10 exciting movies about quests and survival games

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

"Claustrophobes", "I'm Going to Search", "Battle Royale" and other films will make you empathize with the heroes every second.

1. Experiment "Office"

• USA, 2017.
• Horror, thriller.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 1.

The next working day in the international corporation "Belko" begins very strangely. All doors and windows are locked, and a mysterious voice from the speakers announces to employees that they will not leave the building until they each finish off two of their colleagues.

At first, the demand looks like a stupid joke. But later it turns out that exploding chips are built into the workers, and the only chance to survive yourself is to kill others.

The film was directed by Australian Greg McLean, but the idea belongs to screenwriter James Gunn, author of Guardians of the Galaxy. They had a sarcastic and well-thought-out comedy horror about what people are willing to go, locked with each other in the same room. But we warn you right away: there are a lot of cruel scenes here.

2. Akimbo cannons

• New Zealand, UK, Germany, 2019.
• Action, thriller, comedy.
• Duration: 98 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 3.

The run-of-the-mill video game developer Miles has a very boring life, so he goes online in the evenings to troll people. One day, through negligence, he manages to anger a gang of thugs who are organizing an online survival show. The poor fellow are tightly nailed to their hands and put before a choice: either he will kill an invincible rival named Nyx, or he will die himself.

Daniel Radcliffe is usually remembered for the Harry Potter films. Although over the past 10 years, he has played all kinds of crazy roles: a guy who grows horns, a hunchback, a skinhead and even a corpse. It seems that the actor deliberately chooses strange projects that are as different as possible from the one that made him famous.

"Akimbo Cannons" fit well into this series. The film pokes fun at the brutality of social media, although it cannot be called a serious satire: most of the timing here is taken up by gunfights and chases.

3. Claustrophobes

• USA, South Africa, 2019.
• Thriller.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 4.

Six strangers are invited to participate in an innovative quest. The winner is promised an impressive cash prize. But in an abandoned building, converted into a game, the heroes realize that they are trapped.

The film by Adam Robitel became a real hit, hitting its budget tenfold. It is ideal for those who want to watch an intense survival thriller in a confined space, but are afraid of violent scenes. So, unlike the classic "Cuba" and "Saw", even the death of the characters is not particularly relished here.

4. Hunting

• USA, Japan, 2019.
• Action, comedy, thriller.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 5.

The progressive liberal elite decides to hunt poorly educated Americans from the provinces with conservative views. But unexpectedly for the whole company, one of the victims gives a rather tough rebuff.

Craig Zobel's dynamic and bloody film was at the center of a scandal even before its release. The picture especially angered former President Donald Trump, who saw in this caustic political satire a mockery of the American people.

5. I'm going to look

• USA, Canada, 2019.
• Thriller, comedy, horror.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

The beautiful Grace is preparing to marry Alex, the heir to an extremely wealthy family. Each new member of the family is obliged to play the game, which is determined by the lot. The heroine has a seemingly harmless fun - hide and seek. But the stakes are high - her own life.

Directors Matthew Bettinelli and Tyler Gillett managed to combine brutal slasher and black comedy in one film. This is the perfect picture for anyone looking for a balance of humor and cruelty in cinema. Also, the tape is worth watching for all fans of the beautiful Samara Weaving.

6. The Hunger Games

• USA, 2012.
• Science fiction, action, thriller, adventure.
• Duration: 142 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

In the future, for the sake of entertainment, people annually arrange a fierce competition for survival. Unwitting participants in this show called "The Hunger Games" are a young girl Katniss Everdeen and Pete, who has long been in love with her. They have to make every effort not to perish in the struggle against each other.

The teenage dystopia based on the novel of the same name by Susan Collins has become one of the main cinema events of the 2010s. After the first film, three more sequels were released, and Jennifer Lawrence, thanks to the role of Katniss, gained worldwide fame.

7. Cube

• Canada, 1997.
• Science fiction, thriller, horror.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

A group of strangers are trying to survive in unusual circumstances. It all starts with the fact that the heroes come to their senses in an empty cube room. Each side of it is equipped with a hatch that leads to another similar room. To get to the next one, you need to choose the right door, and for a mistake you have to pay with death.

Vincenzo Natali relied on a mixture of sci-fi storyline and minimalistic thriller. As a result, "Cube" became truly iconic, and the famous opening scene with cutting a character into slices was quoted many times in the movies.

8. Battle Royale

• Japan, 2000.
• Science fiction, thriller, drama.
• Duration: 114 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The action takes place in the near future. To curb the rampant crime, the Japanese government passes the Battle Royale Act. It's a survival fight that takes place once a year to intimidate teenagers.

A class is chosen by lottery. The students are taken to a desert island, where for three days they have to fight each other to the death. They are prevented from escaping by special collars, which are ready to explode if the rules are violated. The lone survivor gets the freedom and the right to be called an adult.

Director Kinji Fukasaku put a powerful social commentary into his film. Thanks to this, the picture made a splash in Japan and spawned a whole wave of works with a similar plot, from video games to manga.

9. Saw: Survival Game

• USA, 2004.
• Horror, thriller, detective
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Two unfamiliar men wake up in a creepy public restroom. The heroes are chained to the walls, and between them lies a dead man. They were drawn into this game by a maniac who makes people maim themselves for the sake of salvation. However, he seeks not so much to kill victims as to teach them to value their lives.

Saw was invented by James Wang and Lee Whannell. They wanted to create a scary, yet stylish, smart and unusual movie for little money. They succeeded: in the film, the detective and horror were so successfully combined that the audience was delighted.

"Saw" had the effect of an exploding bomb, spawned the franchise of the same name, and even for a while introduced the fashion for "torture porn". This is a movie, the essence of which boils down to the demonstration of realistic violence.

10. Game

• USA, 1997.
• Thriller, drama, detective, adventure.
• Duration: 129 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Millionaire Nicholas Van Orton receives an unusual birthday present from his brother Konrad - participation in a game that is supposed to change his life. Soon, however, the hero begins to doubt that this is an ordinary attraction. What is happening is more like a conspiracy to embezzle Nicholas's capital.

The thriller by David Fincher raises critical philosophical questions about the meaning of existence. Cinema grabs the viewer's attention until an unpredictable and discouraging ending.