By: Ava Rogha
Your algorithm plays a big role in what you end up watching on Netflix. For most people, it makes the job easier. However, it also makes it difficult to discover hidden gems. Which is why I had never considered Jungle (2017) before. Until a friend introduced it to me!
Jungle is a powerful story about a young Israeli male named Yossi Ghinsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) who travels to Bolivia in hope of some adventure. Alongside three other people who he befriends on the trip, he heads into the famous Amazon rainforest.
This exciting backpacking trip is arranged by an Austrian man named Karl Ruprechter (Thomas Kretschmann), who claims to know of an Indigenous tribe in the jungle.
The three other men trust Ruprechter and camp into the endless woods. Little do they know that this man is not exactly who he says he is!
"I told my parents I’d be back in a year, but I don’t think I’ll ever go back."
The man hunts as if it’s nothing and cooks innocent animals right before the eyes of the other three. That is when Yossi starts questioning his intentions, and one thing leads to another and suddenly, the three others find themselves trapped in the middle of the Amazon rainforest with no way of returning back to the coast.
I’m sure most of us have heard about the Amazon rainforest at some point in our lives. However, its unfathomable depth is beyond our comprehension. With no water to drink and no food to eat, Yossi and his friends are struggling to survive. And just like your usual action/thriller movie, the group goes from being optimistic and hopeful of returning home, to knocking on death’s door.
"I left to escape the well-worn path, university, work, marriage, kids. I wanted to experience the extraordinary."
The main focus is, as predicted, on Yossi Ghinsberg, played by Daniel Radcliffe, famously known from the Harry Potter movies.
He does a great job portraying this young Israeli boy and perfects his accent without slip ups.
His powerful role as Yossi is presented through shorter flashbacks and emotional survival scenes. You will feel empathetic and sorry for this young boy who got himself into such a risky situation, and it will make you feel cautious not to trust people you don’t really know.
In addition to the main characters, I was very much fascinated by the Native Americans, who have partial attendance throughout the movie. They are presented authentically and beautifully, and the creators have successfully helped us feel like we’re on a trip alongside the main characters.
"We have a map, and people are coming to save you. All you have to do is keep going. Going and going and going. Going and going and going. Going and going and going."
Although the emotional moments in this movie are uncountable, it teaches us a great lesson about friendship too.
The boys stick together to get through this awful situation and even though they are all struggling to survive, their love and care for each other is notable.
Additionally, the movie is interactive and has your full attention from the moment they head into the forest until they (possibly) get out. Its minor cliffhangers throughout really have you waiting for more!
This Australian survival drama is actually based on a true story about four men with the same names getting lost in the Amazon rainforest back in the 1980s.
But this dramatic movie is just a shorter version of what exactly happened to them and there is a proper explanation written at the very end of the movie. So keep an eye out for that!
"How do you know that Karl is telling the truth?"
I would say this movie falls within several different genres, including; thriller, action and drama, which allows friends with different tastes to watch it together. What’s better than a movie night with a movie we all can agree on, am I right?
Check out Jungle now on Netflix, you might even leave the room with goosebumps!
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