Conflict is often divided into several types. While monsters, murderers, and psychopaths are frightening in movies, the possibility that they can be tangibly defeated limits these villains, weakening their power until eventually it fades to nothing. Comparatively, in the battle between humans and the forces of nature, the latter always holds the upper hand with ease. Natural disasters like tsunamis, hurricanes, and floods burst in without warning, unable to be prevented or controlled. Whereas most antagonists have the possibility of being reasoned with, nature follows its own rules, therefore individuals have no option but to fight for survival until the natural forces decide to have mercy.
Nature doesn't hate us; it just doesn't care about us, indifferently feeding us and killing us indiscriminately. In this regard, the conflict against nature is more terrifying than anything that walks the earth. Its rampage does not distinguish between old or young, moral or corrupt; it is ruthless and unsparing, beginning without cause and escaping the hands of justice. Nature is sneaky, sometimes unable to be seen or heard until it strikes and subsequently keeps its victims in a bubble of fright. Therefore, films featuring this fight are naturally exciting, summoning the will to live against the helplessness of subduing the tormentor, and with the climate catastrophe worsening, more and more films seem to be pitting humanity against nature. So, here are the best movies with a 'character against nature' type of conflict.
7 Twister
Starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, Twister follows a group of storm chasers who attempt to deploy a revolutionary tornado research device during an outbreak in Oklahoma. Within the movie, the tornado is a constant aggressor, screaming defiance as it relentlessly destroys everything in sight. However, it is also a symbol of the marriage breakdown between Jo (Hunt) and Bill (Paxton). As emotions of hostility erupt around their impending divorce, the deadly windstorm intensifies, becoming even more erratic and difficult to evade.
Consequently, just as the twister spiraled out of control, so does the bitterness between Bill and Jo until it surrounds them in a feeling of conflict impossible to ignore. Therefore, the tornado represents the fruitlessness of one trying to escape their feelings as when they do, it only grows bigger, lingering one step behind until it eventually catches up. By the end of the movie, the tornado has forced Jo and Bill together, and it is only when they finally work as a team that they are able to save themselves from demise. After looking directly into the eye of the storm, the couple rekindle their romance, and as their spiteful emotions towards each other vanishes, so does the tornado.
6 Jungle
How far can a person depend on themselves when they are losing their mind? Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg, Jungle tells the horrifying story of Ghinsberg’s time being stranded in the Amazon rainforest. Based on a true story, Yossi can only rely on himself and nature to survive after being separated from his friends, Kevin, Marcus and their tour guide, Karl. Initially, the man uses the forest to his advantage by utilizing every resource he can, yet, nature is unable to prove itself as a comfort and, with no one else in sight, Yossi is trapped in his thoughts and begins to teeter off the brink of insanity.
Over three weeks, with no sense of hope on the horizon, the lost man starts to hallucinate, imagining a native girl, food and sounds of an impending animal attack. Therefore, although nature was key for Yossi’s survival, the miles upon miles of land surrounding the man brought on madness, mockingly reminding him of the small chance of ever being found. However, Yossi’s unwavering hope enables him to be rescued and within this, one can appreciate the innate power nature has to aid in the battle to stay alive.
5 Jaws
The ocean is a depth of wonder of which 80 percent is unmapped and 91 percent of its species unclassified. Therefore, what is lurking beyond the surface is unpredictable, a concept explored in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Based on a 1974 novel of the same name, the film follows the events of a three ton shark who attacks beach goers at a summer resort town. Along with the gruesome killings and the famous “dun-dun-dun-dun” musical score, the terrifying anxiety of being stranded in the middle of the ocean with a shark out for blood is what causes Jaws to be so horrifyingly iconic.
In the endless water, there is nowhere to run, and as an intruder in the territory of the shark, the ruler of the ocean will no doubt have the advantage over a human. Measured at 25 feet, the shark instills fear in people as it resembles more of a monster than a sea creature while lurking beyond the waves, overpowering both man and machine in the attempts to stop its reign of terror. Although the murderous shark is defeated in the end of the film, its presence still lingers as it unlocks the imagination of what else could be lying in wait beyond the water’s edge.
4 The Martian
The Martian is a science fiction film that depicts an astronauts lone struggle to survive on Mars and the efforts of NASA to bring him back to Earth. After being assumed dead by his crew, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is left stranded and subsequently keeps himself alive (in actually scientifically accurate ways, mostly) for almost two years while he awaits rescue. In a realm of the complete unknown with little form of communication with Earth, Mark is constantly on high alert for the unexpected. In spite of the large amounts of research, the majority of the red planet is a mystery and therefore, what equates to a disaster on Earth could be small in comparison to a catastrophe on Mars.
As a result, Mark has no choice but to trust that those back home will find a way to reach him, while not knowing for sure if his faith is in vain. This anxiety and helplessness of being forsaken on another planet is what makes The Martian so intense, and Damon’s Golden Globe win for the realistic portrayal of this resilient character was no surprise.
3 Everest
Mount Everest sees thousands every year taking the dangerous trek to the top, and while the experience can be rewarding, this film conveys the fatal side of climbing the highest mountain on earth. With an ensemble cast including Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal, Everest is based on the real life 1996 Mount Everest disaster. What starts off as a group wanting to complete a common goal turns out to be a tragedy as a bitter blizzard cages them inside the depths of the mountain. Throughout this film, a sense of painful powerlessness develops as the climbers are visually impaired by the wind and frozen stiff due to frostbite.
Therefore, although the characters cling onto hope, it is useless, as their dangerous route prevents any rescue attempts and inevitably, fit and healthy individuals are forced to succumb to the cold. Mountaineers dying scared and alone is a heartbreaking, fact as over 200 bodies remain on Mount Everest to this day. There is also a sense of frustration, as there is no one to blame with nature; the attacks of nature are not like those of humans, they have no motive to kill or cause harm. Resultantly, this disaster can only be seen for what it is: an unfortunate tragedy, the result of living in a world often hostile to humankind.
2 The Happening
The feeling of danger provides most people with a fight or flight instinct, but what if the thing you were trying to escape was all around you? What if it was nature itself? Starring Mark Wahlberg, The Happening revolves around the inexplicable mass suicides that are triggered whenever the wind blows. Unable to be avoided, predicted or tracked, the wind resembles an elusive serial killer, like an omnipresent Jack the Ripper, as it leaves behind a gory scene while being able to completely evade justice. Subsequently, the toxic air controls its victims, taunting them by coming and going as it pleases and allowing imaginations to run wild about the extent of its power.
While there is initially safety in numbers, the deadly breeze breaks down the small barrier of protection until eventually, each person only has themselves to depend on. However, just as a victory for the silent killer is within reach, it suddenly disappears as quickly as it arrived. Although this feels like a triumph for the citizens who are once again able to live their lives, it is a false one, as the hasty departure of the fatal wind forms an eerie shadow of something bigger yet to come. While often ridiculed, M. Night Shymalan's strange homage to B-pictures has a narrative concept which is truly terrifying to consider; with what humanity has done to nature, its payback against us would be rightfully brutal.
1 The Revenant
The Revenant describes the experience of frontiersman, Hugh Glass, while exploring the uncharted wilderness. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the role that earned him an Oscar, the film questions what is more frightening: man or nature? Within the movie, Glass is viciously attacked by a bear and left bleeding on the ground, and while the animal onslaught was ferocious and pitiless, it was done with the intention of the bear protecting her lone cub. On the other hand, the brutality of the humans, such as Fitzgerald’s murders and the horrors committed by the French hunters, are all carried out with selfishness and greed in mind.
In the massive wilderness, it is crucial for the men to rely upon one another, and The Revenant portrays how this selfish fragmentation leads to disaster. Ultimately, this film sees karmic justice take the reins in the classic triumph of good over evil, and while the later bloodshed seems like something that could have been avoided, it proves that when pursuing the path of immorality, human nature can be just as frightening as nature itself.