Imagine you are dumped into the wilderness or abandoned on a boat. Or even thrown into space or left alone after a plane crash. Scary right? One question comes to everybody’s mind, do I have the necessary skills to endure this? When watching survival films, everyone probably wonders, What would I do in that circumstance?
However, these survival stories are particularly captivating because some are based on true events making them more interesting to watch. Others are dramatized for entertainment, making them reflect action films with a natural bent. So, if you want to watch the best movies from this genre, we’ve got you covered! Here’s the list of the 10 best survival movies on HBO Max.
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Twister
Director: Jan de Bont
Writer: Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin
Cast: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Runtime: 1 hr. 53 mins
The American epic disaster movie Twister was released in theatres on May 10, 1996. The audience gave mostly positive reviews praising visual effects and sound design, but some criticized it for a sloppy screenplay. The film grossed over $495 million globally, becoming the second highest-grossing film of its time. It was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.
Twister’s story revolves around the skilled storm chasers Bill and Jo Harding. Despite not having a good relationship, they must work together to develop an advanced weather alert system. They put their lives in danger to alert everyone else.
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Lone Survivor
Director: Peter Berg
Writer: Peter Berg, Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Runtime: 2hrs. 1min
It’s an American biographical movie based on the same-titled nonfiction book. Before being released in North America, the film had a brief run in the US on December 25, 2013. Bregs directing, the cast as a whole, the realism, the tale, and the aesthetics all received positive reviews from the critics. The National Board of Review listed the movie as one of the top ten movies of 2013. Additionally, it won two Oscars—one for Best Sound Editing and the other for Best Sound Mixing.
The Lone Survivor is a story of Marcus Luttrell and his surveillance team. They traveled to kill Taliban Leader Ahmed Shah. However, once they enter the battle, they are forced to fight for survival.
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Life of Pi
Director: Ang Lee
Writer: Yann Martel, David Magee
Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain
IMDb Rating: 7.9
Runtime: 2 hrs. 7 mins
It’s a 2012 adventure drama based on a novel with the same title by Yann Martel. A critical and financial success, Life of Pi has made over $609 million. In addition, the film received Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.
It’s a story of a young guy who survives a marine calamity and is pushed into an adventurous quest of exploration. He unexpectedly bonds with a terrifying Bengal tiger who is also a survivor while being cast out.
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Out Break
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Writer: Laurence Dworet, Robert Roy Pool
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman
IMDb Rating: 6.6
Runtime: 2 hrs. 7 mins
The 1995 American medical catastrophe movie Outbreak premiered on March 10 and was a box office hit. It received the ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films.
It’s a story about an outbreak of a deadly virus in America carried by an African monkey. It depicts the struggle of Army medics battling to develop a treatment for a fatal virus ravaging a Californian hamlet.
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Deep Impact
Director: Mimi Leder
Writer: Bruce Joel Rubin, Michael Tolkin
Cast: Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood
IMDb Rating: 6.2
Runtime: 2 hrs
An American science-fiction disaster movie, Deep Impact, was released globally on May 8, 1998. The film made over $349 million globally compared to its $80 million budget. It received ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films.
Deep Impacts plot follows a comet headed straight towards Earth. The human species must prepare for the worst as the End of the day draws closer.
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San Andreas
Director: Brad Peyton
Writer: Carlton Cuse, Andre Fabrizio, Jeremy Passmore
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario
IMDB Rating: 6.1
Runtime: 1 hr. 44 mins
It’s an American disaster movie launched on May 29, 2015. It garnered mixed reviews from the audience, applauding the performances of Johnson and Gugino and the visual effects.
A rescue-chopper pilot crosses California in a risky mission with his ex-wife after a devastating earthquake to save his kid.
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The Happening
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo
IMDb Rating: 5.0
Runtime: 1 hr. 31 mins
It’s a thriller film released in the US by 20th Century Fox on June 13, 2008. The film received favorable reviews from the audience making $163 million globally.
Its story focuses on a science teacher, his wife, and a girl in a time of crisis. They struggle to fight off the plague that causes people to commit suicide.
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Mad Max Fury Road
Director: George Miller
Writer: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
IMDb Rating: 8.1
Runtime: 2 hrs.
It is an action, fantasy, horror, and science fiction movie produced in Australia. It is the fourth installment and relaunch of the Mad Max series. Critics gave the film excellent marks for its direction by Miller, narrative, action sequences, musical score, technicalities, and performances.
The Fury Road plot follows a woman who challenges the cruel ruler in the post-apocalyptic world for her homeland.
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Daybreakers
Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Writer: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Runtime: 1 hr. 38 mins
A 2009 Sci-Fi horror action movie earned over $50 million in box office revenue and mixed reviews. It received the IFMCA Award nomination for Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film.
In 2019, a pandemic turned nearly all people into vampires. A researcher collaborates with a covert group of vampires to find a means to save humanity.
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Riddick
Director: David Twohy
Writer: David Twohy, Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat
Cast: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Runtime: 1 hr. 59 mins
Riddick or Riddick: Rule The Dark is an American Sci-Fi movie and the third part in the Riddick franchise. The film received Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.
Riddick confronts an alien race of killers after being abandoned on a planet burned by the sun. His only option is to activate the emergency beacon to warn mercenaries. They are hurriedly making their way to the planet in quest of their prize.
