In Land, Robin Wright from House of Cards fame plays a bereaved woman named Edee. To get away from it all, Edee embraces life in a cabin, in Wyoming’s wilderness. But, her new life presents its own challenges in finding survival skills against a marauding bear and a struggle with loneliness. Chance companionship, grit and sheer determination allow her to succeed at life, in this poignant movie. If you liked Land, you will love any of the following movies like Land.
Here are other ‘movies like this’ suggestions for recent movies that came out in February. Movies like Minari. Movies like The Dig.
8 Poignant Movies like Land
1 Into the Wild (2007) – A top student gives it all up, to embrace the wilderness
Based on a True Story, Into the Wild is about a honors student who gives up all worldly possessions to walk into the Alaskan wilderness, to live and contemplate life. Along the way, he meets an eclectic set of characters who shape his new way of life. A movie that makes you think hard about what really life is and how you should live it. Skip it if you are not a fan of tragedies though.
2 The Grey (2011) – Plane crash, wolves and a fight for survival
In The Grey, Liam Neeson plays John Ottway, a huntsman recruited for the sole purpose of killing wolves to protect a team of oilmen. Their plane crashes. A pack of wolves methodically hunts them down. John assumes leadership of the group. But, one by one, the team is picked up by the fierce and stealthy wolves. Can John hold them off or could it all come down to just him and the menacing alpha male wolf?
3 Cast Away (2000) – Crash landed FedEx employee figures out life and survival on a deserted island
A plane crash on a deserted island and no way to call in a rescue. Tom Hanks plays a FedEx employee who is nowhere near prepared to survive on an island. But, he still does. To help you understand a survivor’s struggles, Tom Hanks went through a remarkable body transformation to showcase how a life of sheer survival can transform the human body. From starting his first fire to spearing fish to conversations with Mr. Wilson, a volleyball he salvaged from his FedEx packages, this is movie with many memorable scenes.
Find inspiration in the physical and emotional transformation so well portrayed by Tom Hanks.
4 127 Hours (2010) – Stuck between a rock and a hard place, literally, for 127 hours!
A mountaineer suffers a freak canyoneering accident where a boulder pins him down in the mountains of Moab, Utah. Based on a true life story, this is a brilliant movie about the will of a human spirit. It is about mental struggles, contemplation to self-amputate and about putting survival skills to critical use. The musical score is brilliant, weaving you into a myriad of emotions.
James Franco is phenomenal as Aron Ralston. A must watch if you are a fan of survival.
5 Backcountry (2014) – A lost urban couple and a black bear on the hunt, in backcountry
An outdoorsman husband convinces a lawyer wife to take a trip to a very secluded trail called the Blackfoot Trail. But, deep into Canadian wilderness, the couple loses their way. Tensions rise between the couple, with a strange nomadic alpha male lusting after the wife. To make matters worse, the couple also has walked into bear territory.
Fear and horror invoke grit, determination and courage. A high-strung emotional rollercoaster of a movie.
6 The Revenant (2015) – Brutally mauled by a bear, but with an incredible will to survive to avenge his betrayal
Set in the 1800’s The Revenant is about a tradesman left for dead by his own hunting team. Leonardo DiCarpio plays Hugh Glass. It features one of the most primal animal scenes made in movie history, ever, with the depiction of a bear mauling Hugh.
Despite all odds, Hugh not only survives the grizzle assault, but finds the will to track down and avenge the betrayal that nearly cost him his life. Tom Hardy also delivers in his role as John Fitzgerald, the confidant who coldly abandons Hugh.
7 All Is Lost (2013) – A lone sailor counts down his time on a damaged boat
Robert Redford does a phenomenal job of portraying a solo sailor whose boat is suddenly damaged by a drifting shipping container. Against the clock, he uses all his resourcefulness to buy time, to hope to be found. Boat repairs, a struggle to find determination and innovative celestial navigation to find active shipping lines gets him closer to a rescue. But, will it all be too late in the end?
A brilliant watch. Almost nothing is spoken during the movie and the sailor doesn’t even have a name. But, he doesn’t need one either. This movie is not about survival of a man, but the survival of human spirit.
8 Winter’s Bone (2010) – The social terrain is as unforgiving as the brutal winter
Jennifer Lawrence plays Ree Dolly. In this critically acclaimed performance, Lawrence plays a 17 year old teen in a very poor neighborhood in a wintry rural area. Her father abandons the family. If that wasn’t enough, he puts up their house for bail and skips bail. Lawrence has to find him, or risk becoming homeless with the rest of the family.
Her struggle to find her father takes her through a murky world of unforgiving drug dealers and addicts. Yet, she forges on. The desolate winter scenes provide the perfect backdrop for this movie about fighting for your family.