Survival Series & Movies

While it’s fun for many survival folks to imagine what it would be like to be stuck in a certain scenario, those who have lived through some of the worst natural and man-made disasters would assure you that there is no joy in it. However, there is nothing wrong with watching tv series and movies to get a better idea of how you could better prepare your family. There are some really great options out there, but some are just off the wall insane, and you really have to just take those with a grain of salt. While there are numerous other tv series and movies out there, these are the ones that I can speak on since I’ve watched them at least once.

• Doomsday Preppers
  While I have no doubt in my mind that many of the individuals featured in this series are good people and desire to do what’s best for their family, but there are some individuals in this show that are literally unhinged, or the show designed them that way. I believe you can find full episodes of this show on youtube that are free for general public.
• Dual Survivor
  While there were a few tidbits of information that I was able to pick up from the different survivalist in this show, on the back end of the show there were questions as to the legitimacy of individuals claiming to be spec ops members and it eventually just went downhill. It’s very uncomfortable at times watching military individuals try to mesh with Cody Lundin even though it didn’t appear as though he was trying to start fights with them. It looks like this can be watched on Amazon Prime and any other streaming locations.
• The Colony (series)
  While I have no doubt this show was fairly scripted versus throwing some people in situations and seeing who could actually survive, it was nonetheless an entertaining look at a few scenarios. I’ve watched this show more times than I care to admit because it made my brain work through some of the situations and see potential threats where I might not have otherwise seen them. You can watch it through Amazon Prime or Discovery+. The gist is that a group of individuals are kept awake for sleep deprivation to simulate the stress after a disaster, they are mentally drained and pushed to the limits for 10 weeks. I’m literally listening to this in the background as I work on this article, and I’ve had to rewind it numerous times to see really amazing inventions they build together as a group.
• The Road
  One of the most distressing SHTF movies I’ve ever watched, and I literally refused to watch it a second time. It was incredibly unnerving, nauseating, and very dark. A father and son set out to survive after the apocalypse and encounter cannibals, marauders, and all manner of ill individuals. At no point would I recommend any person with a sensitive heart or stomach watch this movie, but that’s just my opinion. Are there survival lessons to be had? I’m sure there are but the overwhelming majority of the movie was just so visceral and savage that I didn’t want to go back and take notes. If you’ve got the stomach for it, it’s currently available for free on Amazon through Freevee Channel.
• War of the Worlds
  I’ve seen different versions throughout the years and even have an old copy of the book, but for this sake I’ll stick to reviewing the Tom Cruise version and tell you that it is fairly dark and violent. There are scenes that are not suitable for some individuals and due to that, I only watched the movie once and refused to watch it again for not taking. The focus of the movie is on Tom Cruise’s character trying to keep his family members alive while dealing with an alien invasion and dangerous humans.
• The Colony (movie)
  Dark apocalyptic movie focused on an end of the world ice age that slaughters most of humanity with very few lessons to be learned but it’s at least entertaining. I wouldn’t recommend this for a younger viewing audience and there are some streaming services currently showing this as available for watch.
• The Day After Tomorrow
  Another ice age end of the world movie that features a fair number of individuals meeting their grisly end while a father fights to make it to his son and his friends in an effort to get them to safety and survive the extreme temperatures. While I love Dennis Quaid, I’ve noticed that Hollywood loves to create these extreme movies in an effort to instill climate change fear. It’s entertaining at best and can be found on streaming services if you do a quick search.
• Red Dawn
  I really prefer the Patrick Swayze version because it’s not a movie with loads of pretty boys trying to survive and shows various situations that young adults have to learn how to survive in. The 1980’s version has a cult following for a reason and I would recommend you take the time to watch this on Amazon Prime. It’s no walk in the park and there are some losses throughout the movie that may be difficult to view for those who are younger.
• Survivors
  While this was a short-lived BBC series, it focused on a virus wiping out the majority of the world and how a group of survivors attempted to reestablish some sense of normalcy. I’m sure you can search around and find some site streaming it but I wouldn’t spend money just to get the DVD set. It’s more entertaining than educational but there are some moments that are worth taking note of for future preparations.
• Defiance
  A WW2 era movie centered around three brothers who are attempting to help a group of Jewish survivors’ trek through various environments without getting killed by Nazi soldiers. While there are numerous personalities in the group of survivors, there are not combat trained military men and women so there are some harsh scenes which are to be expected in such a movie. It was entertaining but there are other movies that have taught me far more in the way of how to survive. Amazon Prime has this available through their Paramount+ subscription or you can rent it like normal.
• The Book of Eli
  I watched this once due to the dark nature of the film, but it was fascinating and presented a very difficult set of scenarios that allowed me to see things from a differing point of view. I will say that the end of the movie was surprising for me and like most Denzel Washington movies, it was very entertaining. There are numerous places you can rent this from but I couldn’t find any free streaming services that have it currently.
• Blast From The Past
  While this movie is goofy and kind of makes fun of the typical prepper tropes, it’s still a very eye-opening movie and highlights the importance of not running away from every single human and trying to survive on your own or with just your immediate family. I’ve watched this a few times due to the fact that I’m a big fan of Brendan Fraser and it’s such a silly prepper movie. You can rent this on Amazon Prime but I don’t believe it’s streaming anywhere specific.
• Tremors
  Another highly entertaining movie that focuses mostly on the entertainment angle versus actual survival lessons but there are still a few things that stand out. If you haven’t yet seen this movie, it focuses on a town in the middle of nowhere that becomes targets for these creatures to attack its human inhabitants with gruesome but occasionally funny results. There are various streaming companies that might have this available, but I believe it’s for sure on AMC+ with subscription. Seriously, it’s hilarious and it’s one of the many cult classics that everyone should watch at least once just to meet Burt & Heather Gummer.
• Outbreak
  This stars Dustin Hoffman and was compared to the 2019 cough cough by many preparedness folks who felt it was eerily similar. It’s pretty much a visceral movie with its fair share of death and unsettling images so it’s not a movie you would watch with children, and it most definitely isn’t a date night movie, but it is entertaining. Due to it being an older movie, it’s unlikely to be streaming services but you can rent it on Amazon Prime.
• American Blackout
  This was produced by National Geographic and is currently only available through Disney+ unless they’ve removed it, so if you have Disney+ go look for it. I would say that it was well produced, and both my husband and I watched it multiple times and would comment back and forth on scenes and how some dangerous situations could have been avoided. The documentary is set up to follow various individuals as they experience a country wide blackout and the utter chaos that follows in the hours afterward. It wouldn’t be something that small children would be able to watch as there are some jump scenes and a fair bit off violence as well as a scene where a female gets grabbed and possibly killed.
• Children of Men
  I watched it one time and that was about all I could stomach, it’s an incredibly depressing movie that centers around the grim reality of a world that’s been struck by infertility with one man agreeing to escort a miraculously pregnant woman to a safe location. It’s more entertaining than educational and while Clive Owen nails his role, it’s really not something that I would recommend as something that you would buy versus just renting or watching on streaming. Amazon Prime currently has this as well as a few other streaming services.
• A Quiet Place 1 & 2
  I’ve seen both of them and wouldn’t recommend the movie for younger audiences as it’s very dark, has a fair amount of gore and numerous jump scenes. The cast is really good but there’s a handful, if that of educational material that could be had as it’s more for entertainment than anything else. You can watch this on Paramount+ channel through Amazon Prime or directly on the Paramount+ website.
• Zombieland 1 & 2
  Freaking hilarious, wonderfully entertaining and actually has a few moments where there are good life lessons to pick up. I watch almost anything with Woody Harrelson because the man yet again nailed the role of Tallahassee, the violence loving twinkie craven lunatic and his little sidekick. There are a few situations in the movie that allow for reflection, so grab your popcorn and pull this up on Amazon Prime or some other streaming service.
• World War Z
  If I recall, there were plans being made for a part two and it ended up getting scrapped due to the 2019 cough cough and I haven’t heard anything about it since then, so I think it’s safe to say a part two isn’t happening. It stars Brad Pitt and a slew of other well-known actors as they try to survive a zombie apocalypse that seems center mostly on Israel. I would say this is more entertaining versus educational, but you might net something from it anyway. You can rent this on Amazon Prime or check your other streaming services to see if it’s available.
• Birdbox
  I watched it once and that was enough, it’s visceral and heartbreaking as numerous individuals commit suicide due to an unseen force. In this horror filled movie, Sandra Bullock is mom to a couple kids, and they are trying to make their way to a sanctuary while avoiding the terrifying creatures that are invisible to the naked eye. You can watch this on Netflix, but I don’t believe it’s available anywhere else streaming.
• The Walking Dead
  While I was a diehard fan of this tv series in its beginning days, I stopped watching it when they killed of two of the most awesome characters and turned it into some sort of horrific soap opera. It’s very entertaining in the beginning and there’s a fair amount of education to be had as you watch through each episode and can clearly see the consequences of the survivors choices. I think there have been numerous other tv series spawned off the original, but I haven’t spent the time to invest in any of those. It’s being shown on AMC+ and a few other streaming services so you should have no problem finding the episodes.
• The 100
  I’ve watched almost every episode and it’s really more of a sci fi soap opera that’s centered on the story that the earth was contaminated thanks to a nuclear bomb which sent the earths inhabitants into orbiting space stations. It’s got a fair amount of drama but does have some occasional good ideas and lessons to learn. You can watch episodes at Neflix if you have a subscription.
• Snowpiercer
  Darkly apocalyptic movie that stars Chris Evans and focuses on an ice ages scenario where survivors travel around on a train that travels the globe. It’s incredibly distressing and not at all for the faint of heart as there are scenes involving decapitation, cannibalism and even worse horrors. I watched it a total of one time and that was enough for me. This is definitely a movie that’s more entertaining than anything really educational.
• See
  This series stars Jason Momoa and focuses on a world where everyone is blind and then a set of twins are mysteriously born that have sight. It’s got some gory fight scenes and other dark elements that would make it unsuitable for younger viewers but it has some interesting scenes that should be fine for adults to tolerate. I believe it’s only available on Apple+ but there may be other places for you to check out.
• Jericho
  If I were to suggest you watch anything, I’d say spend some time watching this tv series and see what you can glean from each episode. Residents in a rural town in Kansas are cut off from the outside world after a cataclysmic mushroom cloud in Denver Colorado takes out the nearby infrastructure. I have to say this was well done and started Skeet Ulrich, Gerald McRaney, Lennie James and other recognizable faces. This is both entertaining and educational as you watch the characters weave together an interesting dramatic tapestry. If you are interested in watching both seasons, you can check it out on Amazon Prime via Paramount+ channel or go watch it directly on Paramount+.
• The Last Ship
  It’s a shame this series didn’t go longer as it was immensely entertaining, and I found myself picking up a few tactical details and working out scenarios in my head. The gist of this series is that there is a global pandemic, and a military ship is tasked with keeping itself on lock down while scientists try to find a cure as quickly as possible. With over 80 percent of the human population being decimated, it has it’s fair share of gore and violence. It wouldn’t be terrible as a date night tv show to watch with your spouse, but I would avoid younger aged kids watching it. I believe it’s currently available on Hulu or Amazon Prime’s Max channel subscription.
• Atlas Shrugged
  Okay, hear me out on this, its mind numbingly boring at times but there are some nuggets to scrounge from not 1 but 3 movies. One of the most difficult reasons that I (and others) really struggled with this is that each movie has a completely different actor casting for each movie, but all the characters are still there in every single movie. It was very interesting to watching these movies and then watch the events from 2019 onward and wonder if I was watching these movies unfold in real life. You can find all three movies on Amazon Prime and possibly other streaming services.