34 Awesome—and Awesomely Bad—Outdoor Movies You Can Stream Right Now
From painfully obvious to just plain painful, these outdoor movies are worth a watch.
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Invite the outdoors to movie night. This list features some of our favorite movies, from a chilling horror flick set in the forests of Sweden to a ground-breaking climbing documentary, as well as a few so-bad-they’re-good pulp masterpieces. Grab your popcorn and settle in.
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180° South
If this modern-day retracing of Doug Tompkins and Yvon Chouinard’s iconic 1968 journey through Patagonia doesn’t inspire you, you may be dead inside. Rent on Amazon
The Ritual
We watched this horror flick right before a backpacking trip—don’t make our same mistake. Five college buddies reunite for a hiking trip in Sweden, but something in the forest is watching them. Stream on Netflix
Free Solo
This palm-sweating documentary, which documents Alex Honnold’s ropeless climb of El Capitan, isn’t just a record of one of history’s great athletic feats, it’s a triumph of on-location filmmaking that sent its crew up the side of America’s largest cliff. Stream on Disney+
Touching the Void
This bracing adaptation of Joe Simpson’s memoir is arguably the greatest mountaineering movie of all time. Rent on Amazon
A Walk in the Woods
Robert Redford and Nick Nolte are an odd couple on the Appalachian Trail in this adaptation of Bill Bryson’s bestselling book. Rent on Amazon
Maidentrip
When Laura Dekker was 14, she took to the sea in her two-masted ketch in an attempt to become the youngest person to sail around the world solo. Compiled mostly from her own footage, this movie tells the story of what turned out to be an incredible journey. Stream on Amazon
Leave No Trace
No, it isn’t a documentary about environmentally-friendly camping. This drama, about an Iraq War veteran and his daughter who live in an Oregon park until an incident forces them to emerge into society, became a critical darling after its premiere at Sundance in 2018. Stream on Amazon
Jeremiah Johnson
Robert Redford = quintessential mountain man. Rent on Amazon
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
How are these for unlikely hiking buddies? Two dogs and a cat (voiced by Michael J. Fox, Don Ameche, and Sally Field, no less) cross the Sierra Nevadas in search of their departed owners. Whether you grew up with the original or this remake, their journey is sure to bring back childhood memories. Stream on Disney+
The Way
Far and away the top pick of BACKPACKER’s Facebook audience, The Way follows Martin Sheen’s grieving father on a soul-searching hike along Spain’s Camino de Santiago. Rent on Amazon
Into the Wild
This handsomely directed adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s classic bestseller features a star-making turn from Emile Hirsch and a haunting score by Eddie Vedder. Rent on Amazon
Grizzly Man
The life and death of grizzly bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell, as captured by director Werner Herzog. This powerful documentary is as gut-wrenching as it is beautiful. Rent on Amazon
Moana
“See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me. And no one knows, how far it goes.” Stream on Disney+ Plus
Alive
A survival classic, Alive chronicles the tale of an Uruguayan rugby team struggling to escape the wilderness after a plane crash. Rent on Amazon
127 Hours
In arguably his best role ever, James Franco stars in this gruesome, gripping adaptation of Aron Ralston’s survival memoir. Stream on Amazon
Mile Mile and a Half
Five friends hike the John Muir Trail and capture the stunning landscape of the High Sierra. Gift it to any aspiring thru-hiker. Steam on Amazon
The Edge
Alec Baldwin and Anthony Hopkins battle a predatory grizzly—and each other—in this pulpy drama. Rent on Amazon
The Grey
Liam Neeson is as badass as ever, but his bloodthirsty wolf foes are a little over-the-top. Stream on Starz / Rent on Amazon
A River Runs Through It
Spectacular Montana scenery and a young Brad Pitt provide eye candy galore. Rent on Amazon
Cast Away
WILLLLLSSSONNNNNNN! Stream on Cinemax / Rent on Amazon
Chasing Ice
See glaciers melt before your eyes as James Balog travels to Iceland and beyond in order to document the Earth’s changing landscape. Rent from YouTube
Cliffhanger
“If you’re looking for Qualen, try about 4,000 feet south of here. He’ll be the one wearing the helicopter.” Rent on Amazon
Deliverance
Warning: may invoke an irrational fear of banjos. Rent on Amazon
Happy People
How is it possible that the residents of one of the most inhospitable places on Earth also happen to be the happiest? This Siberian documentary (directed by Werner Herzog) is a quiet stunner. Stream on Amazon
K2: The Ultimate High
A dramatized account of two friends’ near-disastrous ascent of the world’s second-tallest peak. Stream on Hoopla
Lawrence of Arabia
“Sweeping” hardly does this singular epic justice. It’s probably the best desert film of all time (and certainly the longest). Rent on Amazon
March of the Penguins
Admit it: These little guys melted your heart. Also, Morgan Freeman should narrate everything ever. Rent on Amazon
Never Cry Wolf
A young biologist investigates whether wolves are really as bad as they’re made out to be in this adaptation of Farley Mowat’s landmark book. Rent on Amazon
The River Wild
Meryl Streep and David Strathairn are terrorized by a villainous Kevin Bacon during a rapids trip down Idaho’s Salmon River. Stream on Starz / Rent on YouTube
The Great Outdoors
Dan Aykroyd and John Candy go family camping with disastrous, hilarious results. Stream on Starz
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Famous for its “we don’t need no stinkin’ badges” line, Bogie’s gold prospecting classic is a sly and insightful examination of human greed. Stream on Turner Classic Movies / Rent on Amazon
Vertical Limit
Preposterous in almost every way, this mountaineering action flick makes Cliffhanger look highbrow by comparison, but still works fine as pure popcorn entertainment. Stream on Amazon
Walkabout
A brother and sister stranded in the outback enlist the help of a young Aboriginal Australian in Nicholas Roeg’s hallucinatory avant-garde classic. Stream on Criterion / Rent on Amazon
Wild
Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of self-discovery on the Pacific Crest Trail was an instant best-seller, and Reese Witherspoon brings it to life on the big screen. Rent on Amazon
Need more ideas? Check out 14 More Awesome (and Awesomely Bad) Outdoor Movies You Can Stream Right Now
