Rent Jungle (2017)
3.2 of 5 from 477 ratings
1h 51min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
From the celebrated director of 'Wolf Creek' and starring Daniel Rridcliffe comes 'Jungle'; the terrifying true story of one man's 17 day fight for survival as he battles the darkest elements of human nature and the deadliest threats of the wilderness. Young Israeli Yossi Ghinsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) leaves a safe future behind to chase an improbable dream in the mysterious depths of the Amazon rain-forest. For a year he journeys on the path well-traveled, but when he and two new fellow adventurers, Kevin Gale (Alex Russell) and Marcus Stamm (Joel Jackson), meet the darkly charismatic Karl Ruchprecter (Thomas Kretschmann), and follow him into the jungle, what begins as the realisation of a dream soon turns into a harrowing psychological test of faith and fortitude. - Actors:
- Daniel Radcliffe, Thomas Kretschmann, Alex Russell, Joel Jackson, Lily Sullivan, Yasmin Kassim, John Bluthal, Jacek Koman, Lucho Velasco, Luis Jose Lopez, Angie Milliken, Paris Moletti, Joey Vieira, Rodrigo Marulanda, Cassandra Robinson, Obeida Benavidez, Kirra Gaskell, Cayam Ghinsperg, Elias Granado, Claire Jones
- Directors:
- Greg McLean
- Producers:
- Todd Fellman, Mike Gabrawy, Gary Hamilton, Mark Lazarus, Dana Lustig, Greg McLean
- Writers:
- Yossi Ghinsberg, Justin Monjo
- Studio:
- Signature Entertainment
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Drama, Thrillers
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 01/01/2018
- Run Time:
- 111 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Making Of Featurettes
- Cast and Crew Interviews
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Reviews (7) of Jungle
Excellent Film - Jungle review by Doug
Really enjoyed this film its hard to believe its based on true facts and it did happen the acting is very good the story is excellent
the filming of the film excellent as its all outside in the real jungle and theres plenty showings of birds and different animals can't recommend this film enough just watch it
1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Good story badly told. - Jungle review by TE
All the usual components of a true survival tale are present here, but the film feels disjointed and leaden-footed.
There are loose ends left at the conclusion, and much of the early set-up is rushed, leaving the characters acting like cardboard cut-outs.
In particular there is no explanation for the speed at which the "friends" start shouting at each other and falling out.
Disappointing misfire.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Enjoyable film - Jungle review by CP Customer
I thought this film was quite good. It shows how excitement for adventure can lead to trouble and then a human's fight for survival in a very harsh environment. The film kept me interested most of the way through and on edge at certain points. I feel it was more interesting knowing that it was based on a true story as well because you can re-live and imagine what it must have been like for the real people involved. Really good acting also, especially from Radcliffe. I would recommend this film.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Jungle review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso
Daniel Radcliffe really doesn’t get enough credit for throwing himself headfirst into the oddest of pictures in his post-Harry Potter career. No film finds him sacrificing more than with Jungle, a based-on-a-true-story survival story where he intentionally starved himself to accurately portray a man lost for days without eating. It’s just too bad he’s trapped in a film that doesn’t do him justice, struggling to find stage scene of losing one’s mind when Radcliffe has a method nailed down.
It’s a story based on the true-life 1981 survival tale of Yossi Ghinsberg (Radcliffe). An Isreali adventurer, he sets out on a trip for the Amazon rainforest of Bolivia. He’s enticed by the prospect of meeting an Indian tribe, seeing and learning new things. He’s assured by a guide that everything will be fine. But how many movies that lead to the jungle ever turn out alright? A series of unfortunate events leads to Yossi being separate from his group and lost deep within the rainforest, forcing him to survive on his own for days before he can either find civilization or somebody comes back for him.
And here is where the film falters with trying to stage the drama of losing one’s mind in isolation and starvation. The trickiest part is how to actively portray the visions and fantasies that crop up in the brain. I recall the documentary Touching the Void where a mountain climber tries to describe the experience of losing oxygen and hearing the same song over and over in his head, an event that was subtly staged. No subtlety in Jungle, presenting Yossi’s maddening visions as backstory and comic levity. He remembers the conversations he had with his girlfriend under the stars, fluidly transforming into trippier sights. Not ludicrous enough? How about a wishing vision of a decadent meal with surreal sights and a goofy orchestra accompaniment?
These theatrical aspects feel unneeded or at the very least ill-presented in a story where nature survival should be compelling enough. I enjoyed how the movie tricks the viewer at times with people not really there, food not quite present, and hope always far in the distance for Yossi. Radcliffe doesn’t just work for this role but suffers for it in what may be one of his best roles, which is saying something for an actor willing to play a decaying corpse and horned beast in his previous movies. One could write it off as a gimmick of the movie, but it may very well be that mindset that caused director Greg McLean to add in extra dashes of unnecessary fantasies.
Jungle has a lot to keep the eyes glued. The actors present, from the natives to the English speaking players, all delivery direct and to-the-point acting that never tries too hard to be engaging. The wildlife cinematography is astounding, from the gorgeous trees of day to the muddy nights with rain. McLean gets very up close and personal into this setting so we can feel all the dirt and grit on Radcliffe’s face. But in trying to keep that running time up, he adds some odd theatrical additions that hold the film back. And why would you want to turn the camera away from the finest of performances by Radcliffe?