We discuss 10 Movies like Into the Wild you must watch. Add these well-recommended and thrilling films to your watch list.
There’s an allure to the well-loved film Into the Wild that appeals to the free spirit in all of us. The idea of giving it all away, and wandering off to discover yourself, has probably been in everyone’s mind at some point or another.
Based on a true story, the film follows Christopher McCandless, a somewhat privileged but disillusioned student who decides to experience life differently. Giving his money away, he sets off on a personal journey of discovery.
The film is a favorite to many, so we thought it was about time there was a list of similar movies to Into the Wild that you must watch.
10 Movies like Into the Wild
The Way (2010)
The Way features a pilgrimage of sorts. However, this time, the journey of discovery is taken by a father heading overseas to retrieve his son’s body, who has died walking on the “El Camino de Santiago.”
This is a poignant and often emotionally understated movie directed by Emilio Estevez and starring his father, Martin Sheen.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Wes Anderson is in the driving seat here as we follow his stylistically whimsical narrative of two young lovers leaving their hometown in 1960s New England, hoping to live a quiet, rural life in the wild.
The town goes looking for them, so they start to learn things about themselves.
Wild (2014)
Reece Witherspoon shines in this Oscar-nominated performance, ably assisted by Laura Dern.
A personal tragedy sets the once self-serving and flippant Reece off on a thousand-mile hike helping her to reconcile her loss. Along the way, the journey allows her to process her grief and life choices.
Stand by Me (1986)
Four young boyhood friends set off on a journey into the woods to find the dead body of a missing child.
The Stephen King novella may have the premise for a horror story, but King goes against the grain and delivers a coming-of-age story with heart, humor, and emotion.
Gerry (2002)
More friends on a journey together for this entry on our list.
Matt Damon and Ben, sorry, Casey Affleck plays the two buddies on a desert hike that goes wrong and tests their resolve and friendship along the way.
The simple premise is layered and more complex than you first think and has some nice cinematography to look at too.
Jungle (2017)
Daniel Radcliffe is the lead in Jungle and heads off with a group of friends into the Jungle in search of a lost tribe. Things take a dark turn, and the group ends up in trouble, with Daniel in a life-and-death struggle with the Jungle.
With the film based on real events, the stakes seem higher than our previous entries, making it a thrilling entry on our list.
Tracks (2013)
A young woman, her four camels, and her trusty dog best friend embark on a journey across the desert from Alice Springs. Heading for the ocean, two thousand seven hundred kilometers away, this is another driven individual on a self-fulfilling journey of discovery, similar to Into the Wild.
The Loneliest Planet (2011)
This entry slides its way to being more of an art house presentation and has divided viewers by its slow burn and plodding run time, but there is a payoff in the final act, but it may be safe to say that this film is not for everybody.
A young couple and their guide encounter problems during their hike when a simple mistake leads to disaster, and their relationship is shaken. Only watch if you are genuinely intrigued by the premise.
The Way Back (2010)
This is a more hard-hitting entry on our list, in case you watched The Loneliest Planet and fell asleep. Here we have a survival movie that follows three men on the run from Siberian Gulag in an attempt to escape Communist Russia.
They are joined by others along the way and must survive a frozen wasteland and malnutrition as they embark on a dangerous voyage to safety.
Free Solo (2018)
Cheating a little here by offering up a documentary, but if you are interested in the films on our list, you might Free Solo.
Basically, it follows the terrifying pant-wetting exploits of free climber Alex Honnold trying to become the first person to ascend El Capitan. The stakes are higher than the climb; one mistake will mean death, and this is a dizzying look at the achievements of an inspirational man.
Do you have any other recommendations for Movies like Into the Wild? Let us know in the comments below.
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