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Jungle was directed by Greg McLean, written by Justin Monjo, who adapts from Yossi Ghinsberg’s autobiography, and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Alex Russell, Joel Jackson, and Thomas Kretschmann. It follows a man as he works his way out of the woods after he and his friends travel into the Amazon and find it more treacherous than expected.

The Plot: Survival can often times be its own plotline, replete with B-stories and mystery. Monjo takes the less is more approach, sticking with the primary character when he could’ve split the difference among the other leads.

Seeking a change of pace, Yossi (Radcliffe) travels to La Paz, Bolivia to give himself a story worth telling. Quickly acquainting himself with fellow adventurers Marcus (Jackson) and Kevin (Russell), they take in the local customs and culture for Jungle’s opening act, before finding Karl (Kretschmann), a travel guide who offers them the trip of a lifetime. With the promise of panning for gold along the way, it’s a no-brainer to the trio, who soon venture into the wilderness, unprepared for the journey. Monjo creates an enticing opportunity, with uncharted settlements and unparalleled beauty the true reward for the fee.

Once the group reach the rainforest, Jungle essentially moves forward as it sees fit. There are key moments, such as Yossi, Marcus, and Kevin’s collective doubt of Karl’s leadership skills – a sentiment that only increases as time goes on, and Yossi’s eventual separation from the group during their return trek, which McLean comes to focus on, as Yossi has to make his way back to civilization on his own. There could’ve been more to add to the tale, as some of the real Ghinsberg’s anecdotes were omitted, but the movie has the narrative required for a story.

The Characters: This is Yossi’s story, so it’s to no one’s surprise that he gets the most development out of the roster, however, the script does just enough to make the others into decent support.

Yossi has never been one for a traditional living, much to the confusion of his parents. His desire to set himself apart from the generic adult life started with his journey from Israel to the US’s biggest cities, eventually leading him south and into Bolivia. There’s an endearing sense of ambition to the character, who has a motormouth whenever an opportunity to see something new presents itself to him or his friends. Jungle aspires to break him down over the course of his journey, using flashbacks to further build on the character. His mental state isn’t interestingly documented by McLean, nor given much of an arc by Monjo, but Radcliffe gives the role his all with a strong performance.

Marcus and Kevin are equipped with some basic backstories, with the former being a teacher from Switzerland on a sabbatical to get away from the stresses of life, and the latter a renowned American photographer on the hunt for some good shots. They happen to know each other, which aids in the camaraderie that starts to crack during the trip. While they don’t receive any complexity, their shared excitement for the same goal as Yossi allows them to play off each other effectively enough.

Karl is the loner type, out to make a few bucks from tourists who don’t know what they’re getting into. He’s not a bad guy, and he’s skilled at his trade, but he’s generally unconcerned with the wellbeing of his customers, instead ruminating on the woes of civilization and wandering off in the process. His apparent love for nature gives the trio reason to follow him, which is fine enough, even if he, like Marcus and Kevin, aren’t all that memorable. Yossi is dissected with care, though, which is the biggest point here.

The Adventure: While most adventure films have their fair share of hurdles, it’s unusual that they’re more than footnotes amidst a greater journey. McLean’s background in outback horror helps give Jungle that sting, even if the picture as a whole shares many of its beats with its peers.

Local flavors aren’t gifted much time to shine, as, in an odd choice, Yossi and the movie gloss over them save for a select few scenes showing him on a campsite talking to and taking psychedelics with a British woman he happens to encounter there. Although the group visit a small village on their trek, even this doesn’t get paid much mind. Though these things aren’t strictly necessary to sell the tale, they would’ve added a bit more meat to the proceedings.

Stressors enter the movie when food and feet become an issue, with the rather meager supply of rations running thin, the group have to rely on Karl to kill and cook monkeys to subsist. Some take to it better than others. Blistering also becomes a problem, forcing the men to take their chances on a powerful river to make it back before the rainy season begins. It’s not anything that hasn’t been done before, but the attention to necessity and eventual paranoia keeps it interesting.

As Yossi’s decay becomes the focus of Jungle, McLean applies even more pressure, and it works very well. When the situation settles, he’s out of food and water, and short on equipment. Every previous inconvenience, such as fire ants and rain, come back as bigger obstacles; previous obstacles like terrain, navigation, and wounds become mountainous struggles. It’s rarely cinematic, keeping the increasingly difficult journey authentic instead of glossy. However, the repeated uses of hokey hallucinations are at odds with this approach. Overall, though, the journey is arduous, but well attended to.

The Technics: McLean has never been one for style outside of a few sparse edits and some graphic scenes. In most cases, his outings have been decent, but a bit milquetoast, however this works for Jungle, which doesn’t need much else aside from what the helmer provides.

Although sound design might seem like a secondary concern for a movie focused on the setting and visible decay of its leading character, the choices in this department reinforce the struggle appropriately. The almost omnipresent sounds of crickets chirping, monkeys calling, and water flowing adds to the descent, as Yossi can’t ever have a quiet moment to himself, even in his (constantly disrupted) sleep. Johnny Klimek’s music also manages to maintain the sense of place, with suspenseful woodwinds pairing well with Hollywood strings to remind the audience where they are and how ruinous the scenario is.

It goes without saying that a movie set in one of nature’s many beating hearts is visually appealing, but the real impressive aspect to Jungle’s appearance is how quickly it transitions from beauty to ugliness. As the men traverse the titular location, the color palette rich, full of verdant greens and vibrant yellows, reds, and whites, normally shot from wide angles, but as the situation grows more dire, the camera sticks with Yossi on the cold, wet, and grey ground. Along with convincing practical effects and a full-body transformation by Radcliffe, the movie is true to the highs and lows of the location.

It’s too shallow in its characters, slack in its pacing, and safe in its script to be great, but Jungle still supplies a worthy central performance and a beautiful yet punishing tale of survival.

65/100