SHTF in 127 Hours (Movie Review)

I just found the movie title, "127 Hours" on a survivalist forum thread featuring a list of movies with a survivalist/survivor theme. I bookmarked the thread page as there are a number of movies I haven't seen yet and that I hope to see soon. I don't want to forget which movies were suggested by other survivalists ('cos I'm still just a noob and need to be mentored by others on survival methods and information).


Wow, SHTF in this movie, 127 Hours, that's for sure!

127 Hours is the movie depiction from a real life survivor experience that Aron Ralston had in 2003. He wrote a book (memoir) about his experience called, "Between and Rock and a Hard Place," and from the movie depiction, this book title explains EXACTLY what Aron's real life situation was, the situation he had to survive.

Ralston was canyoneering (rock-climbing/hiking in a canyon area) in 2003, in a "slot canyon," when he suddenly slipped downward and a boulder dislodged from the crevice, falling with him. When he and the boulder both stopped, he was near a floor of the canyon but not quite to the bottom and one of his arms was wedged - literally - between a rock and a hard place!!! Ralston was essentially stuck in place by the boulder pinching his extremity between boulder and the crevice wall.

Even though I did a little basic research before I found this movie for viewing online, and I knew Ralston had obviously survived a life-threatening experience in order to write a memoir, this did NOT quell the SHTF SHOCK VALUE of the movie experience.

Although I have been interested in viewing films of all kinds for learning survivor techniques (or myths), I enjoyed this show even though it dealt with a very singular scenario. There aren't a whole repertoire of survivalist concepts conveyed here, but the film was definitely worth watching.

The Main Survivalist Points:

• ALWAYS tell someone where you are going
• Never give up

Those are the most pointed concepts this movie conveyed.

Mr. Ralston likely would have experienced less time in the canyon had he just TOLD SOMEONE where he was going. People knew he was going canyoneering and likely would have started looking for him pretty quickly after a set time period if he'd just told someone where he was going.

On the second point - he never gave up - thus was successful in surviving the life-threatening experience (at a COST!).

Here's a trailer:




I believe the movie title is an explanation of how long Ralston was away or else stuck in the canyon - so when you see the movie trailer, don't be fooled as the series of clips make it seem/sound like Ralston was trapped for a little over 24 hours. Really, he was stuck in the canyon, an extremity wedged between boulder and canyon wall - for several days!

General Rating (10/10)
SHTF Rating  (9/10)

moi~