Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- sardonic
- anxious
- nostalgic movie night
- dark comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly found an unconventional adult comedy with strong performances from Robin Williams and Walter Matthau, but considered the film uneven and unsuccessful overall.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film centers on two jobless grown men and uses unconventional humor around economic humiliation, danger, and friendship.
Donald responds to the robbery and public attention by becoming obsessed with guns and joining a mountain survivalist group.
Sonny and Donald have little in common but become allies after stopping a bar robbery.
Donald becomes identifiable on television after the robbery, allowing Jack to track him and intensify the danger.
Films like The Survivors, and why
The Odd Couple
offbeat buddy comedy pairing mismatched working-class men amid escalating criminal trouble
Grumpy Old Men
adult comedy built around friendship, frustration, and the distinctive chemistry of comic performers
After Hours
darkly comic crime premise involving ordinary people drawn into dangerous circumstances
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Ritchie
- Release Date
- 1983-06-24
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (119)
Cast
- Robin Williams
- Walter Matthau
- Jerry Reed
- James Wainwright
- Kristen Vigard
- Joseph Carberry
- John Goodman
- Anne Pitoniak
- Bernard Barrow
- Marian Hailey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Survivors about?
- Two unemployed New Yorkers become accidental heroes, unlikely friends, and targets of a robber whose pursuit pushes one of them into survivalist obsession.
- What is The Survivors like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Survivors as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Survivors violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Survivors as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Survivors?
- Critics broadly found an unconventional adult comedy with strong performances from Robin Williams and Walter Matthau, but considered the film uneven and unsuccessful overall.
- Which films are like The Survivors?
- Films with a similar feel include The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men, and After Hours.
- How long is The Survivors?
- The Survivors runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Survivors?
- In United States, The Survivors streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
