The Best Survival Movies and TV Shows on Hulu

What it's about: In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & Epix), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: A father living in the forests of the Pacific Northwest with his six young kids tries to assimilate back into society.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu & Kanopy) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & Epix), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Surrounded by a forest and a gated entrance, the Grace Field House is inhabited by orphans happily living together as one big family, looked after by their "Mama," Isabella. Although they are required to take tests daily, the children are free to spend their time as they see fit, usually playing outside, as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage — a rule they are expected to follow no matter what. However, all good times must come to an end, as every few months, a child is adopted and sent to live with their new family... never to be heard from again. However, the three oldest siblings have their suspicions about what is actually happening at the orphanage, and they are about to discover the cruel fate that awaits the children living at Grace Field, including the twisted nature of their beloved Mama.

Where to Watch: 12 episodes (86%) are available to watch free online (Crunchyroll). 14 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Netflix, HBO MAX & 2 others).

What it's about: Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & Epix), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Mumbai, India, November 26, 2008. While several terrorists spread hatred and death through the city, others attack the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Both hotel staff and guests risk their lives, making unthinkable sacrifices to protect themselves and keep everyone safe while help arrives.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu & Kanopy) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).

What it's about: A young British soldier must find his way back to safety after his unit accidentally abandons him during a riot in the streets of Belfast.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu, Epix & 1 other), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: A Russian and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad in WWII.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (PopcornFlix), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & Epix), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: At the dawn of WWII, several men escape from a Russian gulag—to take a perilous and uncertain journey to freedom as they cross deserts, mountains and several nations.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & AcornTV) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: What did the world look like as it was transforming into the horrifying apocalypse depicted in "The Walking Dead"? This spin-off set in Los Angeles, following new characters as they face the beginning of the end of the world, will answer that question.

Where to Watch: 77 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Philo, fuboTV & 2 others). 7 episodes (9%) are available to stream on a popular TV everywhere service (AMC). 76 episodes (99%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Hardcore survivalists are put by themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness, without camera crews, teams, or producers – on a single mission to stay alive for as long as possible.

Where to Watch: 38 episodes (47%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV & History). 78 episodes (96%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Philo, Discovery+ & 1 other). 45 episodes (56%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (History). 81 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Their mission is simple: Find a cure. Stop the virus. Save the world. When a global pandemic wipes out eighty percent of the planet's population, the crew of a lone naval destroyer must find a way to pull humanity from the brink of extinction.

Where to Watch: 56 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Hoopla & TVision). 5 episodes (9%) are available to stream on a popular TV everywhere service (TNT). 56 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: A high concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers, wage war for the fate of humanity itself.

Where to Watch: 46 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu). 46 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The year is 2022, and after an unlikely event, only one man is left on earth: Phil Miller, who used to be just an average guy who loved his family and hated his job at the bank. Now, in his RV, Phil searches the country for other survivors.

Where to Watch: 66 episodes (99%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu). 13 episodes (19%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (FOX). 67 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 7 services (iTunes, Google Play & 5 others).

What it's about: Although theorised, no one is really ready when a mountain pass above the scenic and narrow Geiranger fjord in Norway collapses and creates a tsunami over 300 feet high. A geologist is one of those caught in the middle of it.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, Plex, Vudu & 1 other), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video & Hulu) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way Galaxy. They evacuated there and are now trying to figure out a way to return to Earth, while simultaneously trying to explore and to survive in their unknown area of the universe.

Where to Watch: 5 episodes (13%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu). 40 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).

What it's about: Phil and Claire Foster fear that their mild-mannered relationship may be falling into a stale rut. During their weekly date night, their dinner reservation leads to their being mistaken for a couple of thieves—and now a number of unsavoury characters want Phil and Claire killed.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars with their bodies using a piece of technology called Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game creator is holding them captive unless they reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. However, if they die in the game, they die in real life. Their struggle for survival starts now...

Where to Watch: 88 episodes (62%) are available to watch free online (Crunchyroll). 99 episodes (70%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll Premium & 2 others). 25 episodes (18%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 1 service (iTunes).

What it's about: A reality show contest where sixteen or more castaways split between two or more “Tribes” are taken to a remote isolated location and are forced to live off the land with meager supplies for roughly 39 days. Frequent physical challenges are used to pit the tribes against each other for rewards, such as food or luxuries, or for “Immunity”, forcing the other tribe to attend “Tribal Council”, where they must vote off one of their players.

Where to Watch: 598 episodes (98%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Netflix, Hulu & 1 other). 482 episodes (79%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play, Prime Video & 3 others).

What it's about: In 1960, a team of Israeli secret agents is deployed to find Adolf Eichmann, the infamous Nazi architect of the Holocaust, supposedly hidden in Argentina, and get him to Israel to be judged.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & Epix), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: When three skiers find themselves stranded on a chair lift at a New England ski resort that has closed for the next week, they are forced to make life or death choices that prove to be more perilous than staying put and freezing to death.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu) & rent or buy from $1.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Barney Ross leads a band of highly skilled mercenaries including knife enthusiast Lee Christmas, a martial arts expert, heavy weapons specialist, demolitionist, and a loose-cannon sniper. When the group is commissioned by the mysterious Mr. Church to assassinate the dictator of a small South American island, Barney and Lee visit the remote locale to scout out their opposition and discover the true nature of the conflict engulfing the city.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & Epix), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: When the world is struck by a deadly pandemic that turns humans into zombies, Takashi Komuro and several of his classmates at Fujimi High School try to survive the apocalypse.

Where to Watch: 12 episodes (92%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu). 12 episodes (92%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 3 services (iTunes, Google Play & YouTube).

What it's about: Bear strands himself in popular wilderness destinations where tourists often find themselves lost or in danger.

Where to Watch: 73 episodes (88%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu, Philo & 2 others). 66 episodes (80%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (BBC America & Discovery). 76 episodes (92%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Survivorman is a Canadian-produced television program, broadcast in Canada on the Outdoor Life Network, and internationally on Discovery Channel and Science Channel. The show aired three seasons and 4 specials – 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2012. The title refers to the host of the show, Canadian filmmaker and survival expert Les Stroud, who used survival skills and knowledge to survive for up to ten days alone videotaping his adventures in remote locales where he brought with him little or no food, water, or equipment. According to the show's website, each location was scouted and pre-planned extensively by Stroud and his team who consulted with survival specialists and natives of each area. The fact that Stroud spent his time alone without a production crew is a major focus of the show.

Where to Watch: 22 episodes (30%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV). 38 episodes (51%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu, Philo & 1 other). 44 episodes (59%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (Science). 55 episodes (74%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Viewers go deep into an Alaskan winter to meet six tough and resilient residents as they try to stay one step ahead of storms and man-eating beasts to make it through to spring. The closest neighbor to Sue Aikens is more than 300 miles away. Eric Salitan subsists solely on what he hunts and forages. Chip and Agnes Hailstone catch fish for currency in bartering for supplies, and Andy and Kate Bassich use their pack of sled dogs for transportation.

Where to Watch: 134 episodes (79%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Disney+ & Hulu). 11 episodes (6%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (FOX & NatGeo). 141 episodes (83%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).

What it's about: Two people with drastically different backgrounds and survival strategies take on some of the planet's most unforgiving terrain to demonstrate how the right skills and creative thinking can keep you alive in the most dangerous situations.

Where to Watch: 22 episodes (23%) are available to watch free online (PlutoTV). 86 episodes (91%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Philo, fuboTV & 1 other). 84 episodes (89%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (Discovery). 87 episodes (93%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 7 services (iTunes, Google Play & 5 others).

What it's about: Jeremiah is an American television series starring Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner that ran on the Showtime network from 2002 to 2004. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where most of the adult population has been wiped out by a deadly virus.

Where to Watch: 35 episodes (81%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video & Hulu). 35 episodes (81%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 2 services (iTunes & Prime Video).

What it's about: Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned, Hell-like compound where they are forced to participate in a violent game, the goal of which is to survive twelve hours against a gang of sadistic clowns.

Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Tubi, Plex & IMDb TV), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video & Hulu) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: What happens when you put two complete strangers - sans clothes - in some of the most extreme environments on Earth? Each male-female duo is left with no food, no water, no clothes, and only one survival item each as they attempt to survive on their own.

Where to Watch: 152 episodes (78%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Philo, fuboTV & 1 other). 121 episodes (62%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (Discovery). 180 episodes (92%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 7 services (iTunes, Google Play & 5 others).

What it's about: Each year, three brothers Samuel, Jeffrey and Michael Douglas visits their Japanese grandfather, Mori Shintaro whom the boys affectionately refer to as Grandpa, for the summer. Mori is a highly skilled in the fields of Martial arts and Ninjutsu, and for years he has trained the boys in his techniques. After an organized crime ring proves to be too much for the FBI, it's time for the 3 brother NINJAS! To use their martial arts skills, they team up to battle the crime ring and outwit some very persistent kidnappers!

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu & Hoopla) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan (Jason Momoa) realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, Hulu & Epix), stream on a popular TV everywhere service (Epix) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).

What it's about: Centers on the Kilcher family and their community outside Homer, Alaska. Begun by patriarch Yule Kilcher who immigrated from Europe during WWII, and currently led by his sons, Otto and Atz Kilcher (singer Jewel's father) the family have lived on their land for four generations. The show also features the homesteaders who live nearby and interact with the Kilchers.

Where to Watch: 151 episodes (74%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Philo, fuboTV & 1 other). 138 episodes (68%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (Animal Planet & Discovery). 180 episodes (89%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: A group of the best survival experts in the world take on an un-survivable situation: 40 days. 40 nights. No food, water or clothes. To survive they'll need to master the environment, pushing far beyond the breaking point. Will even one be able to finish?

Where to Watch: 71 episodes (97%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu, Philo, fuboTV & 1 other). 61 episodes (84%) are available to stream on a TV everywhere service (Discovery). 67 episodes (92%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The famed survivalist takes A-list celebrities on journeys into the wildest locations around the world, forcing the stars to push their bodies and minds to the limit to successfully complete the adventure of a lifetime.

Where to Watch: 11 episodes (26%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Disney+ & Hulu). 42 episodes (98%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Honjou Kaede is invited by her friend Shiramine Risa to play a virtual reality MMO game with her. While Kaede doesn't dislike games, what she really, truly dislikes is being in pain. She creates a character named Maple, and decides to put all her points in VIT to minimize pain. As a result, she moves slowly, can't use magic, and even a rabbit can get the best of her. But as it turns out, she acquires a skill known as "Absolute Defense" as a result of her pumping points into VIT, as well as a "Counter Skill" that works against special moves. Now, with her ability to nullify all damage, she goes on adventures.

Where to Watch: 12 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu & Funimation). 6 episodes (50%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 2 services (Google Play & YouTube).

What it's about: When Haruhito awakens, he's in the dark. He doesn't know where he is, why is he here, and where he came from. Around him there are several men and women who have the same circumstances. Haruhito and his companions find themselves in a "game-like world" called Grimgar and must form a party, cooperate, and learn new skills to survive the harsh environment together.

Where to Watch: 12 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu). 12 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).

What it's about: A young American couple travel to the arctic mountains of Norway. After pulling over during a snowstorm, they wake up trapped in their SUV, buried underneath layers of snow and ice.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 3 services (iTunes, Prime Video & Vudu).

What it's about: In the year 2063, eight high school students and a kid are flown out to Planet Camp, tasked with surviving on their own for a few days. But shortly after arriving, an ominous glowing orb warps them to an unknown quadrant of space, nearly 5,012 light years away. Now, the only way back home is a slow, dangerous trek across the universe—a journey that’ll test them in ways Planet Camp never could.

Where to Watch: 12 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu & Funimation). 12 episodes (100%) are available to rent or buy from $1.99 on 2 services (Google Play & YouTube).

What it's about: A reality series testing the human need for companionship under extreme circumstances as each individual learns there are other castaways out there but are unaware of how many, their locations or when they will be rescued. The series follows 12 diverse individuals as they're dropped alone throughout various islets in Indonesia and challenged to survive among washed-up luggage, scattered resources and abandoned structures.

Where to Watch: 10 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu).

What it's about: A documentary portrait chronicling the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became America's most famous sex therapist. As her 90th birthday approaches, Dr. Ruth revisits her painful past and her career at the forefront of the sexual revolution.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu).

What it's about: Tom and Suze, two nineteen-year-olds both dreaming of the future, have sex when nuclear war strikes. Unfortunately, they then survive. Awkward. Cockroaches is a post-apocalyptic comedy about one family trying to survive in a wasteland of cannibals, perverts and one insufferable-ex. Our heroes struggle with boredom, fear and the ethics of cooking with their own body fluids.

Where to Watch: 6 episodes (100%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu).

What it's about: When a nuclear strike causes an electromagnetic pulse that cuts off all power, water, and communication to the entire western United States, Reese finds herself plunged into an all-too-real fight to survive. As pandemonium grips her city, Reese and her father set out on a desperate journey in search of safety--a perilous trek through a world gone mad where every encounter with a stranger could be your last.

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: The royal couple Odette and Derek face yet another evil magician, this time a woman named Zelda. Lusting for the treasure of the Forbidden Arts, which will give her absolute power, Zelda kidnaps Odette as ransom. Derek and several animal friends head off to rescue Odette

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).

What it's about: Santa Diabla is the story of Santa Martínez, a woman who seeks revenge for the murder of her husband Willy Delgado.

Where to Watch: 136 episodes (97%) are available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu).

What it's about: Moving into his late grandfather's house, young Jack inherits the old man's dog, Skipper (Norm MacDonald) - who can talk! With the sassy pooch's help, Jack learns that Grandpa left a priceless Spanish treasure hidden somewhere in the town. Jack joins forces with a trio of clever neighbor kids - a goth girl, a socialite, and a jokester - to find the valuable booty, with Skipper leading the way. But can they outrun the brazen, bumbling thieves that will stop at nothing to seize the prize for themselves?

Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (Hulu) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 4 services (iTunes, Google Play & 2 others).