Before Mili, put your instincts to the test with these gripping survival dramas

If you want to include some real nail biters in your watchlist, you can never go wrong with survival thrillers. The harrowing circumstances the protagonist battles for survival in, them putting everything they have at their disposal to survive, the edge of the seat moments where you cannot for the life of you figure out whether they will make it out alive; survival thrillers certainly do not run short of moments where viewers unconsciously hold their breath as the thrilling sequences unfold before them.

Janhvi Kapoor’s Mili promises to be a film to offer just that sort of thrill ride for audiences. The Mathukutty Xavier directorial hit the silver screens on Friday. Before you check out the film, here are a few gripping survival thrillers that should not escape your watchlist.

Helen

Mili is the official Bollywood remake of this 2019 Malayalam film, starring Anna Ben. The film follows the story of the titular protagonist, a cheerful young woman with aspirations of going abroad to Canada. Her loved ones are soon thrown into a tizzy when the young woman goes missing one day. The film’s director Mathukutty Xavier also directed the film’s Hindi and Tamil remakes,titled Mili and Anbirkiniyal respectively. Helen can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

O2 (2022)

Starring Nayanthara, O2 follows the story of a mother and her son who find themselves caught in an accident when the bus they were travelling in is caught in a landslide. The situation gets dire when the boy, who had a surgery scheduled, starts to run out of oxygen, and the mother must do everything in her power to save her child. The GS Viknesh directorial can be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.

Eight Below

Inspired by the 1983 Japanese film Antarctica, Eight Below is inspired by an incredible true story. It tells the tale of two research explorers who set off on an expedition to the Antarctic along with a group of sled dogs. Even though the dogs help the two survive the extreme weather, they are forced to leave the animals behind in the event of an emergency evacuation. Tied together in the midst of an unforgiving environment, the dogs are forced to bear the conditions for months. Starring Paul Walker, the film can be streamed on Apple TV.

Trapped

Starring Rajkummar Rao, Trapped tells the story of a call centre employee who finds himself trapped in his empty apartment building, without food, water or electricity, and no one to hear his cries for help. The Vikramaditya Motwane directorial is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and ZEE5.

Malayankunju

Starring Fahadh Faasil, Rajisha Vijayan and Indrans, Malayankunju follows the story of the reclusive and short tempered Anil Kumar, who finds himself troubled by the cries of his neighbour’s baby. But when a dreadful landslide traps him, he finds comfort and hope in the cries. The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.