20 Best Survival Movies Of All Time

Into the Wild came out in 2007 and was directed by actor Sean Penn, based on the book of the same name by Jon Krakauer. It follows the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a recent university graduate who decides to give up nearly all his possessions and hitchhike across North America.

Set in the 1990s, the biopic is a powerful and deeply respectful character study of a man who wanted to live off the land in Alaska, alone to nature and free of civilisation. Boasting a career-best performance from Hirsch and some excellent supporting roles from Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt and Hal Holbrook (nominated for an Oscar), the film is quiet, reserved and constantly building up to the tragedy of the young adventurer.

Even going into this film unaware of the story it's based on, you can feel the conclusion is inevitable and you know it's not going to be good. And yet thanks to Hirsch's sensitive performance and Penn's understated directing style, you can't help but become engrossed in the man being portrayed.

It's one of the most popular films on this list, and for good reasons. Films like this are hard to come by these days, and it's good to see that Into the Wild was made. It's a survival story in its purest form, but is so much more than that; a beautiful and intelligent picture with a lot to love, and a lot to question.