41 Adventure Movies Based On True Stories

Adventure is something everyone strives to do in their life for once. When one gets bored, they’d like to see a series or movie that is going to bind you to the screen till the end of it. There have been a series of documentaries and movies made for the audience to enjoy the feeling of going on an adventure. Not Everyone can afford to go on these expeditions.

Thus, these movies give them a sense of thrill and fear that they want to experience in life but can’t afford. Here is the list of 41 best adventure movies that are based on true events that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. These movies are a mix of some people surviving against all odds while others lose the battle of life. You can learn all about what you should and shouldn’t do on an adventure from these movies.

1.127 Hour

The autobiographical film follows Aron Ralston, an avid mountaineer and hiker who had to learn the value of life. One fine day Aron spontaneously decided to go on a hike at Utah’s Canyonlands National Park without prior information about the trek to anyone. The initial scene opens with Aron showing two hikers in an underground pool to create drama.

Aron’s arm gets trapped against a wall when ( Kate Mara , Amber) a boulder falls through from which he was hanging while trekking through a slot canyon in Bluejohn Canyon. Aron soon realizes he is alone with no way out, so he starts recording his surrounding with a camcorder while breaking parts of the boulder with the help of his pocket knife.

127 Hour

In the next five days, Aron becomes desperate for an escape and starts hallucinating while looking for a way out. Aron finished with his food, and with only 300 ml of water remaining, he was forced to drink his urine to survive. Aron starts to realize all his past mistakes and his relationships with his family.

He soon realized that his biggest mistake was not telling anyone about his location and the period for which he would be gone. As a last resort to save his life, Aron decides to cut off his arm and wrap a stump over it to stop it from bleeding when he has flashes of his future son. The film ends with Aron rescued and an epilogue revealing how he’s married now and has a son.

• IMBD Ratings: 7.6
• Watch On: YouTube, Amazon
• Director: Danny Boyle
• Cast: James Franco , Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Burton
• Release Date: September 4, 2010

2. Into The Wild

The plot follows the autobiography of Christopher McCandless, a young nineteen-year-old boy following his heart and escaping from the clutches of his wealthy parents and their ideas regarding how he should live his life.

McCandless obtained his undergraduate degree from Emory University while successfully fooling his parents into believing he was going to Harvard University for further education, where he planned to pursue a law degree. McCandless was the perfect student with perfect grades who cracked under his parent’s pretentious lifestyle.

McCandless gives up on his materialistic lifestyle by donating all his savings, burning his credit cards, and destroying all his identification cards to adopt the lifestyle of a hiker living in the beauty of nature. McCandless’s path started with his arrival in Denali National Park in Alaska, where he camps in an abandoned city bus that he renamed The Magic Bus.

He sets out on a cross-country journey toward the discovery of wilderness in his Datsun. He deserts after getting caught up in a flash flood and continues his journey by hitchhiking. The story continues following McCandless through different adventures and his discoveries about the beauty of life while making a series of bad decisions that costs him in the end. He also meets Tracy along the way.

Into The Wild

The film ended with showing McCandless discovering that the true beauty of life can only be perceived when shared with the people we love. After the realization, McCandless decides to return to his family, only to realize that his attempts are futile, and he ends up giving up on the idea of his return.

In a desperate attempt to survive, McCandless starts eating roots and grass and ends up dead when he mistakenly consumes a poisonous plant. He documented his last moments too. His body got found by a group of moose hunters who informed his family about his demise. The film ends with the return of his sister Carnie who carries ashes with her. It is one of the best adventure movies based on true events.

• IMBD Ratings: 8.1
• Watch On: YouTube, Amazon
• Director: Sean Penn
• Cast: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Stewart
• Release Date: September 21, 2007

3. Everest

The adventure, the biographical film, is worth watching as it follows a group of climbers on their way to summit Everest. It is an utterly sad real-life incident in 1996 that follows Rob Hall, the reason behind the popularization of people climbing on Everest and his group of clients who started their journey towards the peak.

Rob’s clients include a group of four people and Scott Fisher, an adventure guide who works for the rival company. Rob parts from his pregnant wife before going for the climb, who later informs him that their unborn baby is a girl.

The movie continues to show the struggles of the climbers and how almost all of them succumb to their deaths except Beck and Helen, who return to the base with frostbite. The first one to die is Dough, a mailman with eyesight problems. Doughs’ death is followed by Scott’s death, who dies of fatigue, followed by Andy’s death as he starts hallucinating and strips off his outer coverings.

Rob also ends up dying after having a peaceful talk with his wife. The last one to die was Yasuko. The film had a sad ending with closing titles that revealed how Beck lost both his hands and nose to frostbite. The detail of Rob’s body still being on Everest is shown at the end. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• IMBD Ratings: 7.1
• Watch On: Netflix, Amazon
• Director: Baltasar Kormakur
• Cast: Jason Clarke, Josh Borlin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Keira Knightley, Emily Watson, Jake Gyllenhaal
• Release Date: September 2, 2015

4. Wild

The adventure, the autobiographical movie , follows the life story of Cheryl Strayed, a previous drug addict. Cheryl had no experience of the hike when she decided to hike through the Pacific Crest Trail, where she reflects on her childhood memories and how she fell into depression when her mother died of cancer.

After her mother died, she fell into depression and started abusing drugs while having meaningless sex with strangers. Once Cheryl’s marriage broke down, she decided to take steps toward bettering her life.

The first step she took was to get the child aborted and then start the hike to reflect on her life choices. The rest of the film follows her through the journey that she goes through to heal her inner self. Along the way, Cheryl meets many new people who help her to make the hike easier.

Wild

The first person she befriended was a farmer who helped Cheryl get the right fuel to cook, followed by a fellow hiker named Greg, who helped her to avoid snow on the trail. The young boy who lost his lama on the hiking trail was the one who impacted Cheryl the most as he sang her a song that led her to break down at the memory of her mother.

The film wild ends with a voice-over telling the audience how Cheryl got her life back together, remarried after four years of the trip, and had two children with her current husband. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• IMBD Ratings: 7.1
• Watch On: YouTube
• Director: Jean-Marc Vallee
• Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski
• Release Date: August 29, 2014

5. The Beckoning Silence

The adventure, the autobiographical film, follows two climbers simultaneously and the near-death experience that leaves them questioning their life choices. It follows the story of Joe Simpsons, who is told he’d never be able to climb again in his life by doctors, but he continues to do so against all odds.

While hanging to his death trying to survive, the story of Toni Kurz gave Simpsons the push to continue to fight for his survival. Toni was an avid mountaineer who tried to climb the same mountain that the Simpsons hung from while fighting for his life.

The Beckoning Silence

Slowly Toni lost all his fellow mountaineers as they succumbed to their death, followed by his own. While the Simpsons’ hero perished, he survived to tell his tale to other people. Joe keeps questioning the reason for his continued will to keep climbing throughout the movie.

• IMBD Ratings: 7.4
• Watch On: Amazon
• Director: Louise Osmond
• Cast: Joe Simpson
• Release Date: October 22, 2007

6. Poorna: Courage Has No Limit

The autobiographical adventure film follows a young girl named Poorna Malavath and her journey toward becoming the first girl to have reached the Everest summit. Poorna belonging to a Telgu-speaking tribal community, joined the State welfare association to support her education as her parents are farmers who don’t make much money.

She gets picked for her talent by Dr. R.S. Praveen Kumar Reddy after he observed her skills. She gets authorized by N. Kiran Reddy for operation Everest. She pairs with another Dalit mountaineer, Sadhana Anand, for her Everest mountain summit.

Poorna: Courage Has No Limit

She trains for it by trekking through Ladakh to prepare her for her climb to Everest. She completed the climb on Everest Mountain on 25 May 2014, thus becoming the youngest girl to reach the summit.

• Director: Rahul Bose
• Cast: Aditi Inamdar, S.Maria, Harsha Vardhan, Rahul Bose
• Release Date: January 6, 2017
• IMBD Ratings: 7.7
• Watch On: YouTube

7. Seven Years In Tibet

The adventure film follows Heinrich Harrer, an Australian mountaineer, and his journey after being held captive as a prisoner of war to mend his relationship with his son. His journey started in 1939 after he left his pregnant wife behind in an attempt to summit Nanga Parbat.

He and his partner get imprisoned by British authorities during World War 2. In the meantime, Harrer’s wife decided to divorce him and be a single mother. Harrer and his companion managed to escape the prison to Tibet. Harrer became the house guest of Kungo Tsarong, a Tibetan diplomat.

Seven Years In Tibet

Harrer remains single and gets hired as a tutor to teach the 14th Dalai Lama geography, science, and Western Culture. At the same time, the communist of China planned to invade Tibet and take it under their control. The film ends with Dalai Lama dethroned and Harrer returning to Austria to mend his relationship with his son. Over the years, Harrer had trekked with his son through a series of treks.

• Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
• Cast: Brad Pitt , David Thewlis, BD Wong, Mako, Jamyang Jamtsho, Wangchuk,
• Release Date: September 13, 1997
• IMBD Ratings: 7.1
• Watch On: Netflix, Amazon

8. Jungle

Jungle

This follows by a series of adventures and a fight for survival. After meeting the tribal people, the group decides to continue the trek in the forest when Marcus realizes he has blood sores and starts complaining about it to Yoshi. Tired of Marcus’ complaints, the group decides to split in two, with Yoshi and Kevin continuing the trek and Karl with Marcus returning to La Paz.

The jungle ends with a climax showing Karl is a wanted criminal who takes trekkers on a dangerous hike, and the film is made in the loving memory of Marcus as he remains unseen after that day. Marcus never returned to La Paz no one knows where he disappeared to date.

• Director: Greg McLean
• Cast: Daniel Radcliffe , Alex Russel, Thomas Krestschmann, Joel Jackson, Jacek Koman
• Release Date: August 3, 2017
• IMBD Ratings: 6.7
• Watch On: Amazon, Netflix

9. In the Heart of the Sea

The adventure, the autobiographical film, followed Nickerson as he narrated the events that took place when he was on an expedition on the whaleship Essex. The story flashes back to 1820 when Nickerson gets hired as a cabin boy by Nantucket, a whaling company, to go on an expedition with Chase Owen and Pollard to extract some whale oil.

After their first successful kill, they aren’t able to find any more whales to kill in the area. Thus, they sail towards Atacames. On the way, they meet another sailor who warns them about a vengeful white whale responsible for killing six of his men.

In the Heart of the Sea

Chase and Pollard dismiss the sailor’s claims and continue to sail to catch the white whale. They get attacked by the white whale once they find its location killing two crew members. The film continues to show the struggle of Chase and Pollard as they escape towards Henderson Island to survive. On the island with no food, the crew cannibalizes the corpse of previous survivors.

The whale returns to avenge the deaths of whales, but it changes its course and leaves peacefully after Chase shows its kindness by not killing it. The rest of the film shows Chase’s struggles to keep himself and his people safe as Pollard and his boat is rescued previously. The film ends with telling how Chase continued to sail in the seas, whereas Pollard decided to return to kill the whale, only to return empty-handed.

• Director: Ron Howard
• Cast: Chris Hemsworth , Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy , Tom Holland , Ben Whishaw
• Release Date: December 7, 2015
• IMBD Ratings: 6.9
• Watch On: MX Player

10. Gorillas in the Mist

The adventure movie focuses on the occupational therapist Dian Fossey and her work in Rwanda. Dian Fossey taking inspiration from renowned anthropologist Louis Leaky decides to devote her life to studying primates and their behaviors.

Dian and Leaky travel to Congo to learn about the African mountain gorillas and their habits. Once they reach the location, they realize the extent of poaching and hunting that is taking place in Congo. Dian resigns after she and her crew get forcibly evicted by Congolese soldiers. Fossey changes her location to continue her research and sees the rise in the number of gorilla death by poaching done by hunters.

Gorillas in the Mist

She decides to stop the poachers and raises her voice against killing the voiceless, but she remains unheard. To sort the matter, Fossey takes the reign in her hands and starts leading groups of people into killing the poachers and burning their camps after her beloved gorilla friend Digit is beheaded.

The film has a sad ending as Fossey gets killed in her bedroom but remains alive in the hearts of many as she prevented the extinction of Gorillas. Fossey is buried with her beloved friend Digit conveying they are both at peace with each other. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Michael Apted
• Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Brown
• Release Date: September 23, 1988
• IMBD Ratings: 7
• Watch On: Amazon Prime

11. Tracks

Tracks is an adventure movie that follows the journey of a young woman traveling a distance of 2700 kilometers. Featuring Robyn Davidson, the film is a documentary of her travel from Alice Springs in the Australian desert to the Indian Ocean.

Tracks

Her journey is recorded by her partner Rick Smolan, a photographer for National Geographic. Robyn does the trek with her companions, a faithful dog, and four camels. The film got its direction from John Curran.

• Director: John Curran
• Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver
• Release Date: 29 August 2013
• IMBD Ratings: 7.1
• Watch On: Netflix, Amazon

12. The Revenant

The adventure movie follows Hugh Glass and his story of survival after being mauled by a grizzly bear. The film starts with Hugh and his son Hawk hunting when they get attacked by an Arikara war, looking to recover the chief’s daughter.

The film follows Hugh and his companions as they fight for their survival. The downfall in their unity starts after Hugh is attacked and is left to die behind by his companions. It is followed by the death of his son, who’s stabbed to death by Fitzgerald after discovering his attempts to kill Glass.

The Revenant

The remaining companions keep moving forward and share moose meat to survive. The film ends with Fitzgerald paying for his sins and being killed by the hands of the Arikara. The ending shows Glass breathing through a cave.

• Director: Alejandro G.
• Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio , Tom Hardy , Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter
• Release Date: December 25, 2015
• IMBD Ratings: 8
• Watch On: Amazon

13. The Way Back

The autobiographical film follows the story of the struggle for survival by a group of prisoners who escapes from the Gulag labor camp in Siberia. The film starts with Januz, a young polish army officer held captive by NKVD after they are unsuccessful in getting him to admit to being a spy.

In the camp, he meets his fellow prison mates with whom he plans the escape to Mongolia, passing through Lake Baikal. On the day of a snowstorm, Januz escapes with six other prisoners. The downfall starts when one of them, companion Kazik, freezes to death, but the rest continue on their trek and reach Lake Baikal.

The Way Back

At the lake, they meet a young woman named Irene, who escapes from an orphanage. Januz includes her in his group with Balka, and they continue their trek. Over time they end up their resources, and all of them struggle to survive without water after being stuck in a sandstorm.

On the way, they lose more of their companion, with only four successfully escaping alive and reaching their destinations. The film ends with Januz reconciling with his wife. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Peter Weir
• Cast: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Saoirse Roman, Colin Farrell
• Release Date: September 3, 2010
• IMBD Ratings: 7.3
• Watch On: Amazon, YouTube

14. Alive

The adventure film follows a group of rugby players after their airplane crashes. The film shows a group of players fighting for survival after their plane crashes in the mountain losing its wings and tail. Six passengers and one flight attendant died on the spot after getting ejected from the plane when it slid down the mountain.

The remaining survivors try to remain calm as another six passengers die the same day due to cold. The survivors keep themselves warm by unzipping their seat covers and using them as blankets. The remaining survivors ration the chocolates they had to survive. One of the passengers, Nando, decides to set out on his foot to discover an escape after losing his family.

Alive

With time the passenger starts to starve, and to survive, they start eating the flesh of their dead relatives. The film shows Nando successfully finding the authorities and helping them in locating the plane to rescue the survivors. The film ends with showing the memorial of the twenty-nine deceased and sixteen survivors.

• Director: Frank Marshall
• Cast: Ethan Hawke, Vincent Sapno, Josh Hamilton
• Release Date: January 15, 1993
• IMBD Ratings: 7.1
• Watch On: Amazon

15. The Motorcycle Diaries

The autobiographical adventure film follows the journey of two friends and their discovery of the difference in society, action with one community having everything while the other has to struggle for nothing. The film starts with Guevara and Granado traveling to South America to work in the leper colony as their end goal.

The Motorcycle Diaries

The friends volunteer for three weeks in a San Pablo leper colony. Guevara decides to wear gloves while treating the leper to show solidarity. The lepers are surprised by this move of Guevara. Guevara, to end the distance between the communities, decides to swim across the river in cold weather. The film ends with showing real-life Alberto Granado with pictures from their original journey.

• Director: Diarios de motocicleta
• Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo da ls Serna, Mia Maestro
• Release Date: January 5, 2004
• IMBD Ratings: 7.7
• Watch On: YouTube, Amazon

16. Rescue Dawn

The adventure film follows Lt. Dieter Dengler, a U.S. Navy pilot on a mission who gets captured by Pathet Lao. The story follows his journey of escaping from the clutches of Lao along with four companions from the prison. Dengler and his companions plan the escape after realizing they are going to be killed by the prison guards.

Rescue Dawn

The film continues to show how the prisoners divide into two groups to escape and live their desired lives with limited resources. The film ends with Dengler successfully escaping and being welcomed by his squadron as a hero after being isolated in a hospital for recovery.

• Director: Werner Herzog
• Cast: Christain Bale, Steven Zahn, Jeremy Davies
• Release Date: September 9, 2006
• IMBD Ratings: 7.3
• Watch On: Amazon

17. The Impossible

The adventure film follows Dr. Maria Benneth and her family after they get stuck in the Ocean’s massive Tsunami. The film starts with the family’s arrival at Khao Lak on Christmas eve. Two days after their arrival, the town is stuck with a Tsunami. It is followed by their struggle to reunite with each other as everyone got separated during the event of the Tsunami.

The Impossible

Maria is operated on for her surgery as she had gotten severely injured during the Tsunami. The film ends with the family safely returning to Singapore, with Lucas informing his mother about Daniel being safe with his father, a toddler Maria rescued from the debris.

• Director: J.A Bayona
• Cast: Tom Holland, Ewan McGregor , Naomi Watts
• Release Date: 9 September 2012
• IMBD Ratings: 7.5
• Watch On: Amazon, YouTube

18. Lion

The adventure film follows the journey of a young boy reuniting with his family after being separated from them for more than twenty years. The film starts with a young boy named Saroo going to steal coal with his older brother.

On an eventful night, Saroo gets separated from his brother and ends up reaching Calcutta after getting stuck on a train. The film then continues to follow his journey after he’s placed in an orphanage for adoption by American parents.

Lion

Saroo, as a young man, decides to reconnect with his parents. Thus, Saroo embarks on the journey to discover his village through google maps. The film ends with an emotional ending that binds the audience as Saroo reunites with his mother and sister. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Garth Davis
• Cast: Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman , Rooney Mara, David Wenham
• Release Date: September 10, 2016
• IMBD Ratings: 8.0
• Watch On: Amazon, YouTube

19. North Face

The autobiographical adventure film follows three friends and their journey as they try to summit the Eiger via North face. The film starts with two best friends who are enlisted in the army deciding to climb the Eiger summit after learning about the attempt made by two Australian climbers to ascend it.

North Face

Both of the army men quit fulfilling their passion for climbing the summit. At the same time, Louise is sent by her editor to cover the summit and the climbers’ attempt to ascent it. The teams join hands together to survive, but Kurz dies. Louise realizing the death of her lover resigns from her work.

• Director: Philipp Stolzl
• Cast: Benno Furmann, Florian Lukas, Johanna Wokalek
• Release Date: October 9, 2008
• IMBD Ratings: 7.4
• Watch On: Amazon

20. Catch Me If You Can

The autobiographical adventure film follows the journey of Frank William, becoming a leading expert in bank fraud and forgery from being a conman. The film starts with Frank escaping from his house during his parents’ divorce after he caught his mother cheating on his dad. To survive, Frank starts conning people. His cons become bolder each time he escapes getting caught.

Catch Me If You Can

Life catches up with Frank when Carl, an FBI agent, is told to arrest Frank for his acts. The rest of the film revolves around Frank and his efforts to escape from Cral. Frank surrenders after learning about the death of his father.

While in prison, Carl recognizes their potential in Frank to help the FBI in their investigations. Carl convinces the authority to let Frank work with them, thus transforming his life. The film ends with an epilogue stating Frank is married and has three sons.

• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio , Tom Hanks , Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
• Release Date: December 18, 2002
• IMBD Ratings: 8.1
• Watch On: Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube

21.A Walk In The Woods

The autobiographical adventure film follows a renowned author Bill Bryson, and his determination to walk the Appalachian Trail. The film starts with Bryson, an author who decides to go for a hike after attending a funeral with his wife.

A Walk In The Woods

Bryson’s wife is unhappy with the decision and only lets him go once he agrees to take a companion with him. This begins Bryson’s search for a partner, only to be rejected by several people. He gets contacted by Stephen, an old classmate who claims to be fit enough to trek on the trail. The rest of the film is about their journey and its ups and downs.

The duo decides to end their journey after realizing they only covered half of the trail and fell down the ledge. The film ends on a positive note, with Stephen sending Bryson postcards asking about their future endeavors together.

• Director: Ken Kwapis
• Cast: Robert Redford, NicK Nolte, Kristen Schaal, Nick Offerma, Emma Thompson
• Release Date: January 23, 2015
• IMBD Ratings: 6.3
• Watch On: Amazon

22. Cast Away

The adventure film follows Chuck, a system analyst working for federal express. He is in a committed relationship with his girlfriend living in Memphis, Tennessee. The couple is in love but can’t marry as Chuck has a busy schedule.

One night Chuck is called into work late in the night, and on that eventful day, their plane gets caught in a violent storm. Chuck becomes stuck in a coral reef and begins living in a cave surviving on items he recovered from the federal packages.

Cast Away

Chuck was the lone survivor of the crash. The rest of the film follows Chuck and his struggle to return to civilization and come to a realization about how everything has changed in the four years. The film ends with Chuck parting with his girlfriend as she is married now and has a daughter. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Nick Searcy
• Release Date: December 22, 2000
• IMBD Ratings: 7.8
• Watch On: Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube

23. Grizzly Man

The autobiographical film follows the life of a bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell and a series of life-and death-situations. The film starts with Herzog using the videos shot by Treadwell in the last five years of his life. Treadwell believed he could control and tame wild bears, which became the reason for his and his girlfriend’s death when they stayed for winter in the Katmai National Park.

Grizzly Man

Their remains got found by a pilot that reported it to Forest Officials. Treadwell underestimated the dangers of the wild by ignoring the rational part of his brain. The film ends with Herzog listing to the voices recorded during the bear attack on Treadwell and his girlfriend.

• Director: Werner Herzog
• Cast: Timothy Treadwell, Werner Herzog
• Release Date: August 12, 2005
• IMBD Ratings: 7.8
• Watch On: Amazon

24. Lawrence Of Arabia

The autobiographical film follows the adventure of T.E Lawrence, an English officer who had successfully kept the Arab tribes united together in the hard times to fight off the Turks. The film is divided into two parts.

Lawrence Of Arabia

In the first part, a reporter is trying to gather information about the enigmatic personality at his funeral from his loved ones. T.H. Lawrence died in a motorcycle accident. The film has an emotional ending, with Lawrence departing from the city with longing in his eyes as Arabs move away.

• Director: David Lean
• Cast: Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quayle, Omar Shariff
• Release Date: December 10, 1962
• IMBD Ratings: 8.3
• Watch On: Amazon

25. American Sniper

The autobiographical adventure film follows the journey of Chris Kyle and his journey of becoming the best shooter and the hardships he faced after returning from missions in adjusting to city life. The film starts with the backstory showing a young Kyle learning to shoot from his father. After Kyle finds his girlfriend of the time cheating on him, he enrolls in the Navy SEALs.

American Sniper

The rest of the film revolves around his struggles with going on missions and his feelings when he is unsuccessful in saving people. The film also highlights the struggles in his relationship with his wife, Tara, and his family. The film ends with Kyle killed by a veteran suffering from PTSD and millions of people attending his funeral processions.

• Director: Clint Eastwood
• Cast: Bradley Cooper , Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Kevin Lacz
• Release Date: November 11, 2014
• IMBD Ratings: 7.3
• Watch On: Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube

26. Apollo 13

The adventure film follows an astronaut, Jim Lovell, and his dream of walking on the moon after Neil Armstrong steps on the moon. The astronaut had previously orbited the moon in Apollo 8. The film follows the astronauts’ journey of reaching the moon only to return after the Apollo 13 malfunctions.

Apollo 13

The astronauts are presumed to be dead by the public, as there is radio silence from their side, only for them to return alive without any substantial injuries. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Ron Howard
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan
• Release Date: June 30, 1995
• IMBD Ratings: 7.7
• Watch On: Amazon, YouTube

27. The Perfect Storm

The Perfect Storm is an adventure film that follows the struggles of a group of commercial fishermen after they get caught up in an uncertain storm. The boat, Andrea Gail, is headed by Captain Billy Tyne, who convinces Bob Brown and his crew to go for one last expedition.

The Perfect Storm

The film follows the crew’s struggles to fight for their survival as they get caught up in a raging storm. The film ends with Billy’s girlfriend reading a eulogy as there are no survivors from the boat.

• Director: Wolfgang Petersen
• Cast: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, Karen Allen, John C. Reilly
• Release Date: June 30, 2000
• IMBD Ratings: 6.5
• Watch On: YouTube, Amazon

28. True Spirit

The adventure film follows the journey of a young teenage girl, Jessica Watson, as she continuously sails solo across the world. The film follows the life of the second child of a New Zealander couple who’s passionate about life and sailing.

True Spirit

Watson started her sail from Sydney Harbor on 18 October 2009 at sixteen, followed by a string of sailing to different locations. Jessica continues to sail occasionally to date. She became the youngest person to sail for so long without being assisted by anyone.

• Director: Sarah Spillane
• Cast: Teagan Croft, Cliff Curtis, Anna Paquin
• Release Date: January 26, 2023
• IMBD Ratings: 6.9
• Watch On: Netflix

29. The Lost City OfZ

Fawcett decides to go on the discovery of the hidden city but isn’t able to do so even after several attempts he made. Years later, Fawcett decides to go in search of the invisible city with his son.

The Lost City Of Z

• Director: James Gary
• Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson , Sienna Miller, Tom Holland, Franco Nero
• Release Date: October 15, 2016
• IMBD Ratings: 6.6
• Watch On: Amazon

30. Kon Tiki

The adventure film follows the journey of Thor Heyerdahl, a legendary explorer, and his expedition to Kon Tiki. The film follows Thor as he tries to prove his theory about South African people settling in islands in pre-Colombian times.

Kon Tiki

The rest of the film shows Thor and his attempts to find ways to prove his theory after it is disproved by Polynesian folklore. Thor is rescued by the U.S. government and returned to Polynesia. Thor gets divorced from his wife and opens a museum in Oslo. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Joachim Ronning, Espen Sandberg
• Cast: Anders Baasmo, Jakob Oftebro, Christaiansen
• Release Date: August 24, 2012
• IMBD Ratings: 7.2
• Watch On: Netflix

31. On The Road

The film is full of adventures done by the young author Sal Paradise, after his father’s death with his friends. The film follows Sal and his discovery of his sexuality while traveling through California with his close friend Carl and Marylou. Sal even meets and befriends new people along the way of his journey.

On The Road

The film also shows a side of Sal doing drugs and having sex with prostitutes. The friends meet in passing after years have passed since their last adventure and reminisce about their past together. They part ways briefly after encountering each other.

• Director- Walter Salles
• Cast- Garret Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Alice Barga
• Release Date- 23 May 2012
• IMBD Ratings: 6
• Watch On: YouTube

32. The Cave

The adventure film is full of twists and turns that follow after a football team with their coach gets stuck in a cave in Northern Thailand. The boys were stuck in the cave for around ten days before thousands of people and soldiers came together to rescue them.

The Cave

The rescue mission seemed impossible as only professional divers with experience could have rescued them, as the boys were stuck in a cave with flooded water. To survive, the boys had to dive-swim for five hours to get their way out. The film shows the biggest international rescue mission to have taken place.

• Director: Tom Waller
• Cast: Jim Warny, Tan Xiaolong, Ross Cane, Bobby Gerris
• Release Date: October 5, 2019
• IMBD Ratings: 5.1
• Watch On: Amazon, YouTube

33. Rabbit-Proof Fence

The adventure film shows the struggle of three siblings trying to escape the Moore River camp that forces young Aboriginal people to train to be slaves for white families. The plot starts with two siblings, Daisy and Molly, and their cousin Gracie forcibly being removed from their home to train them to become slaves to the white family.

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Gracie tries to escape first but is recaptured by the camp workers. Daisy and Molly embark on their journey to escape from the camp by walking along the rabbit fence. The film then follows the girl’s struggle to reach their home. The girls successfully return home.

• Director: Phillip Noyce
• Cast: Evelyn Sampi, David Gulpilil, Kenneth Branagh
• Release Date: February 4, 2002
• IMBD Ratings: 7.4
• Watch On: Amazon

34. Adrift

The adventure film follows a young couple who fall in love the first time they meet and then embark on a journey to sail in one of the most dangerous hurricanes. The film starts with Tami meeting Richard and them planning a trip to sail to Japan together.

The couple sails through the sea, they encounter many uneventful days there, and they finally run into the upcoming hurricane. The yacht overturns, and the couple gets thrown off the board from it. Tami regains consciousness to realize she’s all alone with no site of Richard.

Adrift

The rest of the film follows her struggle to survive and return to land. Tami is grief-stricken when she realizes that the only man she ever loved has died. The end credits revealed Richard being swept away during the hurricane and never seen again. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Baltasar Kormakur
• Cast: Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin
• Release Date: June 1, 2018
• IMBD Ratings: 6.6
• Watch On: Amazon

35.6Below: Miracle On The Mountain

The adventure film follows Eric LeMarque, a professional hockey player who got stuck in a snowstorm on top of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and his struggle to remain alive by having faith in himself. Eric is forced to come to terms with his inner demons to survive. He’s pushed to the end limits of his endurance with unfavorable conditions and no source of resources.

6 Below: Miracle On The Mountain

• Director: Scott Waugh
• Cast: Josh Hartnett, Mira Sorvino, Simaon Swart
• Release Date: October 13, 2017
• IMBD Ratings: 5.7
• Watch On: Amazon, Netflix

36. Blue Miracle

The Blue Miracle is an adventure film that follows Omar, a street mechanic who is also an owner of an orphanage. Omar takes the children who’ve run away from home or the foster system and takes care of them.

What follows is a journey to keep his orphanage from closing as he’s deep in debt from arranging resources for the orphans. To save his orphanage, he works together with his children to win the grandest fishing competition held in the town.

Blue Miracle

The prize money is in the millions, and many professional fishermen opt out of the competition due to a storm hitting Cabo San Lucas. The rest of the film follows Omar and his fight to win with honesty.

• Director: Julio Quintana
• Cast: Dennis Quaid, Anthony Gonzales, Bruce McGill, Fernanda Urrejola
• Release Date: May 27, 2021
• IMBD Ratings: 6.6
• Watch On: Netflix

37. Open Water

The adventure film follows the tragic story of a couple who goes for a scuba diving experience as a bonding experience and never returns. The film follows Daniel and Susan as they go on a scuba diving expedition and separates from the group to explore the ocean water and the life beneath.

Open Water

The team returns, leaving the couple stranded in the ocean, where they are attacked by sharks. The sharks kill Daniel and devour his flesh, while Susan decides to drown herself before the shark’s attack to have a less painful death. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Chris Kentis
• Cast: Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis, Saul Stein
• Release Date: October 26, 2003
• IMBD Ratings: 5.8
• Watch On: Amazon, YouTube

38. Escape From Alcatraz

The film follows a famous con man, Frank Morris, who’s imprisoned in the Alcatraz prison and his escape from it. The film shows Frank arriving in the Alcatraz prison, where he is warned by the warden about this prison being different from the other ones.

Escape From Alcatraz

Frank butts head with the warden. He plans an escape from the prison after he realizes his cell walls are chipped. The rest of the film follows Frank and his companions, trying to escape and succeeding in it. Frank and his companions were never seen again after escaping from Alcatraz.

• Director: Don Siegel
• Cast: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan
• Release Date- June 22, 1979
• IMBD Ratings: 7.6
• Watch On: Netflix, Amazon

39. All Is Lost

The film follows a man whose ship collides with a wayward shipping container, thus beginning his journey to fight for survival. The man survives a series of storms using his skills and learning to use a sextant.

All Is Lost

Soon the man realizes two container ships are moving his way and tries to signal them in a desperate attempt to ask for help. He almost gives up when he remains unnoticed by the people on the container ship. As the man plans to give up and drown, he observes a searchlight and gives his hand to an outstretched one.

• Director: J.C. Chandor
• Cast: Robert Redford
• Release Date: May 22, 2013
• IMBD Ratings: 6.9
• Watch On: YouTube

40. The Great Alaskan Race

The adventure film follows Leonhard, a sweepstakes race winner whose life changes after the death of his wife. Leonhard lives with his daughter in Nome, where a pandemic starts when children start of Nome start coughing, and the illness is recognized to be Diphtheria by doctor Welch.

The Great Alaskan Race

The mayor tries to arrange the antibiotics for it but fails due to everything being frozen due to snowstorms. As a last resort, the mayor asks Leonhard to get the antibiotics from the neighboring town. The rest of the film follows his journey and near-death experience. It is one of the best adventure films based on true events.

• Director: Brian Presley
• Cast: Brian Presley, Treat Williams, Bruce Davison
• Release Date: October 25, 2019
• IMBD Ratings: 5.2
• Watch On: Amazon

41. The Aeronauts

The film follows Amelia Wren, a pilot, and James Glaisher, a scientist, who team together to discover new things while flying high up in the sky in a hot balloon. The partners land in trouble when their balloon gets stuck in a storm, and their fight for survival begins. The partners fall in love with each other and continue to make discoveries together.

The Aeronauts

• Director: Tom Harper
• Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Himesh Patel, Tom Courtenay
• Release Date: August 30, 2019
• IMBD Ratings: 6.6
• Watch On: Amazon

The adventure of a lifetime awaits you in this list of movies that follows the real-life adventures of people who got stuck in situations where they had to fight for survival. Survival of the fittest isn’t a term one should use lightly, as there are situations where this term comes into effect, and it isn’t a situation one would like to be in.

Everyone should take risks in life and go on an adventure to experience the thrill of it and enjoy it. Life doesn’t give people a lot of chances to enjoy their time on the other side of the world. So, one should enjoy it while one can.

Acrimony is a psychological thriller film about a woman named Melinda Moore. As she bumps into Robert one day and curses him for it, but later, when he arrives at her dorm to return some papers that had been mixed up, they end up becoming close. The film follows their story as they go from lovers to enemies after Robert cheats on her, and she is left in a lot of debt after the death of her mother.

Melinda plans on taking revenge on Robert for turning her life upside down while Robert falls in love with the woman he had cheated with and also becomes successful. It stars Taraji P. Henson, Lyriq Bent, Crystle Stewart, Ptosha Storey, and others.

If you are someone who has already watched Acrimony and is looking for some similar movies or someone who just wants to watch thriller movies in general, then we have curated the perfect list of movies like Acrimony that will keep you on your toes the entire time.

1. Unforgettable (2017)

Unforgettable is a thriller film about Julia Banks as she moves in with her fiancé David and his daughter Lily but is struggling with David’s ex-wife and Lily’s mother, Tessa, as she constantly visits them. Tessa isn’t happy about the end of her marriage and wants to jeopardize Julia’s relationship with David.

She steals Julia’s phone and gathers all her private information before stealing her ring, underwear, and David’s watch. She makes a fake account posing as Julia and starts talking with Julia’s abusive ex-boyfriend Michael against whom Julia had a restraining order.

Still from Unforgettable

The rest of the film follows Tessa’s controlling behavior and desire to remove Julia from her life as she sends sexually explicit messages to Michael while also controlling Lily to show David that Julia is unfit to be Lily’s guardian.

• Directed by: Denise Di Novi
• Cast: Katherine Heigl , Rosario Dawson , Geoff Stults, Cheryl Ladd, Isabella Kai Rice
• IMDb rating: 5.1
• Where to watch: Netflix

2. The Girl on the Train (2016)

The Girl On the Train is a psychological thriller film about Rachel Watson, who has lost both her job and marriage because of being an alcoholic. She often rides a train aimlessly into New York City and focuses on her ex-husband Tom and his new wife, along with their neighbors Scott and Megan. Rachel calls and harasses Tom and Anna while she is drunk but forgets almost everything after she wakes up.

One day she sees Megan kissing someone and goes to confront her in a fit of rage but wakes up several hours later in her bed with blood on her. She finds out that Megan is missing and is questioned by detective Riley.

Still from the Girl on the Train

The rest of the film follows Rachel as she tries to figure out what happened the night Megan went missing and find the culprit behind her death.

• Directed by: Tate Taylor
• Cast: Emily Blunt , Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Lisa Kudrow
• IMDb rating: 6.5
• Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video

3. The Roommate (2011)

The Roommate is a psychological thriller film about Sara Matthews as she arrives at her college in Los Angeles and meets new people, which includes her shy roommate Rebecca who looks a lot like her. Rebecca becomes obsessed with Sara as they spend more and more time together.

She attacks Tracy, who was Sarah’s friend, and threatens her in the shower by pulling out her belly button ring and telling her to stay away from Sara, claiming that she was a bad influence on her. Tracy changes dorm and refuses to talk with Sara after that.

Still from The Roommate

The rest of the film follows Rebecca’s crazy obsessive behavior as she starts terminating everyone who comes between her and Sarah’s friendship, including Sara’s friend Irene and her cat Cuddles while Sara, unknown about her psychotic roommate, dates Stephen and soon finds out that Rebecca is bipolar.

• Directed by: Christian E. Christiansen
• Cast: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly , Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka, Billy Zane
• IMDb rating: 4.8
• Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video

4. Forever Mine (1999)

Forever Mine is a romantic drama film about Alan as he remembers his romance from 14 years ago when he worked as a cabana boy and fell in love with Ella, the life of a powerful businessman Mark. At first, he didn’t expect Ella to reciprocate his feelings, but when she did, he was overjoyed.

Mark found out about Alan and had him framed for possession of drugs and sent to jail. Mark tells him that if he left and forgot about Ella, he could gain his freedom, but Alan doesn’t give in. He continues confessing his love for Ella through letters, so Mark decides to kill him by burying him alive.

Still from Forever Mine

Alan survives, but his face is disfigured. He makes a plan to take revenge on Mark and kills a criminal attorney to take his identity and get closer to Mark and, eventually, to Ella.

• Directed by: Paul Schrader
• Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Ray Liotta, Gretchen Mol, Vincent Laresca
• IMDb rating: 5.3
• Where to watch: Prime Video

5. A Deadly Adoption (2015)

A Deadly Adoption is a thriller drama film about the Benson family, which consists of Sarah, who is a food vendor, her husband Robert, who is a famous author, and their daughter Sully who is one year old. Currently pregnant, Sarah asks Robert to take her and Sully on a boat ride in the lake behind their house to celebrate Sully’s first birthday.

As She is leaning against the railing of the night, it breaks, and Sarah falls into the lake and ends up losing her baby and the ability to conceive again. Five years later, Robert has managed to sober up from his alcohol addiction but is struggling professionally.

Still from A Deadly Adoption

The rest of the film follows Sarah and Robert as their life turns upside down after they decide to house a young pregnant girl so that they can adopt her baby, but the Girl turns out to be a maniac obsessed with Robert and hell-bent on removing Sarah from his life.

• Directed by: Rachel Lee Goldenberg
• Cast: Will Ferrell , Kristen Wiig, Jessica Lowndes
• IMDb rating: 5.1
• Where to watch: Tubi T.V.

6. A History of Violence (2005)

A History of Violence is an action thriller film about a diner owner named Tom Stall and his family which consists of his wife, Edie and two children, Jack and Sarah. One night, Tom’s restaurant is invaded by two spree killers who threaten the people present in the diner and also sexually abuse one of the employees, which results in Tom killing them.

Tom becomes the hero of the town, and even appears on television. He is later visited by a man named Carl Fogarty, who claims that Tom is actually Joey Cusack, who used to be a part of the Irish mob, and tells him to return to Philadelphia. Tom denies all his claims and tells Carl to leave.

Still from A History of Violence

The rest of the film follows Carl as he stalks Tom to find out his true identity, and Tom as he tries his best to stay hidden from the past that he had escaped a while ago.

• Directed by: David Cronenberg
• Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, William Hurt, Ed Harris
• IMDb rating: 7.4
• Where to watch: Prime Video

7. A Rich Man’s Wife (1996)

A Rich Man’s Wife is a thriller about Josie Potenza, the trophy wife of Tony Potenza, a famous Hollywood producer. Tony is a workaholic, due to which his marriage is on the verge of crumbling, but when Josie asks him to come with her on a getaway trip, he agrees but still prioritizes his studio over her. Josie asks him to leave while she stays alone for a few more days.

After a man at a bar makes her uncomfortable with his continuous staring, she leaves and drives to her cabin, but her car breaks down midway, and the same man from the bar offers her a ride. The next day, the man, whose name is Cole, invites her for dinner, and she accepts it. They talk over drinks, and Josie confides in him about her unhappy marriage.

Still from The Rich Man’s Wife

Cole makes advances on her, but Josie manages to hit him with a gun and run away. The rest of the film follows Cole as he plots revenge against Josie while Tom becomes sober and works on his marriage but soon gets killed by Cole.

• Directed by: Amy Holden Jones
• Cast: Halle Berry, Peter Greene, Clive Owen, Christopher McDonald
• IMDb rating: 5.2
• Where to watch: Prime Video

8. Fatal Attraction (1987)

Fatal Attraction is a psychological thriller film about Daniel Gallagher, who is a successful lawyer, is married to Beth, and has a daughter named Ellen. He meets Alexandra, who is an editor for a publishing company for work, and has an affair with him while his wife and daughter are out of town.

The affair, which was just supposed to be a fling, turns into something else when Alex starts clinging to Daniel. She cut her wrists when he was leaving her house to make him stay and constantly called him at work and then at his house.

She tells him that she is pregnant with his baby and that he should take responsibility, but he ignores her, so she goes to his apartment, pretending to be a buyer, and meets Beth. This results in a fight between Daniel and Alex, but he tells him that he can’t ignore her.

Still from Fatal Attraction

The rest of the film follows Alex’s obsession with Daniel as she does crazy things to gain his attention and remove Beth from his life, going so far as to kidnap Ellen and try to kill Beth.

• Directed by: Adrian Lyne
• Cast: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer
• IMDb rating: 6.9
• Where to watch: Prime Video

9. The Boy Next Door (2015)

The Boy Next Door is an erotic thriller film about Claire Peterson as she finds out about her husband Garrett’s affair and separates from him. Noah Sandborn is a 19-year-old orphan who moves in next door to Claire to help his uncle.

Noah befriends Claire’s teenage son Kevin and goes to the same school as him, where he meets Claire, who teaches the Classics. He bonds with her over their shared liking for Homer’s Iliad and ends up having sex with him after coming home from a bad date.

Claire makes it clear to Noah that the previous night was a mistake that angers him. He hacks the school computer and enrolls himself in Claire’s class. He manipulates Kevin against Garrett and saves him from a bully.

Still from The Boy Next Door

The rest of the film follows Noah’s obsession with Claire as he tries to convince her to date him while she tries her best to keep the night with Noah a secret threatening to spill over.

• Directed by: Rob Cohen
• Cast: Jennifer Lopez , Ryan Guzman, John Corbett, Ian Nelson, Kristin Chenoweth
• IMDb rating: 4.7
• Where to watch: Prime Video

10. The Great Hypnotist (2014)

The Great Hypnotist is a Chinese mystery-thriller film about Dr. Ruining Xu, who uses psychotherapy to treat his patients. He accepts a new patient named Xiaoyan Ren, who claims that she can see ghosts. While treating her, he realizes that Xiaoyan has been lying to him about things, so he decides to ask around about her.

Ruining comes to know that Xiaoyan had a troubled past when she was abandoned by her adoptive parents when they found out that they were going to have a baby, which left a deep fury in her. He realized that she made up stories to hide her darkest feelings.

Still from the Great Hypnotist

The rest of the film follows Ruining as he is able to make Xiaoyan opens up to him about the death of her fiancé due to an accident which makes Ruining realize that their pasts are connected.

• Directed by: Leste Chen
• Cast: Xu Zheng, Karen Mok, Hu Jing
• IMDb rating: 6.9
• Where to watch: Prime Video

11. Traffik (2018)

Traffik is a thriller film about Brea, who is a journalist. She discovers that a major scandal that she had been working on for months has been given to a rival journalist. She goes to her boss, who tells her that her work isn’t good enough and threatens to fire her.

She goes to meet her boyfriend John for a birthday dinner along with their friends Darren and Malia. Darren reveals that John has planned a getaway for them which was meant to be a surprise, but he ruins it.

While on their way to the vacation house, they stop at a gas station where a Brea comes across a woman named Cara who tells her something weird before a man on a bike calls her. John is troubled by another biker who gets told off by officer Marnes.

Still from Traffic

John and Brea are followed by one of the biker dudes, but they manage to get rid of him and spend some quality time together before Darren and Malia arrive uninvited and ruin it. The rest of the film follows the two couples as they find out that Cara is one of the women who are being taken to a Traffik ring and as they find themselves fighting against the biker dudes who are hell-bent on killing them.

• Directed by: Deon Taylor
• Cast: Paula Patton, Omar Epps, Laz Alonzo, Roselyn Sanchez, Luke Goss
• IMDb rating: 5.9
• Where to watch: Tubi T.V.

12. No Good Deed (2014)

No Good Deed is a psychological thriller film about a man named Colin Evans who has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter. He gets parole after 5 years and pleads with the judge that he is a changed man, but the judge is not convinced and tells him that he is not trustworthy yet and that after 5 years, he should plead again.

As he is taken back to the prison, he kills the correctional officer and escapes with the van. Terri Granger is a stay-at-home wife of Jeffrey, whose marriage is on the verge of crumbling. She is sad because Jeffrey has taken a sudden trip to his family, so her best friend suggests that they have a girls’ night.

Still from No Good Deed

Colin visits his ex-fiancée Alexis and ends up killing her in a fit of rage after he sees her with another man before he goes down the road to Terri’s house. The rest of the film follows Colin as he kills Meg and threatens Terri before making his escape by making Terri drive the van with her daughter in the car. Will Terri make it out alive?

• Directed by: Sam Miller
• Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Idris Elba , Leslie Bibb, Kate Del Castillo
• IMDb rating: 5.6
• Where to watch: Netflix

13. Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Bad Times at the El Royale is a neo-noir thriller film about the El Royale, which used to be famous and wealthy back in 1959, but after losing its gambling license, it has lost its charm. Ten years later, El Royale has become a restaurant solely run by Drug addict Miles.

He welcomes several guests, among which is Special Agent Dwight, who is pretending to be a salesman by the name of Laramie. Agent Dwight has been told to collect the surveillance material that the F.B.I. had planted and to keep all the civilians inside the hotel, so he disables all their cars.

Daniel, who is a Catholic Priest, invites Darlene, who is a singer, for dinner, and the two end up talking about each other, but when Daniel leaves to get drinks and is found putting something in Darlene’s drink by her, she knocks him out.

Still from Bad Times At El Royale

Dwight, who was told to leave the kidnapping alone, goes to check up on Rose, who is the captor of Emily’s sister, and ends up being shot by Emily. The rest of the film follows Daniel as he finds the money but is abducted by Billy, who is the head of the cult Emily was keeping Rose away from.

• Directed by: Drew Goddard
• Cast: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm
• IMDb rating: 7.1
• Where to watch: Disney Plus, Prime Video

14. Pacific Heights (1990)

Pacific Heights is a psychological thriller film about Drake and Patty as they buy an expensive 19th-century house in the Pacific Heights neighborhood and rent one room to a Japanese couple while the other one is rented by Carter.

Carter arrives in the apartment one morning and shuts himself in without paying any of the money that he had promised. No amount of knocking could get him out of the apartment, which made drilling noises throughout the day.

One day, Drake gets tired of the noises and comes to confront Carter but finds out that the locks of the apartment have been changed, so he cuts the electricity to lure him out. Carter reports Drake to the police, who arrive and side with Carter.

Still from Pacific Heights

Drake and Patty hire a lawyer Stephanie, but she can’t help them either. Carter infests the building with cockroaches and drives away all the other people living in the house, which causes Drake and Patty to land in debt. The rest of the film follows Drake and Patty as their life becomes miserable while Carter puts his plan of making Drake’s life a living hell into action.

• Directed by: John Schlesinger
• Cast: Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, Michael Keaton
• IMDb rating: 6.4
• Where to watch: Prime Video

15. The Gift (2015)

The Gift is a psychological thriller film about a married couple, Simon and Robyn Callem, as they move to Los Angeles from Chicago due to Simon’s new job. Simon runs into his old high school friend Gordon who makes him uncomfortable with his frequent visits and presents even though Robyn is fine with it.

Gordon invites them to his large house, where he reveals that the other couple who was supposed to come has canceled, and he steps outside for a while, leaving Simon and Robyn alone. When he returns, Simon tells him to stay away from them.

Robyn gets worried that someone is watching her while she is alone at her house after she hears footsteps and sees the faucet on, so she takes prescription pills. Robyn, who is now pregnant, finds Gordon staring at her while she is shopping and asks Simon’s sister about him.

Still from The Gift

The rest of the film follows Robyn as she discovers what had happened at Simon’s high school and urges Simon to apologize to Gordon for it, but they end up fighting instead, and as a result, Gordon continues his plan of making Simon’s life a living hell.

• Directed by: Joel Edgerton
• Cast: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton
• IMDb rating: 7
• Where to watch: Netflix

16. The Commuter (2018)

The Commuter is an action thriller film about Michael MacCauley, who used to be an NYPD officer but now has become an insurance agent. He takes the same train commute on the Hudson Line daily. One day he is told that he has been slacked off from his job, which puts his family’s financial security in danger.

Not wanting to reveal the news to his son and wife right away, he goes to meet his friend Murphy who is still a part of the police force, and on the way back, he meets a mysterious woman named Joanna on the train. Joanna tells him to find a man named ‘Prynne’ who is an unknown passenger and has stolen an item of hers.

Joanna tells him that he will receive $1,00,000 for the job, out of which $25000 is kept for him in the bathroom. He goes to the bathroom and retrieves the money, after which he tries to leave the train, but a teenage girl shows him his wife’s ring in an envelope as a warning.

He calls her, but when she doesn’t answer, he tells a fellow commuter Walt to call the police and leaves a voicemail for Murphy. He then gets a call from Joanna, who tells him that there are security cameras on the train and threatens him that his family will be in danger if he pulls any more stunts.

The rest of the film follows Michael as he searches for Prynne and later discovers that he is a key witness of Enrique Mendez’s supposed suicide and will be killed if found. Will Michael have a change of heart or hand Prynne over?

• Directed by: Jaume Collet Serra
• Cast: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks
• IMDb rating: 6.5
• Where to watch: Prime Video

17. Cape Fear (1991)

Cape Fear is a psychological film about a prisoner named Max Cady who went to prison 8 years ago for raping a girl. He blames Sam Bowden, who had stopped his attack and testified against him in court. He begins stalking the Bowden family and kills their dog, but Sam is unable to find any proof against him, so he seeks help from his police friend Mark.

Mark fails to prove Max guilty, so Sam hires a private investigator named Charlie instead. Max rapes a woman named Diane, but neither Sam nor Charlie is able to make her testify against Max.

Still from Cape Fear

The rest of the film follows Sam as he becomes afraid for his family and decides to take them to their houseboat in Cape Fear Region while bluffing with Max to make him believe that they are headed to Atlanta.

• Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
• Cast: Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Lori Marten
• IMDb rating:7.7
• Where to watch: Prime Video

18. Inheritance (2020)

Inheritance is a thriller film set in 2008 about the wealthy and powerful Monroe family, which consists of Archer, who is the patriarch of the family, his wife Catherine, and their children Lauren who is an attorney, and Willam, who is a politician.

After Archer dies, his property is divided equally among his wife and children, but Lauren is visited by their family attorney Harold who shows her a video message left by her father. The video reveals the directions for an underground bunker where a man named Morgan had been held captive for thirty years.

Morgan tells her that he was Archer’s friend and business partner, but one night after they killed a pedestrian by accident and covered up the crime, he held Morgan hostage so that he couldn’t tell others about this incident.

Still from Inheritance

Lauren checks if Morgan’s story is true by visiting the dead pedestrian’s grave and also finds Archer’s long-time mistress. She decides to free Morgan and sets up a bank account and a private plan so he can escape. The rest of the film follows Lauren as she realizes that Morgan was, in fact, Carson, who had raped her mother, and while taking him away to kill him, Archer had hit the pedestrian by accident.

• Directed by: Vaughn Stein
• Cast: Lily Collins , Simon Pegg, Connie Nielson, Chace Crawford
• IMDb rating: 5.5
• Where to watch: Prime Video

19. The Salesman (2016)

The Salesman is a drama film about Emad and Rana, who are a married couple working as actors in a production called Death of a Salesman. They move into a new apartment, suggested by their co-actor Babak, after their old one collapses.

One night, when Rana was alone in the house and was taking a bath, somebody invaded the house. When Emad returns, he sees blood on the bathroom floor and Rana missing. He rushes to the hospital, where he is told about Rana’s condition by his neighbors.

Still from the Salesman

He knows for sure that Rana was attacked by somebody but didn’t remember who the attacker was. She becomes traumatic and can’t go to the bathroom because of her fear that the man might return. The rest of the film follows Emad as he desperately tries to find the culprit who attacked Rana and made her scared for her life.

• Directed by: Asghar Farhadi
• Cast: Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Babak Karimi, Mina Sadati
• IMDb rating: 7.7
• Where to watch: Prime Video

20. Barracuda (2017)

Barracuda is a suspense drama film about a British woman named Sinaloa. As she arrives in Texas to find her dead country musician father’s other daughter and her step-sister Merle. She makes her way into Merle’s life through her singing and charms but brings along a lot of chaos with her. Soon, she begins unraveling Merle’s life, including her job and upcoming marriage, and starts ruining it.

Still from Barracuda

The rest of the film follows Sinaloa as she starts showing her true colors, which were always available in her songs that were filled with a rage that had been building for years.

• Directed by: Jason Cortlund
• Cast: Allison Tolman, Sophie Reid, JoBeth Williams, Luis Bordonada
• IMDb rating: 5.6
• Where to watch: Prime Video

21. Gone Girl (2014)

Gone Girl is a psychological thriller film about Nick Dunne, who is a teacher. He returns home one day and finds his wife Amy missing, which becomes huge news since Amy’s parents were famous for writing a children’s book named ‘Amazing Amy.’

Detective Rhonda looks around the house and finds evidence of blood that had been wiped clean and of a struggle. People suspected Nick of Amy’s disappearance because their marriage had been on the edge of collapsing after they both had lost their jobs and moved to his hometown in North Carthage to take care of his dying mother.

Because of this, Amy was resentful towards him. Rhonda finds evidence which includes a diary in their shed that contains all of Amy’s dread towards her husband and his intentions of killing her. All the evidence pointed towards Nick being the culprit.

Still from Gone Girl

The rest of the film follows Amy as she unravels the plan that she had plotted. After finding out about Nick’s affair, she heads towards her ex-boyfriend’s lake house to hide there but ends up killing him after he tries to confine her in the house.

• Directed by: David Fincher
• Cast: Ben Affleck , Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon
• IMDb rating: 8.1
• Where to watch: Netflix

22. Fool For Love (1985)

Fool For love is a drama film about May, who lives in a hotel and is waiting for her boyfriend Martin when her former lover and childhood friend Eddie shows up and tells her to return to her previous life with him, but May denies his offer.

She tells him that she has a job, a place to stay, and no intention of returning to her previous life. Eddie leaves, and Martin shows up for their date while Eddie starts to narrate his relationship with May since high school.

Still from Fool for Love

The rest of the film focuses on Eddie and May’s past and present relationships while an Old Man, their father, tells the viewers about them and himself.

• Directed by: Robert Altman
• Cast: Sam Shepard, Kim Basinger, Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton
• IMDb rating: 6
• Where to watch: Prime Video

23. Frank (2014)

Frank is an independent black comedy film about Jon as he saves a man named Lucas from drowning himself and takes him to a hospital where he meets Don, who tells him that Lucas is the keyboardist of a band called Soronprfbs.

When Jon mentions that he plays the keyboard, Don invites him to play with the band. The band members Nana, Clara, and Baraque are reluctant to let Jon play in their band, but the lead vocalist Frank who always wears a mask, welcomes him warmly.

The band doesn’t finish their performance because Clara is electrocuted and storms off the stage, but Jon becomes a full-time member of the band. They head to a secluded cabin to record their album, after the completion of which, Jon hangs himself, and it is revealed that he was the keyboard player of the band before Jon.

Still from Frank

The rest of the film follows Jon and the band members as they become famous and get gigs to play their music while Jon tries to control the band for his own benefit.

• Directed by: Leny Abrahamson
• Cast: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy
• IMDb rating: 6.9
• Where to watch: Apple T.V., Hulu

24. The Anomaly (2014)

Anomaly is a science fiction thriller film about an ex-soldier, Ryan, who wakes up in the back of a van along with a boy named Alex. He frees the boy and makes a run for it but loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a room again with the same boy who introduces himself as Harkin Langham. When Harkin realizes that the man beside him is Reeves, he knocks him out.

The next time he wakes up, he finds himself having sex with an attractive prostitute who claims that she has had sex with a more violent version of him before. Reeves tells her to come with him and help him unravel the mystery of what’s happening to him.

The Anomaly

The rest of the film follows Reeves and Dana as they try to figure out the cause of his blackouts and awareness, which only lasts for nine minutes and forty-seven seconds.

• Directed by: Noel Clarke
• Cast: Ian Somerhalder, Noel Clarke, Brian Cox, Alexis Knapp
• IMDb rating: 4
• Where to watch: Prime Video

25. A Dangerous Method (2011)

A Dangerous Method is a historical drama film about a Swiss doctor Carl Jung as who starts treating a new patient named Sabina, who suffers from hysteria which was triggered when she felt aroused and humiliated at the same time while her father spanked her in her childhood.

Carl and the chief of medicine, Eugen, realize that Sabina is very intelligent and lets her help them with experiments. Carl makes acquaintance with Freud through a distance before they meet in person, and Freud decides to adopt him as his heir and agent.

Still from a Dangerous Method

Carl realizes that Sabina is a kindred spirit and starts to feel an attraction toward her, and they pursue a relationship despite Carl having a wife. The rest of the film follows Sabina and Carl as their relationship becomes troubled when he admits that he has no intention of leaving his wife, while he and Freud also start to disagree.

• Directed by: David Cronenberg
• Cast: Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Vincent Cassel
• IMDb rating: 6.4
• Where to watch: Prime Video

26. Premonition (2007)

Premonition is a supernatural thriller film about a married couple, Jim and Linda Hanson, who have two children as they realize that their relationship is faltering. Jim goes on a business trip, and as Linda listens to a voice message he left for her, Sheriff Reilly arrives and tells her that Jim died in a car accident the previous day.

Linda’s mother arrives to help and console her, and Linda falls asleep on the couch. She wakes up the next day and sees Jim drinking coffee while watching television. While driving, she gets pulled over by the sheriff, who tells her that he doesn’t recognize her.

The next morning, Linda comes to know that Jim is dead again, and she goes to the church with her children and mother. She arrives at the same time as the casket and demands the funeral director to open the casket to see for herself whether it’s Jim in it or not.

Still from Premonition

In the Scuffle that follows, Linda gets a glimpse of Jim’s head as his body falls on the floor. The rest of the film follows Linda as she writes down all the premonitions she saw and tries to avoid them from happening but fails in the end.

• Directed by: Menna Yapo
• Cast: Sandra Bullock, Julian McMahon, Nia Long, Kate Nelligan, Amber Valletta
• IMDb rating: 5.9
• Where to watch: Prime Video

27. Priceless (2016)

Priceless is a romantic drama film about James Stevens, who loses all hope after his wife suffers a tragic death and he loses custody of his daughter. He is filled with rage and believes that he is not capable of doing anything after he fails to hold onto a job for a while.

One day, he is told that if he makes a delivery across the country by driving a box truck, he will be given cash for it. He accepts the job without asking anything about it. Eventually, he finds out that the ‘thing’ he was delivering was two women and realizes that he has become a part of a trafficking ring.

Still from Priceless

The rest of the film follows James as he becomes attached to one of the women and decides to save them both from being used instead of just handing them over.

• Directed by: Ben Smallbone
• Cast: Joel Smallbone, Bianca Santos, Amber Midthunder, Jim Parrack, David Koechner
• IMDb rating: 6
• Where to watch: Prime Video

28. Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Nocturnal Animals is a neo-noir psychological thriller film about Susan Morrow, who is the owner of an art gallery and is upset about her failing marriage with Hutton Morrow, a famous businessman. She receives a manuscript from her ex-husband Edward Sheffield along with an invitation for dinner.

She reads the novel, which is about her, and is named Nocturnal Animals, which is the nickname given to her by Edward and gets lost in it. The book is about a family man Tony Hastings who runs into trouble with three hoodlums, Ray, Turk, and Lou, while on a road trip.

As they tell him to get off the road and kidnap his wife and daughter, Tony is left feeling helpless. After they abandon him on some road, he runs towards a farmhouse to call the police. Detective Roberto discovers the bodies of Tony’s wife and daughter, who had been raped and killed, which leaves Tony feeling guilty.

Still from Nocturnal Animals

The rest of the film follows Tony as he is contacted by Roberto to identify Lou, who has been captured after a year, and they find the rest of the two culprits and bring justice to his wife and daughter.

• Directed by: Tom Ford
• Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal , Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor Johnson
• IMDb rating: 7.5
• Where to watch: Prime Video

29. M.F.A. (2017)

M.F.A is a thriller film about Noelle, who is an introverted fine arts student in California as she accepts an invitation from her handsome classmate whom she had a crush on for a while. As she arrives at the party, she is cornered and taken to the guy’s room by him and raped.

The next day, Noelle decides to confront her rapist and ends up killing him in the heat of the moment. At that moment, she gets inspired and decides to become a vigilante to kill all those people who have assaulted women.

Still from M.F.A.

When she goes to kill the guy who had assaulted her friend Skye a long time ago, her identity is found by Skye and the police. The rest of the film follows Noelle as she tries to stay hidden while bringing justice to all those poor women who have been victims of assault.

• Directed by: Natalia Leite
• Cast: Francesca Eastwood, Clifton Collins Jr., Leah McKendrick, Peter Vack
• IMDb rating: 5.9
• Where to watch: Prime Video

30. Hell or High Water (2016)

Hell or High Water is a neo-western crime film about two brothers Tanner and Tony, as they rob two branches of Texas Midlands Bank. They return to their ranch and destroy the car that they had used for the robberies since it was evidence.

Their mother had died due to an illness, leaving them in debt because of a reverse mortgage taken against the ranch from Texas Midlands Bank. They had discovered that the land on which their ranch was built had oil, so they started robbing banks in order to save it and secure the future of their children.

Two Texas Rangers, Hamilton and Parker are told to handle the case. Hamilton figures out that the two brothers are behind the robberies and wait for them to steal at one branch of the bank, but they never come.

Still from Hell or High Water

The rest of the film follows the two brothers as they rob another bank but have to split while escaping because the police are after them, and one of them ends up dead. Who do you think it was?

• Directed by: David Mackenzie
• Cast: Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham
• IMDb rating: 7.6
• Where to watch: Prime Video

31. Sicario (2015)

Sicario is an action thriller film about Kate Macer as she raids a Sonora Cartel safe house along with her partner Reggie Wayne and finds several corpses hidden in the walls of the house. She gets invited to join a Joint Task Force led by C.I.A. officers Matt Graver and Alejandro Gillick to find Sonora Lieutenant Manuel Diaz, who is operating secretly in the U.S.

Their team includes Delta Force operators, U.S. Marshals, and C.I.A. officers. They decide to head to Juarez, where Manuel’s brother Guillermo hides. They get attacked midway by the cartel’s hitmen, but the Delta force takes care of them.

Still from Sicario

The rest of the film follows Kate as she realizes that the mission is much bigger than she had thought, and that Manuel is not the only person they are after.

• Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
• Cast: Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin
• IMDb rating: 7.6
• Where to watch: Prime Video

32. Unsane (2018)

Unsane is a psychological horror film about Sawyer Valentino as she moves to a new town from Boston to escape her stalker, David. She talks with a counselor at Highland Creek Behavioral Center and signs a form unknowingly that states she voluntarily agrees to stay in the center for the next 24 hours, and even the police can’t do anything about it.

Sawyer becomes stressed and lashes out at one of the patients and staff members, which results in her being constricted to the center for another seven days. Another patient, Nate, tells Sawyer about the center’s scheme to purposely restrict the people who come there for a day by making them sign a form in exchange for their health insurance money.

Still from Unsane

They keep the people there till their insurance company pays for it, and once it runs out, they are considered cured and free to go. The rest of the film follows Sawyer as she finds her stalker David working at the hospital pretending to be George Shaw and as he kills 2 people before getting Sawyer out of the hospital.

• Directed by: Steven Soderberg
• Cast: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Juno Temple, Aimee Mullins, Amy Irving
• IMDb rating: 6.4
• Where to watch: Prime Video

33. Truth or Dare (2018)

Truth or Dare is a supernatural horror film about Olivia Barron, who is a college senior and a good girl. She had decided to help build houses with Habitat for Humanity during her last spring break, but he friend Markie convinces her to accompany her to Mexico instead.

While drinking at a bar, they meet a man named Carter, who takes them to play truth and dare at a church. During the game, one of the guys reveals that Olivia has had a crush on Markie’s boyfriend, Lucas, for a long time, but she denies it.

Carter reveals that he has tricked them into playing a supernatural version of the game, so they have to complete the dare and answer the truths, or else they will die. When Olivia goes back to her school, she hears a voice asking her to pick between truth and dare, and when she pics truth, she ends up blurting that Markie has been cheating on Lucas.

Still from Truth or Dare

The rest of the film follows Olivia and her friends as they complete ridiculous dares while they try to find a way to escape from the game.

• Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
• Cast: Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane, Hayden Szeto
• IMDb rating: 5.1
• Where to watch: YouTube

34. Beirut (2018)

Beirut is a political thriller film set in 1972 about Mason Skiles, who is a U.S. diplomat living in Beirut with his wife, Nadia. They are taking care of a 13-year-old boy named Karim, who claims that he is an orphan.

While hosting a party, Mason meets his friend and C.I.A. officer Cal Riley, who tells him that he wants to question Karim because his brother Rafid was a part of the 1972 Munich massacre, but they get interrupted by Rafid and his goons as he barges in to abduct Karim and ends up killing Nadia.

Thirty years later, Mason became an alcoholic and opened a firm that he struggled to manage. One day, he is approached by an old client Sully who tells him that he has been invited for an academic lecture by the government and hands him money and a flight ticket.

Still from Beirut

Mason reluctantly agrees to go, and upon arrival, he is introduced to several officers. The rest of the film follows Mason as he is told that the main motive for bringing him to Lebanon is to negotiate with Karim, who has become the head of the organization and has abducted Riley.

• Directed by: Brad Anderson
• Cast: Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris, Larry Pine
• IMDb rating: 6.5
• Where to watch: Netflix

35. Peppermint (2018)

Peppermint is a vigilante action thriller film about Riley North, a banker in Los Angeles who works hard and lives with her husband, Chris, who owns a mechanic shop that isn’t doing too well, and their daughter Carly.

Chris’s friend tries to convince him to become an accomplice in robbing the powerful drug lord David, but he declines. David, who got the wrong news of Chris’s involvement, sends his men to kill him and his family.

While the North family is enjoying a carnival, David’s men arrive and kill Chris and Carly while injuring Riley. She identifies the shooters, but the officers are afraid to press charges since they are from a powerful cartel.

Still from Peppermint

David’s lawyer tries to convince Riley to drop the case in exchange for money, but she declines. The lawyer had seen Riley’s pills and told the court about it, which led to her case being dismissed because she was an unreliable witness.

Five years later, Riley is taking her revenge on all the people included in the killing and injustice done to her family, including all the lawyers, detectives, and even the judge who was a part of the cartel.

• Directed by: Pierre Morel
• Cast: Jennifer Garner, John Ortiz, John Gallagher Jr., Tyson Ritter
• IMDb rating: 6.5
• Where to watch: Netflix