Thesurvival film is afilm genre in which one or more characters make an effort at physicalsurvival.[1] The genre focuses on characters' life-or-death struggles, often set against perilous circumstances. Survival films explore the human will to live, individual motivations, and personal desires, prompting audiences to reflect on broader aspects of humanity and personal values. They balance realism and believability with slow-burning suspense to maintain a sense of urgency. While some survival films may have epic scopes and lengthy running times, their effectiveness lies in creating an atmosphere where every moment poses a passive threat to the protagonist's existence.[2]
Survival films are darker than most other adventure films and usually focus their storyline on a single character, usually theprotagonist. The films tend to be "located primarily in a contemporary context", so film audiences are familiar with the setting, and the characters' activities are less romanticized.[3]
In a 1988 book, Thomas Sobchack compared the survival film toromance film: "They both emphasize the heroic triumph over obstacles which threaten social order and the reaffirmation of predominant social values such as fair play and respect for merit and cooperation."[3] The author said survival films "identify and isolate a microcosm of society", such as the surviving group from the plane crash inThe Flight of the Phoenix (1965) or those on the overturned ocean liner inThe Poseidon Adventure (1972). Sobchack explained, "Most of the time in a survival film is spent depicting the process whereby the group, cut off from the securities and certainties of the ordinary support networks of civilized life, forms itself into a functioning, effective unit." The group often varies in types of characters, sometimes to the point ofcaricature. While women have historically beenstereotyped in such films, they "often play a decisive role in the success or failure of the group."[4]
^Vanhala, Helena (2011). "International Terrorism and the Commercial Hollywood Film Industry".The Depiction of Terrorists in Blockbuster Hollywood Films, 1980–2001: An Analytical Study. McFarland. p. 105.ISBN978-0-7864-3662-0.
