Category: Survival

The Lost Bus

2025   Apple Original Films

Rated:  R

Length:  2 hr  9min

Drama ~ Survival ~ Thriller ~ True Story

Directed by:  Paul Greengrass

Starring:  Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, and Ashlie Atkinson.

Inspired By The True Story Of Survival.

The Lost Bus on Apple TV+ grips from the start as a harrowing true-story survival thriller, directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Matthew McConaughey as Kevin McKay, a down-on-his-luck school bus driver in Paradise, California. Set against the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in state history, the film thrusts McKay into chaos when flames erupt during a routine school run, forcing him to evacuate 22 elementary kids with the help of quick-thinking teacher Mary Ludwig, played by America Ferrera. Greengrass’s kinetic, handheld style immerses viewers in the smoke-choked inferno, where every decision means life or death amid crumbling infrastructure and zero visibility.​

McConaughey delivers a powerhouse performance, channeling raw vulnerability and grit as a flawed everyman rising to heroism, his Oklahoma drawl adding authentic texture to the role. Ferrera shines as the composed educator whose calm anchors the kids’ panic, their chemistry fueling tense, heartfelt exchanges that humanize the disaster. Supporting turns from young actors portraying the children bring genuine terror and resilience, while cameos like Steve Zahn add grounded support without stealing focus.​

Technically, the film excels in building relentless suspense through practical effects and sound design, the roar of flames and kids’ cries create palpable dread, though some CGI fire sequences feel slightly artificial. Greengrass, known for United 93 and Captain Phillips, masterfully blends real-time urgency with emotional depth, exploring themes of community and redemption without veering into melodrama. Pacing never lags, clocking in at a taut 129 minutes that leaves you breathless.​

Overall, The Lost Bus stands as a top-tier disaster drama with its pulse-pounding action, stellar leads, and inspirational true events. Perfect for thriller enthusiasts craving high-stakes heroism like 127 Hours, it’s a must-watch on Apple TV+.

The Martian

2015   20th Century Fox

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  2 hr  24min

Adventure ~ Drama ~ Epic ~ Sci-Fi ~ Survival

Directed by:  Ridley Scott

Starring:  Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover and Mackenzie Davis.

BRING HIM HOME!

The Martian follows astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is accidentally left behind on Mars after a violent storm forces his crew to abort their mission and evacuate. Believed dead when struck by flying debris, Watney wakes up injured and alone on the hostile red planet with only limited supplies. Determined to survive, he uses his ingenuity as a botanist to grow crops inside the team’s living habitat, known as the Hab. By turning Martian soil and his crew’s waste into usable farmland, and creating water through chemical reactions, he begins to sustain himself while figuring out a way to signal Earth that he is still alive.​

Back on Earth, NASA is stunned to discover images showing Watney’s activity on Mars. Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) and mission lead Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) scramble to reestablish contact using the old Pathfinder rover, eventually opening a line of communication with Watney. As messages begin to travel between Mars and Earth, NASA faces a monumental challenge, how to rescue him before his limited food and oxygen run out. Scientists and engineers from multiple nations join forces, while the world follows Watney’s struggle in awe and suspense, turning his isolation into a global mission.​

Meanwhile, aboard the Hermes spacecraft, mission commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) and her remaining crew learn that their teammate is alive. Torn between orders to return home and their loyalty to Watney, they secretly conspire to go back for him. Astrophysicist Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) develops a daring “slingshot” plan that would redirect the Hermes back to Mars using Earth’s gravity, saving crucial time but putting the crew at immense risk. Against NASA’s official stance, Lewis and her team decide to take the chance, setting off on an unauthorized rescue mission fueled by courage and friendship.​

As Watney drives his rover across the Martian landscape toward the Ares IV launch site, the tension builds. Using parts scavenged from old missions, he prepares for the last, most dangerous phase, launching himself into orbit with a stripped-down Mars Ascent Vehicle to rendezvous with Hermes. In an intense and emotional climax, Commander Lewis reaches out to catch him in open space, reuniting him with the crew in one final, breathtaking rescue. Against impossible odds, Mark Watney’s determination and human resilience triumph, making his story one of survival, science, and hope.

Matt Damon’s performance anchors the film and is frequently hailed as one of his best. Carrying most of the runtime alone, Damon portrays Watney with a mix of frustration, charm, and vulnerability that keeps the viewer invested. His humor becomes a survival tool, softening the loneliness and tension of Mars’s desolation. Damon’s ability to blend wit with emotional depth makes Watney feel like a real person, an explorer confronting fear with intellect and stubborn optimism. Critics note that Ridley Scott gives Damon the cinematic space to let audiences truly connect with Watney’s struggle and triumph.​

Visually, the movie is breathtaking. Scott’s decision to shoot in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan lends authenticity to the Martian landscape, while Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography captures the vast emptiness of space without losing the intimacy of human emotion. The production’s technical precision extends from set design to space flight realism, creating one of the most scientifically credible sci-fi films of the decade. The music, featuring a mix of Harry Gregson-Williams’s introspective score and Watney’s tongue-in-cheek disco playlist, lightens the mood and grounds the story in personality rather than spectacle.

Ridley Scott’s The Martian is a brilliant reminder why he’s one of sci-fi’s all-time greats, a director who can take you from the shadowy, rain-soaked alleys of Blade Runner to the dusty, lonely surface of Mars without missing a beat. If Blade Runner was Scott’s moody, philosophical masterpiece about what it means to be human, The Martian flips the script with a smart, hopeful survival story that celebrates human ingenuity and grit. Both films boast unforgettable worlds,  the futuristic cityscape in one, the stark Martian horizon in the other, showcasing Scott’s knack for creating settings as powerful as the characters. Watching The Martian feels like catching up with an old friend who’s just as comfortable making you think deeply as making you root for a guy growing potatoes on the red planet.

I don’t remember seeing this movie before but I saw it was on Netflix and decided to give it a go. How could you go wrong with Ridley Scott, Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover and Mackenzie Davis. It does not disappoint, the 2 hours and 24 minute runtime went by super quick. It is a really good movie, one I highly recommend if you haven’t seen it. And if you have, watch it again, well worth a repeat viewing.

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie!

Currently on NETFLIX.

Dangerous Animals

2025   Shudder

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  38min

Horror ~ Survival ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Sean Byrne

Starring:  Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Rob Carlton, Ella Newton, Liam Greinke and Jai Courtney.

You’re Safer In The Water

Jai Courtney stars as Bruce Tucker, a boat captain on the Gold Coast of Australia who runs Tucker’s Experience. a shark cage attraction. As he is returning to his boat with supplies he finds Tourists Greg and Heather waiting to be taken out and experience the shark cage experience. After talking to them and realizing that know one knows where they are, Tucker is more than happy to take them out to sea for the shark cage experience. After taking them out and throwing out chum to attract the sharks, Tucker lowers Greg and Heather into the ocean in the shark cage. After bringing them back up, Tucker promptly stabs Greg repeatedly with a knife and kicks him overboard for the sharks to feast on. Heather screams and Tucker smiles wickedly at Heather and says, “Welcome Aboard!”

Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) is a free spirited American surfer living out of her van and travelling the Gold Coast of Australia. She is running from her past and searching for solace in the sun and the waves. She meets Moses (Josh Heuston) one day as he is looking for someone to help him start his car. Reluctant at first, Zephyr agrees to help him after she realizes that he is also a surfing enthusiast. They get his car started and then form a bond which leads to a one night affair. Zephyr, afraid of any kind of commitment and being a solitary creature, sneaks out as Moses is sleeping. She heads to the beach to do some early morning surfing but realizes she has lost her fin key for her surf board. She notices Tucker’s truck parked behind her and thinking he was probably an early morning surfer like her, rummages through the back of his truck looking for a key. Tucker shows up and she explains that she wasn’t breaking into his truck, only looking for a fin key. He has one and gives it to her. and when she turns her back to go to her van, Tucker ambushes her and knocks her unconscious.

When Zephyr comes to she is laying on a bed handcuffed to a metal railing. Frantic she tries to break free and realizes there is another girl laying in the same situation as her. It is Heather the Tourist who calmly tells her they are on Tucker’s boat and that there is no chance of escape. Tucker eventually shows up and gives the girls bread and water. Zephyr quickly realizes that Tucker has drugged the water and passes out. When she comes to, Tucker has Heather attached to the shark cage crane in a harness. She is drugged and Tucker has thrown chum into the water. As he starts to lift Heather up it becomes clear that he is about to feed the sharks with Heather that she is about to witness “The Greatest Show On Earth!” Tucker lowers Heather into the water and videotapes the whole episode for his perverse viewing later. When Zephyr comes to again she is back handcuffed to the bed in the boat. She frantically tries to escape knowing that she will be the shark’s next meal.

And what follows is a frantic thrilling and desperate journey to survive the psychotic serial killer Tucker and his perverse fascination with feeding people to the sharks. Moses is so taken with Zephyr, he tries to find her and eventually figures out that she is on Tucker’s boat and that Tucker is a “Dangerous Animal”. Like the solitary creature the shark, Tucker looks for his victims and attacks them when they least expect it with no mercy. Moses and Zephyr have grown very fond of each other and both realizing the other is in danger, they team up to escape from Tucker’s madness. Dangerous Animals is like Jaws, Hannibal and American Psycho all rolled into one. It is more terrifying than Jaws, more evil than Hannibal and more devious than American Psycho. If you love the Horror genre or Thrillers in general, this is a must watch! Jai Courtney and Hassie Harrison are fantastic in this, I absolutely loved it and would definitely watch it again!

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Scream,

I mean Stream This Movie

on Amazon Prime and Shudder