Cast Away
When you think “survival film,” the first one that probably pops into your head is 2000’s Cast Away, so it’s going first on this list. Cast Away stars Tom Hanks, a FedEx executive who survives on a deserted island for four years after his plane crashes. For 90 percent of the film, Hanks is by himself as he struggles in figuring out the way of the land. He keeps track of the days by scraping tallies on a rock, he excels in a previously unrealized job goal (dentistry), and eats so much crab that the mere thought of it later makes him sick. And let’s not forget one of the best friendships to ever grace the screen — between Hanks and Wilson the volleyball. If you don’t tear up during the scene where Wilson floats away, then you can see yourself out. Throughout the film, we watch Hanks’ character desperately cling on to hope and can’t fault him when he can’t.
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