6 Best Wilderness Survival Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 3, 2026

The brutal, transformative struggle to survive the raw wilderness has powered some of cinema’s most harrowing true-story dramas. In Into the Wild (2007): A young graduate abandons his possessions and family to live off the land in the Alaskan wilderness. Also notable is 127 Hours (2010): A trapped canyoneer must make an agonizing choice to survive after his arm becomes pinned beneath a boulder.

Everest (2015)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A group of climbers on Mount Everest are caught in a catastrophic storm during their final ascent.

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur · 2h 01m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Wild (2014)

IMDb ★ 7.1 RT 88% Metacritic 74

A grieving woman hikes eleven hundred miles alone along the Pacific Crest Trail to rebuild her shattered life.

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée · 1h 55m · Rated R

Nominated for 2 Oscars13 wins & 70 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Grey (2012)

TMDB ★ 6.5

A group of oil rig workers stranded after a plane crash fight for survival against a pack of relentless wolves.

Directed by Joe Carnahan · 1h 57m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

127 Hours (2010)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 93% Metacritic 82

A trapped canyoneer must make an agonizing choice to survive after his arm becomes pinned beneath a boulder.

Directed by Danny Boyle · 1h 34m · Rated R

Nominated for 6 Oscars23 wins & 150 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Into the Wild (2007)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 83% Metacritic 73

A young graduate abandons his possessions and family to live off the land in the Alaskan wilderness.

Directed by Sean Penn · 2h 28m · Rated R

Nominated for 2 Oscars23 wins & 106 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Alive (1993)

TMDB ★ 7.1

Survivors of a plane crash high in the Andes resort to desperate measures to stay alive.

Directed by Frank Marshall · 2h 07m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ 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, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

6 Best Wilderness Survival Movies

Everest (2015)

Wild (2014)

The Grey (2012)

127 Hours (2010)

Into the Wild (2007)

Alive (1993)

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