Plenty of movies follow characters on epic journeys, whether they’re thrillers, comedies or something else. In these types of movies, the “hero’s journey” is mirrored by a physical journey, as various trials block the path of the main character from reaching their goal, and they have to grow in order to overcome them.
Movies about journeys can be extremely gripping, since anyone can relate to the feeling of a long journey. This is a good way of reflecting a character’s internal battles in their external state. However, not all such movies are thrillers, since comedy road trip movies and sci-fi adventures use the same tools.
You are watching: 10 Great Movies About Long, Hard Journeys
10
The Revenant (2015)
Leonardo DiCaprio Stars In An Unbelievable True Story
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The Revenant
R
Adventure
Drama
7/10
12
8.8/10
Release Date
December 25, 2015
Runtime
156 minutes
Director
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writers
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Mark L. Smith
Cast
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-
Will Poulter
-
Leonardo DiCaprio
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Leonardo DiCaprio finally got his Oscar for his performance in The Revenant, and the story behind the making of the film is almost as famous now as the film itself. DiCaprio and the crew had to endure biting winds and frigid temperatures, which is appropriate considering the real-life inspiration behind The Revenant.
The story behind the making of the film is almost as famous now as the film itself.
When he’s left for dead in the wilderness, American fur trapper Hugh Glass embarks on a harrowing journey to return to his men and exact his revenge on the man who killed his son. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s immersive style heightens every brutal detail of The Revenant, and DiCaprio’s performance does the rest.
9
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Max’s Journey Across The Wasteland Is Fraught With Danger
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Mad Max: Fury Road
R
Action
Adventure
Thriller
Fantasy
9/10
59
8.7/10
Release Date
May 14, 2015
Runtime
120 Minutes
Director
George Miller
Writers
George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
Prequel(s)
Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Cast
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-
Tom Hardy
-
Charlize Theron
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Mad Max: Fury Road came out 30 years after the previous movie in the franchise, and with Tom Hardy replacing Mel Gibson in the lead role. Still, George Miller picked up where he left off, delivering a non-stop thrill ride set in his sun-scorched dystopia. The entire film plays out like one long, dangerous chase scene.
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Like with some other entries in the franchise, Fury Road isn’t really Max’s story, but he’s a passenger on someone else’s quest. In this case, he assists Furiosa in her brutal journey to rescue Immortan Joe’s captive wives and take them to the fabled “Green Place“. When this becomes impossible, Max and Furiosa decide to turn around and charge back into danger.
8
Children Of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón’s Action Thriller Paints A Grim Portrait Of A Dystopian Future
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Children of Men
R
Action
Drama
Science Fiction
Release Date
January 5, 2007
Runtime
109 minutes
Director
Alfonso Cuarón
Writers
David Arata, Hawk Ostby, Timothy J. Sexton, Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Fergus
Cast
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Julianne Moore
-
Clare-Hope Ashitey
-
Clive Owen
-
Chiwetel Ejiofor
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Although it was a commercial failure at the time, Children of Men has since been recognized as one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century. The story takes place in a near-future where society has been all but torn apart by a global fertility crisis. When a pregnant woman is found for the first time in decades, a world-weary bureaucrat tries to smuggle her to safety.
Alfonso Cuarón’s immersive use of long takes heightens the tension in Children of Men‘s explosive action scenes, but there’s also a deeply emotional side to the drama. The journey moves from the crime-ridden streets of London, through a disordered countryside and finally to a nightmarish refugee camp on the coast.
7
It Happened One Night (1934)
The Oscar-Winner Helped Create The Modern Rom-Com
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It Happened One Night
Approved
Comedy
Romance
10/10
Release Date
February 22, 1934
Runtime
105 Minutes
Director
Frank Capra
Writers
Robert Riskin, Samuel Hopkins Adams
Cast
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-
Clark Gable
-
Claudette Colbert
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Not all movies about difficult journeys have to be dramatic, as there are countless road movies which put their characters through hell for laughs. It Happened One Night set the standard for such comedies, and it also helped create the modern rom-com in many ways, with its reversal of traditional gender dynamics, bickering lovers and chaotic misfortune.
It Happened One Night was the first movie to win the so-called “Grand Slam” at the Oscars, scooping Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay.
Claudette Colbert stars as a wealthy heiress who escapes from her father in Miami to go and meet up with her lover in New York City. On the long bus ride, she brushes up against a brash journalist in the form of Clark Gable. Thanks to a combination of rotten luck and their own foibles, the trip becomes longer and more complicated than it needs to be. Although it’s been imitated in every way possible, It Happened One Night is still packed with surprising and hilarious moments.
6
The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994)
The Queer Classic Follows Three Drag Queens Into The Outback
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The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
R
Comedy
Music
9/10
Release Date
August 10, 1994
Runtime
104 minutes
Director
Stephan Elliott
Writers
Stephan Elliott
Cast
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-
Terence Stamp
-
Hugo Weaving
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The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has gained a cult following as a true camp classic. Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp star as three drag queens who take an RV deep into the Australian outback, heading for the remote town of Alice Springs.
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The Adventures of Priscilla is constantly surprising and hilarious, but it’s a queer odyssey that also has plenty of heart. While the script has a lot of fun with stereotypes, the main characters are so much more than that. Ultimately, it’s a life-affirming story of acceptance and self-actualization that still rings true.
5
Ad Astra (2019)
Ad Astra Updates The Heart Of Darkness
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Ad Astra
PG-13
Sci-Fi
Thriller
7/10
9.7/10
Release Date
September 17, 2019
Runtime
124 minutes
Director
James Gray
Writers
James Gray, Ethan Gross
Cast
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-
Anne McDaniels
-
Liv Tyler
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Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness is one of the best books about a difficult journey, and Ad Astra updates this story by way of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Brad Pitt plays an astronaut who ventures deep into the solar system to make contact with his father, a man he hasn’t seen for years, who seems to have lost his grip on reality.
Ad Astra is one of the best space exploration movies ever, and it isn’t the only one which follows a difficult journey. What makes Ad Astra different from movies like Gravity and The Martian is that Roy McBride isn’t trying to return home. In fact, his destiny lies millions of miles away from Earth.
4
The Green Knight (2021)
Dev Patel Starts In A Medieval Fantasy
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The Green Knight
R
Adventure
Drama
Fantasy
8/10
7.3/10
Release Date
July 30, 2021
Runtime
See more : Byomkesh O Durgo Rahosyo Movie Release Date and Time 2023, Countdown, Cast, Trailer, and More!
125 minutes
Director
David Lowery
Writers
David Lowery
Cast
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-
Dev Patel
-
Emilie Hetland
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The story of Gawain and the Green Knight has been passed down through the centuries, and David Lowery’s movie adaptation is suitably epic and mysterious for such an important myth. The Green Knight largely sticks to the story as it’s most commonly told.
Dev Patel stars as Sir Gawain, one of King Arthur’s knights who accepts a challenge from a mysterious green knight who wanders into the court. His strange journey takes him across an enchanted wilderness, where he meets ambiguous characters who test his psychological mettle. The Green Knight was a box office failure, but it earned positive critical reviews.
3
Finding Nemo (2003)
Pixar’s Colorful Aesthetic Hides A Surprisingly High-Stakes Story
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Finding Nemo
G
Animation
Adventure
Comedy
Family
9.3/10
Release Date
May 30, 2003
Runtime
100 Minutes
Director
Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Writers
Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds
Cast
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-
Albert Brooks
-
Ellen DeGeneres
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Finding Nemo is one of Pixar’s best movies, and certainly one of the studio’s most beautiful. However, the rainbow-colored underwater aesthetic merely livens up a story about a father going on an epic journey to save his son. It’s the kind of comedic adventure that children love, but adults are more likely to connect with Marlin’s desperation and guilt.
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6
Finding Nemo isn’t the only Pixar movie about a long journey. The studio returned to this idea in Onward, The Good Dinosaur, Coco and Inside Out, to name a few. These movies all use the structure of the journey to introduce plenty of fun new characters along the route. The constantly changing scenery also helps keep up a snappy pace.
2
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
Peter Jackson’s Adaptation Follows An Epic Journey Into The Heart Of Evil
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
PG-13
Action
Fantasy
Adventure
10/10
64
9.4/10
Release Date
December 19, 2001
Runtime
178 Minutes
Director
Peter Jackson
Writers
Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Prequel(s)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Cast
See All
-
Elijah Wood
-
Ian McKellen
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It took a long time before J.R.R. Tolkein’s seminal fantasy series got a suitable big-screen adaptation, but Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy was worth the wait. Although there are remarkable battles, the scale of which hasn’t been replicated since, Frodo’s journey into Mordor is just as important.
Frodo’s story is a great example of the way that the Lord of the Rings trilogy maintains its personal stakes, even in the midst of epic battles, interesting high fantasy concepts and a large ensemble of characters. This makes Frodo one of the most relatable characters.
1
1917 (2019)
1917 Brings The Battlefield To Life
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1917
R
Drama
Biography
7/10
8.1/10
Release Date
December 25, 2019
Runtime
119 minutes
Director
Sam Mendes
Writers
Sam Mendes, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Cast
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-
Colin Firth
-
Teresa Mahoney
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1917 follows two British soldiers on a dangerous mission to deliver a message calling off an attack. The stakes are set from the very beginning, as it’s made clear that failure will mean the death of hundreds of their fellow soldiers, including the brother of one of the two men.
1917 is loosely based on a true story, and its commitment to historical detail makes the First World War story even more gripping.
1917 is loosely based on a true story, and its commitment to historical detail makes the First World War story even more gripping. It’s shot to look like one long, continuous take, which creates an immersive, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The action feels genuinely dangerous every step of the way, and there are only a few moments of solace to break up the breathless pace.
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