Ah, the call of the wild! The crunch of twigs underfoot, the whisper of ancient trees, and the unpredictable dance of fireflies at twilight. The wilderness is a stage upon which epic tales of survival are etched into the very fabric of nature. These ten movies about surviving in the wilderness promise to take you on an unforgettable odyssey of resilience, courage, and survival. Ready your senses—we’re about to plunge into the compelling and very possible realm of surviving the great outdoors!
10. The Show
While some wilderness adventures are about survival against nature, others present as much of an internal challenge as an external one. In The Show, a couple heads off for a romantic weekend in the wilderness, only to find their relationship on the brink. The wilderness becomes a backdrop for their simmering tensions and deep-seated issues, proving that the wilderness’s greatest threat doesn’t always come from its inhospitable environment.
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9. Something In The Woods
The story centers around the Hartman family who is drawn into an unexpected and terrifying experience with a legendary creature that begins frequenting their secluded farmhouse in the dense woods. This independent feature film presents wilderness survival in the 1960s with an ominous twist: the adversary is not the elements or wild animals, but a mythical beast that you would have to see to believe.
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8. Sons of Jeremiah Johnson
Imagine an epic adventure in the harsh, unyielding terrain of Alaska, a mission fired by a father’s dying wish and a treasure map leading to a pot of gold. That’s the fascinating premise of Sons of Jeremiah Johnson, a film that plunges us into the taunt drama of survival in some of America’s wildest terrains. A poignant exploration of brotherhood, legacy, and survival, this movie showcases an unfettered portrayal of determination and a fierce battle against the odds.
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7. Jean
This film offers a fresh perspective on the idea of wilderness survival. A young girl and her dog embark on a daring journey into the wilds, where they uncover the true meaning of nature, sacrifice, and life. The wilderness becomes a proving ground in this emotional survival story, forcing the young heroine to face visceral fears, experience nature’s austere beauty, and learn valuable life lessons that strike at the heart of humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
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6. Into the Soul
Step into 19th century America with ‘Into the Soul’. A gripping tale of survival and self-discovery, this film plunges us into a cold, seemingly unending wilderness, where our protagonist, a rugged fur trapper, awakens alone and badly hurt. With no memory of his past, he must confront the harsh realities of Mother Nature’s command and make sense of his abandoned predicament. Rediscovering past skills and unearthing new ones, he carves a path through the Rocky Mountain winter, every step a testament to human resilience and the will to survive.
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5. Something Walks in the Woods
Blurring the lines between fear, curiosity, and survival, filmmaker Bill Howard takes on nature’s menacing enigma in Something Walks in the Woods. Howard sets on a thrilling investigation prompted by a viral video of a ghostly figure milling about the edge of a forest. Gaining access to the hostile land, Howard resolves to ferret out the mystery, willing to go to the extent of spending a chilly, unsettling night in the thicket as a part of his relentless endeavour.
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4. Camp 139
Camp 139 is a chilling thriller with a plot that fits into a single haunting sentence: A drug-fueled camping trip goes to hell when a militant killing machine stalks four teens through the wilderness, luring them toward an abandoned Army hospital. A lethal game of cat and mouse unfolds against the backdrop of the wild outdoors, blurring the line between human ruthlessness and animal instinct. Is it just survival, or does the wilderness uncover our darkest intentions?
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3. As The Crow Flies
In the realm of our monumental journey through movies about survival in the wilderness, we stumble upon a modern-day bootlegging tale, ‘As The Crow Flies’. This center-stage story encompasses a brother and sister duo in their grit-filled pursuit of building a better life for their family. Here, survival is less about battling brute natural forces and more about wrestling with the society we have created around us.
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2. Tahoe Joe
They say truth can be stranger than fiction, and that is undoubtedly the case in director Dillon Brown’s 2022 epic, Tahoe Joe. Brown embarks on a haunting legend’s chasing journey with Green Beret and survival expert, Michael Rock, documenting their enthralling search for a missing Bigfoot hunter in the wilderness. Just when they think the situation can’t get any more surreal—they discover that the myth of the giant, the myth of the Bigfoot, might be more real than anyone could have ever anticipated.
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1. Dark Forest (2023)
Reality TV meets wilderness survival in ‘Dark Forest’, a chilling foray into fear and survival that’s sure to have you on the edge of your seat. This independent horror film from the heartland of Brazil tells the blood-curdling tale of a group of people participating in a reality show. The thrilling plot takes an unexpected twist when they are attacked by a mysterious and murderous creature lurking in the shadows of the forest. Not for the faint-hearted, this gripping story reminds us that the wild isn’t just the home of beauty and serenity—it also harbors unseen horrors that can turn a dream adventure into a living nightmare.
Watch Dark Forest (2023) on Reveel