Sophie Turner's survival drama 'Survive' makes us wonder if we really need another 'Alive'
One of the many upcoming Quibi shows happens to be the Sophie Turner-starrer 'Survive' which is about two survivors of a plane crash trying their best to survive in the wild where the plane crashed. Corey Hawkins plays a co-passenger Paul and along with Turner's Jane, the two try to traverse many obstacles to live through this crash. The trailer of the show indicates that Jane could also be someone who is an addict or has been dealing with addiction in her life.
This takes us back to the brilliant 1993 movie 'Alive' which is also about a plane crash, and it sees survivors of the plane crash live through extreme weather and starvation in an attempt to make it out of the crash site safely. While we do not know the extent to which 'Survive' will explore the desperation that comes with the need for survival; 'Alive' went all out.
It was about a group of rugby players from Uruguay who were on their way to a match in Chile, but end up in the Andes Mountains after their plane crashes. Without food, or rescue, many passengers in the flight died. Some succumb to injuries, while others fail to make it out of the crashed flight in the first place. So, the survivors end up initially rationing their food, then the desperation for survival is so extreme that the survivors even resort to cannibalism.
'Alive' was also based on the real-life event that occurred in 1972, when a group of rugby players crashed in what is known as 'The Valley of Tears'. The book and the film portrayed how individuals were pushed to make extremely tough choices. The film is a tough watch because you see these individuals having to choose between life and death, every moment after a crash.
On the other hand, we have 'Survive', which is also based on a novel of the same name authored by Alex Morel. Can this show led by Turner and Hawkins really match up to the intense experience that 'Alive' turned out to be or will 'Survive' fall flat?
One of the things that are on the side of 'Survive' is the short duration of each episode. If the show has been written well, and with a tight screenplay, 'Survive' can definitely become a thrilling show to watch. However, if it ends up becoming meandering, or drags too much about Jane's past into the present when she is trying to survive after a plane crash, the show can become not just messy but hard to stick with as well.
Then, there is the fact that the plot of the show is no surprise for the most part, including the fact that between Paul and Jane, only one of them would survive. It is important to ensure that the show is not a page by page adaptation of the book. 'Survive' also has less time to set up a backstory that has enough layers and has to stay in the moment if it hopes to keep the momentum of the show alive instead of flipping back and forth too often. What we need in a survival drama is the fight to keep our hopes alive, and strength to make it through another day alive.
Whether 'Survive' will be as successful or close to 'Alive' or if it will join the long line of survival dramas that just didn't cut it -- we have to wait and see.
'Survive' premieres on Quibi April 6.