21 Desert Island Movies: The Best Survival and Adventure Films

Every fan of survival movies knows that this is the perfect genre for showcasing the behavior of people in difficult life situations and harsh conditions. Here are the best films (and a couple of TV shows) about the unfortunate souls trying to pull through while being stranded on some remote uninhabited islands.

Table of contents

Lost (TV series)

Rating IMDB – 8.3
Genre: Fantasy, detective, fantasy, thriller, drama, adventure
US production / 2004
Directed by: Jack Bender, Stephen Williams, Paul A. Edwards, Tucker Gates, Eric Laneuville
Cast: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, Terry O’Quinn, Naveen Andrews, Jorge Garcia, Michael Emerson, Emily de Ravin, Yoon Jin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim

An airliner flying from Sydney to Los Angeles crashes over the Pacific Ocean. Most of the passengers are dead, but 48 people manage to survive. Now this small group faces a real struggle for survival among the wild and dangerous island.

It is still a great challenge to get along with each other and become a functional team. Sadly, the hope that they will soon be rescued is diminishing day by day.

Many characters’ backstories and features were written during the casting process.
Evangeline Lilly had a hard time even before the shooting had started. After being approved for the role among the other 75 actresses, she was having a trouble getting a U.S. work visa for several months.

Stranded

Rating IMDB — 6.5
Genre: Drama, adventure
US production / 2002
Directed by: Charles Beeson
Cast: Liam Cunninghe, Brana Bayich, Roger Allam, Jesse Spencer, Neil Newbon, Andrew Lee Potts, Charlie Lucas, Rydeed Lardpanna, Jenna Harrison, Emma Pearson

The movie is set in the 19th century. The English family Robinson was on its way to settle in Australia. Then the unexpected happened – a storm knocked the ship off course causing it to circle around the ocean for a long time.

Eventually the ship docked on a colorful island. The family unloaded all the leftover provisions from the wrecked ship on land and began their journey of survival. The island became their home, but soon they faced a tribe living on the same land and a pirate ship full of merciless cuttroats that docked on the island.

The film is based on a novel by Johann David Wyss.

Cast Away

Rating IMDB – 7.8
Genre: Drama, melodrama, adventure
US production / 2000
Budget: $90,000,000
Worldwide gross: $429,632,142
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Chris Noth, Nick Searcy, Jennifer Lewis, Paul Sanchez, Lari White, Leonid Siter, David Brooks, Elena Popovich

Chuck Noland is a definition of a hard worker. He is an inspector in a logistics company. Chuck is constantly on business trips and he never has enough spare time, especially for his personal life.
During one of his business trips, the airliner with Chuck on board crashed over the ocean, leaving him as the lone survivor. Now he has one goal – to pull through for as long as possible hoping that someone would eventually find him on the desert island.

Tom Hanks had the task of looking like a middle-aged man with no free time to work out. He had to give up his fitness practices and gain a few dozen pounds.

Swiss Army Man

Rating IMDB – 7.0
Genre: Fantasy, drama, comedy, adventure
Production USA, Sweden / 2016
Budget: $3,000,000
Worldwide gross: $4,935,501
Directed by: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Cast: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Antonia Ribero, Timothy Yolich, Richard Gross, Marika Casteel, Andy Hull, Aaron Marshall, Shane Carruth

Hank has been living on a desert island for quite some time, and his hope of salvation has long since faded. On the brink of despair, Hank stumbles upon a dead body. That would scare anybody, but Hank decides that from now on he and a living corpse named Manny will be inseparable buddies.

The new “friend” makes it easier for Hank to survive and gives him hope. He decides to go in search of his dream girl.

Daniel Radcliffe promoted this movie with the help of Manny, the life-sized doll of his image that was so beloved by the audience.

The Beach

Rating IMDB – 6.7
Genre: Thriller, drama, melodrama, adventure
US, UK production / 2000
Budget: $50,000,000
Worldwide gross: $144,056,873
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Tilda Swinton, Guillaume Canet, Robert Carlyle, Paterson Joseph, Zelda Tinska, Peter Youngblood Hills, Daniel Caltagirone, Daniel York

Richard loves adventure. His trip to Thailand ends up in an interesting acquaintance. A strange man living in the same hotel as Richard gives him a map. It should lead the young man to a strange island inhabited by a friendly commune growing cannabis on vast plantations.

Having made friends with a couple of Frenchmen, Richard without hesitation takes them on his search of paradise. Now the trio is in for a real adventure.

Leonardo DiCaprio was paid about 20 million dollars for his role.

Robinson Crusoe (TV miniseries)

Rating IMDB – 6.4
Genre: Drama, аdventure
Production: France, Canada, UK / 2002
Directed by: Thierry Chabert
Cast: Pierre Richard, Nicolas Cazale, Jean-Claude Leger, Marie Béraud, Aurora Basnuevo, Ulic Anello, Jennifer Loret, Stéphane Demers, Guy Leroy, Michael Rudder

Robinson Crusoe and his crew are shipwrecked. The entire crew died tragically. Only Robinson managed to survive and get to an island off the coast of America. His next 15 years will be full of adventures and funny stories.

Now the sailor has to try to survive and find his way out of this difficult situation. He spends the next few years building shelters, eating tropical fruits and learning the local language.

This is an adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s cult classic novel with some fantasy elements.

Blue Lagoon: The Awakening

Rating IMDB – 5.5
Genre: Drama, melodrama
US production / 2012
Directed by: Mikael Salomon
Cast: Indiana Evans, Brenton Thwaites, Denise Richards, Patrick St. Esprit, Frank John Hughes, Alix Gitter, Carrie Wampler, Hayley Kiyoko, Aimee Carrero, Annie Tedesco

During a regular boat trip, young girl Emma is accidentally thrown overboard. While everyone was wondering how to save her, Dean decides to rush to the rescue himself. He follows her and jumps overboard. That’s how the teenagers found themselves on a desert island somewhere in the vastness of the Caribbean Sea.

The young people get acquainted, get to know each other and within a week they fall in love. Now they need to figure out how to escape from the island and return to normal life.

At the time of filming Indiana Evans was 21 years old, while Emma, the character she was portraying, was only 17 years old.

Six Days, Seven Nights

Rating IMDB – 5.8
Genre: Action, melodrama, comedy, adventure
US production / 1998
Budget: $70,000,000
Worldwide gross: $164,839,294
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Cast: Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, David Schwimmer, Jacqueline Obradors, Temuera Morrison, Allison Janney, Douglas Weston, Cliff Curtis, Danny Trejo, Ben Bowde

A small plane crashes during a thunderstorm. The pilot, Quinn Harris, and one passenger, Robin Monroe, are stranded on a deserted island. There is a small chance that they will be discovered and rescued. But no one is looking for them anymore as their friends and family members think that Quinn and Robin are dead.

A few days later, a ship docks on the island shore. The couple hoped that a rescue party had come for them. Their disappointment was immeasurable when they realized that pirates had arrived on the island.

The movie features the same island as in King Kong (1976).

Turkish for Beginners

Rating IMDB – 5.8
Genre: Comedy
Production: Germany / 2012
Worldwide gross: $21,349,838
Directed by: Bora Dagtekin
Cast: Josephine Preuss, Elias M’Barek, Anna Stieblich, Adnan Maral, Pega Feridoni, Arnel Thaci, Katarina Kaali, Nick Romeo Reimann, Frederik Lau, Sonia Gerhardt

Lena’s whole life goes sideways. Endless arguments with her mother and quarrels with her boyfriend make her feel depressed. Her mother decides to cheer Lena up and gives her a trip to Thailand. But even then, everything does not go according to plan – instead of enjoying the beach, good food and rest, the girl has her plane crashed. She ends up on an island with Cem, a Turkish macho, and his sister. What follows is a chaotic struggle for survival full of awkward situations.

Love Wrecked

Rating IMDB – 4.9
Genre: Melodrama, comedy, adventure
US production / 2005
Worldwide gross: $3,984,033
Directed by: Randal Kleiser
Cast: Amanda Bynes, Chris Carmack, Jonathan Bennett, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Susan Durden, Fred Willard, Jackie Long, Joey Kern, Lance Bass, Kathy Griffin

Jenny goes to an island resort, but it is not for recreational purposes. She is 18 and she is working there to make her ends meet. She was head over heels learning that Jason Masters, her biggest crush, was headed to the same island for a vacation.

After a series of unfortunate circumstances, they find themselves on a “deserted” island. It is very close to civilization, but Jason does not know about it, while Jenny takes advantage of. But her happiness will not last long as a couple more pretenders to her favorite rock star’s heart would soon show on this island.

Randal Kleiser came up with the plot of the movie back in 2004.

Lord of the Flies

Rating IMDB – 6.4
Genre: Thriller, drama, adventures
US production / 1990
US fees: $13,985,225
Directed by: Harry Hook
Cast: Balthazar Getty, Chris Fuhr, Daniel Pipoly, James Badge Dale, Andrew Taft, Edward Taft, Gary Rule, Terry Wells, Braden McDonald, Angus Bargin

A plane full of young military school crashes somewhere in the ocean. After miraculously surviving, the boys find themselves alone on a desert island. Now no one will help and solve their problems. They have to take the situation into their own hands and behave like adults.

The pilot, who also managed to survive, lies unconsciousness. The boys decide to introduce the set of rules to the group. After a while, the tensions rise among them. When the chance of salvation is lost through the fault of one of the boys, their group splits into two camps. The island and its harsh conditions are forcing the boys to leave all the rules and morals behind and just survive no matter what.

The film was an adaptation of the novel by William Golding.

Dear Claudia

Rating IMDB – 5.6
Genre: Melodrama, comedy, adventure
Production: Australia / 1999
Director: Chris Cudlipp
Cast: Bryan Brown, Alexandra Vujicic, Deborah Mailman, Kim Hillas, Rel Hunt, Ken Radley, Sam Healy

Instead of enjoying his youth, Walter chose to care for and help his elderly mother. Everyone in Talock Spring knew him as a good-natured mailman. At one point his life changed when he agreed to help young Claudia Keesing and fly her on his plane to Cooktown.

Unfortunately, the plane crashes over the ocean, near an uninhabited island. Now the two of them are forced to fight for their lives and survive. But it would be harder than it seems as every now and then Walter and Claudia dive into a storm of quarrels and scandals.

The movie was shot on Brampton Island and in a small town called Clifton. Many of the locals were happy to participate in filming process as extras.

The New Swiss Family Robinson

Rating IMDB – 4.9
Genre: Adventure, family
US production / 1998
Director: Stuart Raffil
Cast: Jane Seymour, David Carradine, James Keach, John Mallory Asher, Blake Bashoff, Jamie Rene Smith, Yumi Iwama, Simone Griffith, Billy Bates, Rick Kahana

The Robinson family finally fulfills their dream of going on a yacht cruise to Australia. The father of the family buys a yacht from an acquaintance and goes on the adventure with his family. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sheldon, the seller of the yacht, hides the treasure in it, hoping that the smuggling will not be noticed.

While at sea, the yacht is attacked by pirates. Sheldon wishes to get his jewels back. The Robinson yacht is pursued and finally crashes on one of the uninhabited islands. From that moment on, the real adventure begins.

The filming turned out to be particularly dangerous for Jane Seymour. For several days she was on the verge of death because of a fever she contracted on the island.

Sweetheart

Rating IMDB – 5.8
Genre: Horror
US production / 2019
Directed by: Justin Dillard
Cast: Kiersey Clemons, Emory Cohen, Hannah Mangan Lawrence, Andrew Crawford, Benedict Samuel

A small group of friend decides to go on a sea cruise, not knowing yet that it will end tragically. The boat crashes and the only survivors are Jenny and her friend Brad.

They swim to a desert island, but Brad dies from his injuries. Just as the girl buries her friend, she discovers the next day that the grave has been dug up and the body has been stolen. Jenny had no idea yet that the real danger awaits her in the depths of the ocean.

The film distribution rights were bought out by Netflix.

Robinson Crusoe

Rating IMDB – 6.0
Genre: Drama, аdventure
US production / 1997
Director: Rod Hardy, George Miller
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, William Takaku, Polly Walker, Ian Hart, James Frain, Damian Lewis, Ben Robertson, Martin Grace, Sean Brosnan, Lysette Anthony

Mr. Crusoe is a sailor who is ready for any kind of trouble. But a storm and a shipwreck near an island were not part of his plans. Alone on a big island, the man does not hope for rescue, but thinks only about how to survive in such conditions.

An unpleasant surprise for Robinson is the local folk intending to feast on fresh meat. Among the crowd of indigenous people, he meets a man who is a hostage of the same situation. Now, rallying as a team, they are forced to come up with a plan – how to get off the island and not to become an appetizer.

Miramax Films bought the rights to the movie distribution in cinemas.

The Blue Lagoon

Rating IMDB – 5.8
Genre: Drama, melodrama, adventure
US production / 1980
Budget: $4,500,000
Worldwide gross: $58,853,106
Directed by: Randal Kleiser
Cast: Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins, Leo McKern, William Daniels, Elva Josephson, Glenn Cohen, Alan Hopgood, Gus Mercuryio, Geoffrey Kleiser, Bradley Price

Normally, a shipwreck is all about broken lives and tragic death. But The Blue Lagoon tells an ambiguous story about a beautiful love born out of a horrific tragedy.

Two survivors (a boy and a girl) seek refuge on a desert island. It becomes their haven for the next few years. As they grow up, the couple is haunted by troubles and difficulties of survival. but it makes their love grow stronger and stronger.

At the time of filming, the lead actress Brooke Shields was only fourteen years old.

The Wilds (TV series)

Rating IMDB – 7.4
Genre: Drama, detective, adventure
US production / 2020
Directed by: John Paulson, Ben S. Lucas, Haifa Al Mansour
Cast: Sophia Taylor Ali, Shannon Berry, Rain Edwards, Mia Healy, Helena Howard, Erana James, David Sullivan, Troy Winbush

A group of young girls find themselves on a desert island because of unforeseen circumstances. They are all different coming from various social circles. This fact along with other little things become a reason for conflicts and quarrels in the group.

The girls divide into small groups and trying to survive on their own, not relying on others. Every girl hides a secret that is directly related to their current situation.

The series marks the acting debut of Mia Healey. All the scenes on the water were filmed in New Zealand.

Survival Island (Three)

Rating IMDB – 4.9
Genre: Thriller, drama, adventures
Production: USA, UK, Luxembourg / 2005
Budget: $9,000,000
Worldwide gross: $558,764
Director: Stuart Raffil
Cast: Billy Zane, Kelly Brook, Juan Pablo Di Paque, Todd Collins, Gabrielle Jordan, Gary Brockett, Isabelle Constantini, Roy Rivera, Maria Victoria Di Paque, Summer Davis

The wealthy couple Jack and Jennifer go on a cruise, where they are hoping to luxuriously spend their honeymoon. Sadly, they get into a shipwreck off the coast of an uninhabited island, and the couple, along with the sailor Manuel, manage to survive. Now they are forced to survive in an unknown wildland.

Manuel takes full responsibility and protects the couple by getting food and water. This is what attracts Jennifer. An affair erupts between them that quickly becomes obvious to her husband. This situation enrages him and he becomes a real monster. Now the men are not worried about getting off the island. Their goal is to win the war for Jennifer’s heart.

While Jennifer preferred the sailor in the movie, in real life, the lead actress was in a relationship with Billy Zane, who played Jack, for about three years.

Swept Away

Rating IMDB – 3.6
Genre: Melodrama, comedy
Production: UK, Italy / 2002
Budget: $10,000,000
Worldwide gross: $1,036,520
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Bruce Greenwood, Madonna, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Beatty, Jeanne Tripplehorn, David Thornton, Yorgo Voyagis, Ricardo Perna, Adriano Giannini, George Yasumi

Wayward Amber goes on a long-awaited cruise, but the regular sailor Giuseppe spoils the whole trip for her. They have constant arguments and develop a real hatred for each other because of it.

After an unexpected storm and a shipwreck, they find themselves on a deserted island. Now they have no choice but to act as a team while trying to survive in harsh conditions. Being all alone in wildlands, they notice that their relationship slowly develops. They come the full road from bitter enemies to passionate lovers.

In 2002, the film received five Golden Raspberry Awards as one of the worst movies of that year.

Mysterious Island

Rating IMDB – 4.4
Genre: Fiction, fantasy, action, adventure
Production: USA, Thailand, Germany / 2005
Directed by: Russell Mulcay
Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Danielle Calvert, Gabrielle Anwar, Patrick Stewart, Jason Durr, Omar Gooding, Vinnie Jones, Tom Mison, Roy Marsden, Chris Larkin

In the midst of the Civil War, the Northerners try to escape the certain death in a hot air balloon. Having crashed, they find themselves on an inhabited island far from civilization.

Later, it turns out that fate has led them to a veritable den of pirates. To survive, they have to use all the skills and wit. Captain Nemo having accidentally got on the same island comes to their aid.

The film is based on the novel by Jules Verne. The movie was filmed in Thailand, and the pirates were mostly played by Thai actors.

Prey

Rating IMDB – 4.7
Genre: Horror, thriller, detective, adventure
US production / 2019
Worldwide gross: $82,258
Directed by: Frank Khalfoun
Cast: Logan Miller, Kristin Froseth, Jolene Anderson, Jerrika Lai, Fodiso Dintwe, Anthony Jensen, Jody Mortara, Vela Cluff, Joey Adanalyan, Travis Cluff

Toby’s parents don’t like the way their teenage son is behaving at all. They decide to send him on an extreme survival program to a desert island. They thought that this would help the boy to grow up and change his behavior.

Survival becomes a serious and difficult challenge for Toby. With each day passing by, the high school senior notices more oddities that later make him realize that he is not alone on the island. Now it’s up to him to fight the unknown danger, or continue to stay in the shadows and hide. But Toby has to keep in mind that getting discovered could be deadly.