After earth is the best Survival movie. watch this movie you may also like.

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Life of Pi :)

https://lh6.ggpht.com/4wh6qrMi6S9eRW...TXF5fqPzQ=w300

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Resident Evil CGI movies are really good and loyal to the game, so they are survival, different kind of survival, zombie situation survival :D. You can watch them without playing the game, they are in the same universe, but story for themself.

Resident Evil: Degeneration
http://yify-movie.com/images/bposter...vie-poster.jpg

Resident Evil: Damnation
http://images5.fanpop.com/image/phot...59-960-800.jpg

Papilon, watched it last night. Fits the bill perfectly.

Yes, Papillon (1973) definitely came to mind.
It's mostly a prison movie, but if I recall, there are several "survival" parts (and hey, if there's bug-eating to stay alive involved, I'll put it under survival any day!) ;)
Just a great movie too.