6 Best Desert Island Survival Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 22, 2026

Total isolation tests heroes to their limits, forcing them to out-think both nature and loneliness. Cast Away strands a FedEx executive alone for years, Adrift has a young sailing couple fighting to survive after a hurricane wrecks their yacht, and Robinson Crusoe appears in 1954 and 1997 versions. Robinson Crusoe on Mars moves the stranding to another planet, and Swiss Family Robinson makes it a family adventure.

Adrift (2018)

TMDB ★ 6.7

A young sailing couple fights to survive after a massive hurricane wrecks their yacht.

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur · 1h 36m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Hulu · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Robinson Crusoe (1997)

TMDB ★ 5.9

A shipwrecked sailor spends years alone on a remote island before befriending a native companion.

Directed by George T. Miller & Rod Hardy · 1h 32m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Cast Away (2000)

TMDB ★ 7.8

A FedEx executive stranded alone on a deserted island for years must find the will to survive.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis · 2h 23m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

TMDB ★ 6.4

An astronaut stranded alone on Mars must find ways to survive the hostile planet.

Directed by Byron Haskin · 1h 50m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: FlixFling, Cultpix · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A shipwrecked family builds an elaborate treehouse home while fending off pirates on a tropical island.

Directed by Ken Annakin · 2h 06m · Rated G

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Robinson Crusoe (1954)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A shipwrecked sailor spends decades alone on a remote island before rescuing a native companion.

Directed by Luis Buñuel · 1h 30m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, FlixFling

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Desert Island Survival Movies

Adrift (2018)

Robinson Crusoe (1997)

Cast Away (2000)

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

Robinson Crusoe (1954)

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