Pooja Sharma
The unyielding force of nature coalesces with tumultuous mystery in ‘River Wild.’ The story revolves around Joey and Gray Reese, two estranged siblings who decide to embark on a rafting trip with a couple of foreign customers. However, tension rises when their old friend and felon, Trevor, decides to join the group unexpectedly. A deadly adventure ensues as the group sets off into the cascading white-water river. From Van getting fatally injured on the campsite to Trevor sending the siblings on a cat-and-mouse chase, the movie features several thrilling elements.
Helmed by Ben Ketai, the thriller movie features compelling performances by Adam Brody, Leighton Meester, and Taran Killam. As the individuals fight to survive in this tale of betrayal and mistrust, the story continues to edge towards unimaginable dangers. So, if the testing premise high with intensity intrigued you just as much, here is a list of movies like River Wild.
8. Surviving the Game (1994)
Envisaging a claustrophobic theme in the vast expanse of the forest, director Ernest R. Dickerson gives a menacing spin to a story that starts harmlessly. The story revolves around Mason, a homeless man living on the streets of Seattle. After deciding to become a hunting guide for wealthy clients, Mason readily heads to the cabin in the middle of a Pacific Northwest forest. However, he soon realizes that the seemingly harmless psychiatrist, oil baron, and investor he’s supposed to help hunt will be preying on no one but him.
The 1994 movie is an adaptation of Richard Connell’s short story titled ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ or ‘The Hounds of Zaroff,’ published in 1924. With terrific performances by Ice-T, John C. McGinley, and Gary Busey, ‘Surviving the Game’ also features an unsuspecting protagonist who unwittingly becomes the center of a deadly scheme, making this the right movie to watch if you enjoyed ‘River Wild.’
7. The Ledge (2022)
Directed by Howard J. Ford, ‘The Ledge’ features another adventurous story that takes a wild turn. The story follows two friends whose rock-climbing escapade turns into a life-threatening situation. After Kelly witnesses the murder of her best friend, Sophie, and catches the incident on camera, she inevitably becomes the target of the four killers, who will stop at nothing to erase the evidence.
Things get more complicated as Kelly is trapped on the face of a mountain on an overhanging ledge, and the killers remain twenty feet above her. Just as Trevor’s unexpected tag-along leads to a catastrophic chain of events, ‘The Ledge’ also features an unanticipated meeting that sets off the unimaginable.
6. High Lane (2009)
In this story of a benign adventure going haywire, the film centers around a group of friends who decide to climb a dangerous trail in the mountains. As they venture out into the solitude of the woods, they find that members of their group are beginning to disappear slowly. When the group discovers that a psychotic serial killer is hot on their tail, the remaining few try to do everything possible to survive. Just as Trevor, an old friend of the past, causes havoc in ‘River Wild,’ ‘High Lane,’ directed by Abel Ferry, also features a complex storyline of old acquaintances.
5. Judgement Night (1993)
Another movie that encapsulates the essence of being somewhere at the wrong time and place, ‘Judgement Night,’ by director Stephen Hopkins, also features the gratuitous chaos seen in ‘River Wild.’ The story follows friends Frank, Mike, Ray and John, who decide to head to a boxing match. However, when the group decides to take a shortcut instead of being stuck in gridlock traffic, they end up witnessing a gruesome murder. While the group manages to flee, it isn’t long before they become the prey of an unrelenting entity. So, if the depiction of a deadly relentless pursuit in ‘River Wild’ intrigued you, then you’ll find this harrowing journey of four people equally entertaining.
4. A Lonely Place to Die (2011)
Aggravating an already tense situation, ‘A Lonely Place to Die’ features the foreboding expanse of the Scottish Highlands that turns deadly for a group of five mountaineers. Directed by Julian Gilbey and starring Melissa George in the lead, the story of the British thriller film revolves around an enthusiastic group whose adventure goes awry when they discover a kidnapped girl who was buried alive in the Highlands.
However, their altruism soon leads to a terrifying game of cat and mouse that ends only one way. So, if you were engrossed by the sinister tone set by the undulated expanse of the river, mountain and camps in ‘River Wild,’ then you’ll find the menacing pace of the movie exacerbated by the surroundings equally interesting.
3. The River Wild (1994)
Setting the precursor for an unimaginable thriller, ‘River Wild,’ is the reimagining of this classic. The story revolves around a young family who embark on a white-water rafting adventure in Montana. However, their holiday turns into a nightmare when two armed killers hold them hostage and use them to escape down the treacherous rapids. Starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, and David Strathairn, the movie is directed by Curtis Hanson and features the same intensive situation that leaves Gray and Joey testing the bonds of blood.
2. The Edge (1997)
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin and Ellen Macpherson, this movie centers on the premise that sometimes the most significant threats in nature aren’t apex predators but humans themselves. Directed by Lee Tamahori, ‘The Edge’ is yet another wilderness thriller that maps the travails of a group in Alaska. After the plane carrying Charles Morse crashes into the wild, the passengers, including Charles’ photographer and assistant, must brave the elements and predators. However, the real danger for Charles seems to be Robert, who seemingly has an affair with his wife and wouldn’t mind seeing him dead. Much like ‘River Wild,’ ‘The Edge’ also features a protagonist hurt by someone close to him.
1. Deliverance (1972)
Directed by John Boorman, this dark adventure follows four friends who intend to see the Cahulawassee River before it is turned into a dam. As the outdoor fanatics head on to the canoeing trip, their adventure is soon undone by backwood locals who attack them instantaneously. As the group tries to reel from the surprising ambush and return home safe and sound, they soon find themselves surrounded by a madman intent on killing them. Much like ‘River Wild,’ ‘Deliverance’ also features a getaway in the river that threatens to undo bonds by entangling people in threatening circumstances.
