Few moments are as terrifying and heart-stopping as a plane crash. One minute, you’re above the clouds; and the next you’re fighting for your life. Stories about plane crashes tap into a deep human fear and the thrilling hope of survival against impossible odds.
So, let’s look at 20 of the most gripping plane crash and survival stories told on screen. Whether it’s true stories like ‘Alive’ and ‘Sully’, haunting mysteries like ‘Lost’ and ‘Manifest’, and gritty survival tales like ‘The Grey’, ‘Yellowjackets’, and ‘The Wilds’, these shows and films have audiences in a chokehold.
20. Mayday/Air Crash Investigation
This long-running docuseries dissects real-life aviation disasters with forensic precision. Using expert interviews, black box recordings, and dramatic recreations, it turns tragedy into insight. Additionally, it showcases how every crash changed the way we fly. It’s deeply informative, sobering, and often jaw-dropping in how preventable some crashes were.
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19. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
In the chaos of war-torn Afghanistan, a helicopter crash forces an American soldier and his Afghan interpreter into an impossible survival journey across enemy territory. It’s a haunting, politically charged survival story that’s as emotional as it is thrilling. In the film, war meets wilderness. It also showcases the brotherhood and loyalty that transcends borders.
18. Departure
When a passenger jet disappears over the Atlantic, a brilliant investigator (played by Archie Panjabi) digs into a conspiracy that grows more complex by the hour. The show is a sleek, intelligent thriller that blends procedural storytelling with edge-of-your-seat suspense. It flips the survival genre into an investigative puzzle and every moment is intriguing.
17. Non-Stop
This thriller sees Liam Neeson once again in full action-hero mode, this time as an air marshal trapped in a deadly game 30,000 feet in the air. When someone on board starts sending threatening messages, the tension climbs faster than the plane’s altitude. The film is packed with twists, claustrophobia, and insane action sequences.
16. La Brea
When a giant sinkhole opens in LA, hundreds of people fall into a prehistoric world. Among them are survivors who must fight saber-toothed predators, strange tribes, and time-travel mysteries. It’s survival of the fittest meets sci-fi spectacle. For fans who love ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Lost’, and ‘Terra Nova’, the show might be a perfect choice.
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15. Manifest
Flight 828 disappears mid-air, and returns five years later, with the passengers untouched by time. However, strange visions, supernatural connections, and government conspiracies begin to unfold. What starts as a plane crash mystery becomes something way bigger and explores the themes of fate, destiny, and faith.
14. The Mountain Between Us
Stranded after a private plane crashes in the snowy wilderness, two strangers (played by Kate Winslet and Idris Elba) must rely on each other to survive. The film showcases them battling the cold and hunting for food. However, it also shows the haunting reality of confronting fear, and grief and learning to trust again. It’s survival wrapped in a love story, with stunning landscapes and quiet moments of emotional power.
13. Wrecked
A hilarious spoof of survival dramas, ‘Wrecked’ follows a group of mismatched survivors stranded on a tropical island after a crash. However, with ridiculous results. The show is like a mixture of ‘Lost’ meets ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’. It’s a satirical take on a dire situation so if you’re one for jokes, the show might be a perfect fit.
12. Flight Of The Phoenix
A remake of the 1965 classic, ‘Flight of the Phoenix’ showcases a high-adrenaline adventure that sees a group of crash survivors (including Dennis Quaid) stranded in the Gobi Desert. The film showcases moments of helplessness and the unbroken human spirit when they attempt to do the unthinkable and rebuild their plane from the wreckage. It’s an old-school survival adventure with a modern flair and a creative twist.
11. Y: The Last Man
Though not centered on a single crash, this post-apocalyptic series features key plane crash scenes as the global collapse unfolds. In a world where all mammals with a Y chromosome have died, chaos reigns, and survival takes on a whole new meaning. Moreover, the show explores themes about gender, power, and collapse. It perfectly portrays how society reconstructs after unimaginable loss.
10. The Edge
Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin find themselves stranded in the Alaskan backcountry after a plane crash, with a deadly grizzly bear stalking them. However, the real predator might be something more human. The film explores themes of jealousy, suspicion, and secrets that come to the surface in this icy psychological thriller.
9. The I-Land
A group of strangers wakes up on a tropical island with no memory of how they got there. Soon, they realize this paradise has a dark side, and so do they. The show is a mash-up of ‘Lost’, ‘Westworld’, and ‘The Matrix’. It plays with identity, illusion, and survival. It’s fast, strange, and full of psychological twists, even if it doesn’t land with everyone.
8. Yellowjackets
A high school girls’ soccer team crashes in the remote mountains, triggering a descent into tribalism, madness, and possibly the occult. Jumping between two timelines (their savage wilderness survival and their haunted adult lives) this show is dark, deeply psychological, and dripping with secrets. It’s a horror, psychological thriller, which when given the chance can fill any thriller appetite.
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7. Sully
Directed by Clint Eastwood, this film dramatizes the incredible true story of US Airways Flight 1549, the “Miracle on the Hudson.” Tom Hanks portrays Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who landed a failing jet in the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers. The film follows a gripping investigation that challenges his reputation. It showcases a crash that defied disaster and a man who became a hero.
6. The Grey
When a plane crashes in the frozen Alaskan wilderness, the survivors face brutal weather, isolation, and a pack of relentless wolves. Liam Neeson leads the group in a survival story that blurs the line between man and beast. The film perfectly reflects what it really means to keep going when death is around every corner. It’s not just about the wolves. It’s about despair, dignity, and choosing how to face your end.
5. The Wilds
A group of teenage girls crash on a remote island or so they think. As they bond, bicker, and break down, flashbacks reveal their secrets and flash-forwards reveal a disturbing truth. Turns out, they are all part of a sinister experiment. It’s a teen survival show with brains, heart, and some sharp social commentary.
4. Alive
Based on the harrowing true story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes, ‘Alive‘ doesn’t flinch from the horrifying choices these young men had to make to survive. Starvation. Freezing temperatures. All in all, the unthinkable. It’s a brutal, deeply human story of hope, faith, and impossible resilience. This film specifically hits hard, because it’s true and the moral dilemmas it confronts will stay with you long after the credits roll.
3. Flight
In the film, Denzel Washington plays Whip Whitaker, a pilot who miraculously crash-lands a damaged aircraft. However, this only leads to him facing scrutiny and suspicion when toxicology reports reveal he was intoxicated. Moreover, this isn’t just a survival film, it’s a haunting psychological portrait of addiction, heroism, and the thin line between savior and sinner. The opening crash sequence is terrifyingly real. However, it’s the moral fallout that makes this unforgettable.
2. Lost
When Oceanic Flight 815 crashes on a mysterious island, the survivors are forced to navigate not just the wild on an island that seems alive with secrets. With its mix of mind-bending timelines, metaphysical mysteries, and intense character arcs, ‘Lost’ redefined modern TV and launched a thousand fan theories. It’s the perfect show to watch if you’re looking for survival, mystery, and sci-fi with unforgettable twists and emotional depth.
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1. Cast Away
Tom Hanks delivers one of his most transformative performances as Chuck Noland, a FedEx executive whose routine life is shattered when his plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean. The film focuses on the emotionally wrenching journey of survival on a deserted island. It has cemented itself as a cult classic, with iconic moments like the “Wilson” volleyball, which became a symbol of isolation and hope.
