Before we had gated communities and tall towers, our original form of settlement and social interactions originated from tribal associations. It was early in those primal years that one learned the importance of community, loyalty and unity, for in the face of any danger, humans were all humans had. Nowadays, with the onset of a whirlpool of technology, the significance of human interaction has taken a backseat, efficiently replaced by cool, quick machines. This evolution has caused some convenience but is also majorly responsible for loneliness and a certain amount of depression, as humans have lost the ability to communicate. Here’s a look at some of the best movies based on tribes.

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7 The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

     Warner Bros.

Growing up, Tarzan was a constant source of inspiration for children to wander into the African jungle in hopes of being raised by the great Mangani apes and eventually gain the super-heroic strengths of Tarzan. In The Legend of Tarzan, Tarzan’s (Alexander Skarsgård) beloved wife Jane (Margot Robbie) is kidnaped by a Belgian envoy (Christoph Waltz). John Clayton must rediscover his innate identity as Tarzan, if he has any chance of saving Jane. Directed by David Yates, The Legend of Tarzan succinctly highlights the discrepancy between man’s morality and nature’s charity.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

6 Valhalla Rising (2009)

     IFC Films

Directed by Danish auteur Nicholas Winding Refn, Valhalla Rising documents the trials and tribulations of an enslaved man called One Eye (Mads Mikkelsen). One Eye manages to break free from his Norse chieftain tribe and teams up with Erik and other local Christian fanatics as they make a journey into the heart of darkness. Dealing with constant episodes of crew infighting and frequent coastline attacks, little does One Eye know that that’s just the start of his troubles. In Valhalla Rising Refn does a brilliant job at creating atmospheric tension by using surreal stylistic motifs, which we have now come to know him for.

5 RRR (2022)

     DVV Entertainment

In RRR, a local tribal chieftain’s daughter is kidnaped by the British Empire, tasking the tribe to send one of its most daring and accomplished hunters to retrieve the little girl. The only problem? The Indian origin British officer that’s tasked with catching this hunter is equally endowed in all matters concerning wit and strength. The resulting cocktail of chaos causes the two men with clearly different missions to eventually come together and realign their causes, thereby joining forces to take down the mighty British Empire.

4 Avatar (2009)

     20th Century Studios

James Cameron’s Avatar is more than a film; it’s a revolution. The film laid the foundational pathway for the incorporation of technology into the world of storytelling. Despite being technologically way ahead of its time, Avatar, to date, holds true due to its humanistic storyline, subtly outlining that the human race will self-destruct itself in its constant tug of war with nature.

The film’s plot revolves around a paraplegic Marine, Jake, who is dispatched to Pandora moon, a distant planet where his loyalty is put to test when he is forced to decide between following orders or protecting the Na’vi folks who think him as their own. Upon its release, Avatar won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects, while being nominated for a total of nine awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

3 Prey (2022)

     Hulu

Prey is considered to be one of the best alien films of recent times. Known for its fast-paced action along with its edge-of-the-seat suspense, Prey is easily one of the most scary/thrilling films of 2022. The plot revolves around Naru, a Comanche warrior that’s desperate to prove her worth to her tribe, but for some or the other reason never gets the chance too. All this changes when she’s tasked with taking on a highly evolved alien predator, that hunts humans for sport. Deeming this to be an opportunity for her to prove her worth and protect her tribe from being cannibalized by another worldly force, Naru plunges headfirst into an epic battle with a much superior predator.

2 10,000 BC (2008)

     Warner Bros. Pictures

In the mountains of the Urals, a hunter named D’Leh’s tribe gets attacked and the love of his life gets taken captive by a ruthless warlord. In order to save his wife, D’leh embarks on an odyssey to protect his people and rescue his wife, paying no heed to the cost his journey could come at. Directed by apocalyptic aficionado, Rolland Emerich, 10,000 BC is a wholesome film of human emotions set against the periodic backdrop of a prehistoric primitive lifestyle.

1 Apocalypto (2006)

     20th Century Fox

Mel Gibson’s 2008 tribal epic is a sad, yet daunting case study into the violent past. The film documents a war between two tribes from the point of view of a man named Jaguar Paw. The film intrinsically highlights the effects of war on one particular family, not shying away from taking the viewer on a cathartic journey. As the looting and raiding intensifies, Paw goes to despicable heights to fight for his family and protect his children, only to realize that the worst is yet to come.