Four Children rescued from Amazon Forest: Survival thrillers you must stream to rekindle faith in human spirit

The news of four children being rescued from the depths of the Columbian Amazon jungle after their plane crashed as many as 40 days ago has caught the attention of the entire world. The four children, aged 13, 9, 4 and 1, survived 40 gruelling days in the vastness of the jungle after the plane they were travelling in was found wrecked with the only three adults on board, including the kids' mother, tragically in the crash.

The rescue team is said to have included as many as 100 members of the military and volunteers from Indigenous communities who tirelessly searched for the children's whereabouts, banking upon each small clue they found in the course. The children are said to be recovering now and receiving psychological support. 

Colombians, much like the rest of the world, are thrilled about how things turned out and the whole of the internet is currently brimming with cheer and optimism over the miracle rescue.

And Reality, as they say, is quite often fancier and stranger than fiction, and what better way to capture this unique character than through a film or web series? Over the years, a number of survival thrillers have captured the essence of the human spirit and carefully reexamined these momentous real-life events, shining a light on what went behind the scenes of it all. 

So, celebrating the Amazon Forest rescue and the sheer will and tenacity exhibited by the children, here's a list of survival/rescue thrillers that you can stream right away. Imbued with drama, thrills and so much more, these films/web series are a must-watch to rekindle hope and faith in you. Here we go:

Thirteen Lives (Amazon Prime Video)

Ron Howard has already delivered a seminal survival film in the form of Apollo 13 but with Thirteen Lives, he turns the gaze towards the Tham Luang cave rescue. Twelve boys of a junior football team along with their assistant coach Ekkaphon are trapped inside a cave after heavy rainfall, and the resulting floods, block their way out. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Bateman, the film chronicles the incredible rescue that ensued with the help of some of the best-known cave divers and Navy SEALs specialists.

Tunnel (Amazon Prime Video)

This incredibly gripping South Korean rescue thriller follows a car salesman who, while driving home for his daughter's birthday celebrations, is trapped when a poorly constructed tunnel collapses on him. A rescue team is soon employed and the film deftly packs a mission of survival and determination. Tunnel received unanimously positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.

127 Hours (Apple TV+ (pay-per-view))

Danny Boyle followed up his cacophonic Indian expedition The Slumdog Millionaire with a meditative, simmering survival thriller named 127 Hours. Based on the real-life canyoneer Aron Ralston's brutal and punishing escape after he is trapped by a boulder in an isolated canyon, the film recounts the harrowing experience and how his never-say-die attitude, which includes him self-amputating his right arm, helps him survive. He would not only survive but also use the experience to set a great example of perseverance for the rest of the world.

Trapped (Zee 5)

Vikramaditya Motwane's survival drama Trapped, in many ways, is a spiritual partner of 127 Hours. Urban apathy and obscurity become its main motif as a man mistakenly locks himself inside an abandoned high-rise Mumbai building and is then forced to face all odds to rescue himself. An incredibly moving tale that you must watch if you wanted to understand how our own basic needs of survival can hold us at ransom at times.

The 33 (YouTube (paid))

The title refers to a group of 33 miners from Chile who are trapped under a mine that collapses due to the owner's negligence. While the group manages to reach the rescue chamber, it soon dawns on them that they are ill-equipped to survive for long. With some of the best actors from across the world, including Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche and Josh Brolin, this is a film that has you on the edge of your seat right from the beginning