Summary

Survival films already do a great job at incite fear in audiences , but when the films are set in the middle of the ocean , there ’s a whole other layer of suspense and stress that gets introduced . Unlike endurance films that require collapse buildings or natural catastrophe , films where characters are lost at ocean be given to feel severely threatening . The best lose at sea films have brilliant visual element that translate to audience just how huge the sea isand how alone its theatrical role are .

Just like survival picture show put on the ground , miss at ocean stories feel uncomfortably naturalistic . For audiences fearful of being in a similar situation themselves , the fact thatmany lose at sea films are based on true storiesdoesn’t help . Both material - life story and fictional encounters with harsh storms and prominent , dire sea creatures appear plausible when they are convey to animation on the great screen . No matter the source of these news report , the best lost at sea films test why the subgenre has some of the most shuddery and gripping films to take in .

Some of the greatest thrillers ever made were in reality based on harrowing world .

Survival horror movies montage

10In The Heart Of The Sea (2015)

Crew Members Survive In Open Waters Among Threatening Whales

A whaling ship dubbedEssexwas attacked by a heavy hulk in 1820 . The historic case partly invigorate Herman Melville’sMoby - Dickand Ron Howard’sIn the Heart of the Sea , an adventure film asterisk Chris Hemsworth and Benjamin Walker . After the ship is destroyed in the motion picture , the subsist crew members sail to a small island with limited supplies .

From that point on , In the Heart of the Seacontinues as a survival picture with the crowd traveling in a desperate search for refuge . In the Heart of the Seadoesn’t have the power such a story requires and performed poorly at the box office . Still , the visual elements in the film are come across and successfully present the scourge such an unpredictable foeman brings . in the end , In the Heart of the Seadoes a decent job of separate a part of American history .

9The Perfect Storm (2000)

Fishermen Disappear Amidst A Severe Hurricane

inspire by the events of theAndrea Gailfishing expedition , The Perfect Stormis an exaggerated telling of the disaster . The crew of theAndrea Gailsets sail into unexpected wild weather conditions that slowly tear apart the vessel bit by snatch . In existent lifetime , the crew ’s final radio contact serves as the last known evidence of the expedition , asAndrea Gailand its crew members ’ body have never been found .

With that in mind , the event inThe Perfect Stormthat come after the crew ’s wireless breaks beyond fix are speculative . Still , The Perfect Stormdoes a not bad job of depicting the sorry nature of being lost at sea during tumultuous weather . For its technical accomplishments , The Perfect Stormearned two Academy Award nomination for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects .

8The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Passengers Attempt To Escape A Sinking Liner

The Poseidon Adventure is a disaster film directed by Ronald Neame . It follows a group of passengers as they scramble for survival after their luxury cruise ship turtle in the open sea . Starring Gene Hackman , Ernest Borgnine , and Shelley Winters , the film showcases their desperate journeying to safety amidst precarious conditions . The Poseidon Adventure is based on Paul Gallico ’s novel and emphasizes themes of bravery and human resiliency .

aggroup with other disaster cinema in the ' 70s , includingAirport , The Poseidon Adventureis a star - studded race to survival . Starring histrion like Gene Hackman , Shelley Winters , and Jack Albertson , The Poseidon Adventurefollows a group of passengers aboard a luxury lining , the SS Poseidon , which gets upset by a tsunami . The Poseidon Adventurehas a few defect , but in the years following its release , it became a cult classic .

The film does n’t stray too far from the formulaic structure within the genre . alternatively , what makesThe Poseidon Adventuretruly great is its skillfully crafted tension and impressive particular effects . For its various feat , The Poseidon Adventureearned several Academy Award nominations and won in two categories : Best Original Song — " The Morning After " sung by Maureen McGovern — and Best Visual Effects .

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7Adrift (2018)

A Couple Is Lost At Sea During A Hurricane

Falling under both the love story and survival genres , Adriftfollows the journey of Tami and Richard as they sweep via racing yacht from Tahiti to San Diego , California , and is based on real event and Tami ’s bookRed Sky in Mourning . During their traveling , the distich gets caught up in Hurricane Raymond and changes their destination to Hawaii in hopes of getting out of the tempest alive . Adrifthas a non - elongate social structure , alternating between the former mean solar day of the couple ’s relationship and their present - Clarence Day catastrophe scenario .

Some critics felt this choice chipped away at the gravitation of the couple ’s situation , whileothers felt visit Tami and Richard ’s happy day allowed audiences to become more invest in their safe landing on shore . There are multiple instances inAdriftwhere the filming shows just how desperate Tami and Richard ’s place is , adding an eery tone to the film .

6Open Water (2003)

Two Scuba Divers Are Stranded In Shark Infested Waters

Though horrormovies often get things wrong about shark , the sea creatures are established as the antagonists of quite a few films , includingOpen Water . Loosely based on the account of real - life distich Tom and Eileen Lonergan , unfastened Waterfollows Daniel and Susan , a duet who join a scuba dive group and accidentally get depart behind . It ’s scary to be stranded with no way to contact others but to make issue worse , Daniel and Susan are surround by sharks .

LikeThe Perfect Storm , the bodies of the film ’s real - life subject have never been found . As a solution , much ofOpen urine ’s story is the doing of its writer and conductor , Chris Kentis . An avid scuba loon himself , Chris ' depleted - budget film has a strong element of realism than most selection thrillersand adds to the extreme fear felt by audiences .

Open Water severalize the story of a couple in shark - infested Ethel Waters - and it ’s loosely based on the real - life case of Tom and Eileen Lonergan .

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

5Dead Calm (1989)

A Woman Is Trapped On A Yacht With A Killer

Many moving picture that revolve around character reference being drop off at ocean typically have something to do with severe weather or the threat of large sea creatures . However , inDead Calm , John ( Sam Neill ) and Rae Ingram ( Nicole Kidman ) are a marriedcouple that gets drop off at sea after coming across a man , Hughie ( Billy Zane ) , who claims he ask avail with his sinking ship . It before long becomes percipient that Hughie has malicious intentions when he takes the Ingrams ' racing yacht and holds Rae captive .

Because the marital couple is endeavor to reunite with one another and Rae is regain ways to outsmart Hughie and stay alive , Dead Calmplays out more like a typical thriller than a natural selection film . Yet , the terrific opinion that comes with nature ’s unpredictability in other survival films is still present inDead Calm . second where the vast ocean surrounding Rae is shown make it clear just how alone she is .

4Cast Away (2000)

A Man Tries To Survive On An Island For Years

pull in Tom Hanks an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor , Cast Awaytells an inspiring storyof a FedEx employee who gets stranded on an island for years . Hanks ' character Chuck Noland is aboard a FedEx cargo airplane and isthe sole survivor when it crash into the Pacific Ocean . Chuck spends most of his time alone on the shoring andCast Awaydetails the ways he outlast , such as using particular from FedEx software program and befriend a Wilson volleyball .

Most mislay at ocean films have an inauspicious finish where there are no survivors or those that do make it make it to safety in a inadequate time frame . Cast Awaydiffers as it illustrates a realistic outcomewhere Chuck does n’t make it home for age . Cast Awayis one of the few survival films that is n’t based on a curious result , but rather multiple instance in which people have been lost at ocean and had to survive for an extensive amount of time .

3Lifeboat (1944)

Tensions Rise Among Passengers Stranded On A Lifeboat

Lifeboat , aim by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1944 , unfolds during World War II , portray the tense position of a small grouping of survivors run aground in a lifeboat after their ship is sunk by a German U - boat . The cinema explores the complex dynamic and challenges faced by the group .

Set in one location for the entirety of the pic , Lifeboatis anunderrated film by Alfred Hitchcockthat see its characters stranded on a lifeboat . After a ship carry various British and American citizens was sink by a German U - boat , they find themselves aboard a lifeboat , like to return to land . Like a few other ingress on the list , the ominous presence inLifeboatisn’t that of a hurricane or ocean animal , but rather a German man who the other lineament feel should be throw off for having sunk their ship .

Because ofLifeboat ’s funny setting , creative visual technique are required to keep the moving picture engaging , which Hitchcock has no issues with .

A custom image of Suraj Sharma from Life of Pi and Robert Redford in All Is Lost.

Custom Image by Yeider Chacon

Lifeboat ’s setup produce a claustrophobic film , in the most in force way , and is for the most part character - motor as enmity forms and moral force shift among the group . Because ofLifeboat ’s singular scene , originative visual techniques are required to keep the film engaging , which Hitchcock has no issue with . Various frame and camera technique depict the waver family relationship between the lifeboat ’s passengers .

2Life Of Pi (2012)

A Young Boy And A Tiger Are Lost At Sea

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free-base on Yann Martel ’s novel of the same name , the feature picture version ofLife of Piearned Ang Lee his second Academy Award for Best Director . The picture show centers around the 227 - day journey of the titular eccentric and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker after they ’re strand at sea on a lifeboat . Throughout his speculation to make it to shoring , Pi ( Suraj Sharma ) take on a few obstacles , admit a bloodthirsty hyena and acidulous poolsof water .

Though Pi ’s journey and growing trammel with Richard Parker is entertaining to watch , Life of Piearned much of its vital acclamation for its ocular elements and technical achievements . apply 3D , Lee ’s already action directing way was elevated inLife of Pi . Scenes including a variety of ocean animate being search stunning without 3D effects , but with the illusion , the animals appear to be magical , such as a drove of wing fish come in the lifeboat ’s direction and hundreds of jellyfish light up the dark ocean water at Nox .

Life of Pi ( 2012 ) won multiple esteemed laurels , let in 4 Academy Award and accolades from the Golden Globes , BAFTA , Saturn Awards , and Annie Awards .

Headshot Of Suraj Sharma

1All Is Lost (2013)

One Man Is Left Out At Sea

One might imagine a picture show with one actor and minimal dialogue is n’t deserving seeing , but Robert Redford inAll Is Lostproves otherwise . InAll Is Lost , the beloved actor consider on the theatrical role of an unidentified man who must survive on his inflatable living raft after his boat is damage in a hit with a transport container . However , despite there being no dialog , All Is Lostis not a tranquil motion-picture show — the action expected of such a survival of the fittest story is present .

Redford’sAll Is Lostcharacteris alone for the entirety of the moving picture , which leaves elbow room for a deep geographic expedition of his endurance and problem - solving science . All Is Lostis one ofRedford ’s highest - rated films , and for honest grounds . Thanks for the most part to Redford ’s subtle , yet muscular public presentation as an worker , the film is suspenseful and come after in pulling audience in as there is a expectant swarm of whodunit surrounding the human .

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