A Glean movie guide
Against All Odds: The Ultimate Survival Guide
Will they make it out alive?
From frozen peaks to the vacuum of space, these films push human endurance to the limit.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Revenant
A visceral, masterfully shot journey of vengeance and endurance in the frozen wilderness.
In the 1820s, a frontiersman, Hugh Glass, sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling.
- 02
Society of the Snow
A harrowing and deeply moving account of human resilience following a tragic plane crash in the Andes.
On October 13, 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, chartered to take a rugby team to Chile, crashes into a glacier in the heart of the Andes.
- 03
127 Hours
A gripping, high-stakes race against time that explores the desperate lengths one will go to for survival.
The true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah.
- 04
The Grey
A bleak and philosophical thriller that pits a group of plane crash survivors against a relentless wolf pack.
Following a grueling five-week shift at an Alaskan oil refinery, workers led by sharpshooter John Ottway are flying home for a much-needed vacation. But a brutal storm causes their plane to crash in the frozen wilderness, and only eight men, including Ottway, survive. As they trek southward toward civilization and safety, Ottway and his companions must battle mortal injuries, the icy elements, and a pack of hungry wolves.
- 05
Gravity
A breathtaking, real-time survival spectacle that captures the terrifying isolation of being stranded in orbit.
Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer, is on her first Shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The Shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone-tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness of space. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.
- 06
The Road
An unflinchingly grim look at a father and son’s struggle to maintain their humanity in a dying world.
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind and water. It is cold enough to crack stones and, when the snow falls, it is gray. Their destination is the warmer south, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there.
- 07
Buried
A masterclass in claustrophobic tension that keeps you trapped in a wooden coffin for its entire runtime.
Paul is a U.S. truck driver working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap.
- 08
The Impossible
A powerful and terrifyingly realistic depiction of a family’s fight to reunite after a devastating tsunami.
In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.
- 09
Arctic
A lean, minimalist survival drama that relies on pure visual storytelling and a powerhouse lead performance.
A man stranded in the Arctic is finally about to receive his long awaited rescue. However, after a tragic accident, his opportunity is lost and he must then decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his camp or embark on a deadly trek through the unknown for potential salvation.
- 10
Fall
A nerve-shredding thriller that uses extreme heights to create a constant sense of vertigo and dread.
For best friends Becky and Hunter, life is all about conquering fears and pushing limits. But after they climb 2,000 feet to the top of a remote, abandoned radio tower, they find themselves stranded with no way down. Now Becky and Hunter's expert climbing skills will be put to the ultimate test as they desperately fight to survive the elements, a lack of supplies, and vertigo-inducing heights.