Adventure documentaries on Netflix are 1. 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible 2. Chasing Coral 3. The River Runner 4. Everest and 6 others.
As a human, it is normal to seek excitement in every aspect of life. Such thrills can spike adrenaline production and increase your blood flow.
It can even make your brain alert, rise your energy levels and make you sweat. It is not always necessary that you get the excitement by stepping foot into the real world.
What if you can go on that emotional rollercoaster at home while binging on streaming movies? We have listed some of the most thrill-seeking fact-based documentaries that will shake your adventurous core.
List of Top 10 Adventure Documentaries On Netflix
| 1. 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible | 29 November 2021 |
| 2. Chasing Coral | 14 July 2017 |
| 3. The River Runner | 12 October 2021 |
| 4. Everest | 18 September 2015 |
| 5. Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics | 11 May 2020 |
| 6. Against the Ice | 15 February 2022 |
| 7. Hold Your Breathe: The Ice Dive | 3 May 2022 |
| 8. Broad Peak | 14 September 2022 |
| 9. Last Breath | 5 April 2019 |
| 10. Resurface | 1 September 2017 |
1. 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
- Genre: Adventure and Sport
- Cast: Nirmal Purja, Suchi Purja, Klára Kolouchová, Reinhold Messner, James Barber
- Duration: 1 hour 41 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Just Watch, Roku
14 Peaks is listed at the top among the adventure narrative on Netflix. It was directed by Torquil Jones and officially released in 2021.
The movie opened at the DOC NYC Film Festival. It follows the attempt of Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his group to climb 14 peaks in under seven months.
The peaks are 8000 plus meters, and the film shows the thrilling journey in the mountains. Nirmal completed the climb in 6 months and six days and beat the previous record (7 years).
The movie is a compilation of his 100-hour-long footage, animation, interviews, and more. Moreover, it was nominated for the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards.
2. Chasing Coral
- IMDb rating: 8/10
- Genre: Documentary
- Cast: Andrew Ackerman, Ruth Gates, Neal Cantin, Phil Dustan, Pim Bongaerts, Mark Eakin
- Duration: 1 hour 29 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Just Watch, Documentary Mania
Chasing Coral was directed by Jeff Orlowski-Yang and released in 2017.
People always wonder about space and what lies above us. However, they rarely think of what is inside the sea or an ocean that has maintained the ecosystem on the earth for so long.
Chasing Coral documents a thrilling journey inside the ocean to uncover the underwater mystery. It features coral reefs, sea creatures, and interviews with experts.
The fascinating quest leads up to head-scratching discoveries in the marine world. The film is the winner of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
3. The River Runner
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
- Genre: Documentary
- Cast: Scott Lindgren, Patricia Damon, Jay Gifford, Jon Clarke, Matt Baker, Zoe Ellis
- Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Just Watch, Yidio, Compare TV
The River Runner was directed by Rush Sturges and published in 2021.
The movie features Scott Lindgren who attempts to kayak through the 4 rivers starting at Mount Kailash. He is beaten by one of the rivers on the first try.
Scott gets ill, undergoes an operation, and takes a break until another enthusiast makes him a part of his team. The rivers featured in the movie are Karnali, Indus, Sutlej, and Tsangpo.
It was the closing movie on the 40th anniversary of the Breck Film Festival. As per Summit Daily, the film was awarded the titles of the best cinematography, and Director's choice.
4. Everest
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
- Genre: Action, Adventure, and Biography
- Cast: Jason Clarke, Ang Phula Sherpa, Thomas M. Wright, Martin Henderson, Tom Goodman-Hill
- Duration: 2 hours 1 minute
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, Redbox. , Roku
Everest was directed by Baltasar Kormákur and released in 2015.
The movie debuted at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival. It is based on true events from the 1996 Mountain Everest disaster and focused on the survival of the two expedition groups.
The mountain is struck by a violent storm which creates unimaginable blizzards. The teams must hold onto one another and fight their epic battle with nature.
The film was made with a total budget of $55 million and it earned $203.4 million at the box office. It was nominated for several awards and won the 2016 Jupiter awards.
5. Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics
- IMDb rating: 6.8/10
- Genre: Documentary and Comedy
- Cast: Nick Offerman, ASAP Rocky, Sting, Bill Kreutzmann, Rosie Perez, Reggie Watts
- Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Just Watch, Roku
Have A Good Trip is a 2020 movie that can be considered one of the escapade documentaries on streaming sites. It was written and directed by Donick Cary and released in 2020.
The film features celebrities describing their experiences with hallucinogenic drugs. It compiles anecdotes from famous people along with the animations.
Cary got the idea of filming the documentary back in 2009 at the Nantucket Film Festival. During that time, he and other directors discussed the effects of hallucinogenics.
Yo La Tengo composed the music for the film. The movie was originally set to open at the SXSW Film Festival but was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
6. Against the Ice
- IMDb rating: 6.5/10
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, and History
- Cast: Joe Cole, Heida Reed, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Þorstein Bachmann, Charles Dance
- Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Just Watch
Against The Ice was directed by Peter Flinth and released to the public in 2022. It is a real-life story based on the book named Two Against The Ice. The film was opened at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.
It tells the story of Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen's expedition to Alabama, Denmark. He does so to disprove the United States claim to North Eastern Greenland.
To find the evidence, the captain sleds the ice with one crew member leaving all his crew behind. They survive through horrific times battling hunger, tiredness, and an attack from a polar bear.
7. Hold Your Breathe: The Ice Dive
- IMDb rating: 6.5/10
- Genre: Documentary and Sport
- Cast: Jean-Charles Granjon, Maria Hellinger, Antero Joki
- Duration: 40 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Just Watch, Tubi
Hold Your Breathe: The Ice Dive was directed by Ian Derry and released in 2022.
The short film documents the journey of free diver Johanna Nordblad. Johanna attempts to break the world record of distance traveled under the ice in one breath.
The movie points out striking human features like courage and passion. It also shows the sense of achieving something after all the hurdles.
The film has become a hit due to the portrayal of extreme sport. Moreover, the diver Johanna swooned the audience with her commitment and willpower.
8. Broad Peak
- IMDb rating: 5.9/10
- Genre: Adventure, Biography, and Drama
- Cast: Ireneusz Czop, Maja Ostaszewska, Piotr Glowacki
- Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Just Watch, Yidio
Escapade documentaries available on Netflix include the 2022 movie Broad Peak. The direction was done by Leszek Dawid who also co-wrote the film.
It depicts the story of Maciej Berbeka who makes it out alive from the ascent of Broad Peak in 1988. When he returns to Poland, he realizes that he did not reach the top and that his friends lied to him.
Following that, Berbeka withdraws from mountaineering. He gets a call from Krzysztof twenty-four years later seeking a partner to resume the same journey.
Broad Peak was nominated for two awards at the Polish Film Festival. Although it did not secure the awards, it definitely caught the viewer's attention.
9. Last Breath
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
- Genre: Documentary
- Cast: Stuart Anderson, Michal Cichorski, Duncan Allcock, Kjetil Ove Alvestad, Glenn Brunskill
- Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Just Watch
Last Breath was made under the direction of Richard da Costa and Alex Parkinson. The powerful documentary was released in 2019.
It is based on the true story of a serious saturation accident in 2012.
It features diver Chris Lemons who gets trapped 100 meters under the sea. The destroyed umbilical cable urges him to remain without heat and light.
Chris also has a little breathing gas in his tank. The movie pictures the nearly impossible survival of the man while he tries to bid time for the arrival of the rescue team.
10. Resurface
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
- Genre: Documentary and Sport
- Cast:Van Curaza, Martin Pollock, Bobby Lane, Mike Shurley, Sean Meyer
- Duration: 27 minutes
- Where To Watch: Netflix, Just Watch, Compare TV
Resurface marks was released in 2017 by Joshua Izenberg and Wynn Padula.
The show is about the depressed Iraq war veteran Bobby and how surfing helps him to calm his nerves. After having nightmares and seizures, the retired army thinks suicide is the only way out.
But when Lane meets the professional surfer Van, everything changes. The veteran learns to form a bond with the ocean and cope with his physical plus mental trauma.
Rather than just a movie, it shows the reality of the problems faced by veterans. It secured awards at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival.
