There is something so incredibly satisfying in a great man-made film. The best survival films reduce everything to the most essential elements: there are very few characters, they have only their intelligence and a few limited tools at their disposal, and they have only one goal in mind: stay in life. And yet, with so few ingredients, these films are still able to increase our heart rate and give us a pinch at the existential terror that is the immensity of nature. Survival films are a study of how to do the most with the least. (Sometimes the characters don't even speak.)

What they survive, however, varies - and gives us a glimpse of what we fear most. Most of the time, these films involve staying alive in the harsh conditions of a vast wilderness area. (Especially the ocean. So. Lots. Boats.) Sometimes a more aggressive threat is added, whether it's a wild animal (to remind us of our own animal instincts, perhaps?) Or a human competing for the few resources available. The unknown - alias outer space - is also a theme in many of them. The biggest threat in them, however, is the isolation and the keeping of the mind and the quick wit in the face of vast challenges. Check out these survival movies below and try to figure out if you have the chops to survive their challenges.
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