Jungle (2017)
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An adventurer's journey into the heart of the Amazon rainforest turns into a desperate fight for survival after he is separated from his companions.
The story
In the early 1980s, an Israeli adventurer named Yossi Ghinsberg travels to Bolivia planning to journey into the heart of the Amazon rainforest. There, he meets Marcus Stamm, a Swiss school teacher, and Marcus's friend Kevin Gale, an American hiker and avid photographer. The three are staying in La Paz, at an Israeli community hostel. Yossi meets an Austrian stranger, Karl Ruprechter, who claims the existence of an indigenous tribe in the jungle. Despite the skepticism of his friends, Yossi convinces Marcus and Kevin to join him on a journey into the uncharted jungle to find the tribe.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the early 1980s, Yossi Ghinsberg, Marcus Stamm, and Kevin Gale join Karl Ruprechter, a man claiming to know a hidden indigenous tribe in the Amazon. After several days of hiking, Marcus develops severe foot injuries. The group decides to build a raft to navigate downriver. During the journey, Karl claims he is going hunting, while Yossi and Kevin continue downriver. Their raft is destroyed in rapids, and Yossi is washed away, becoming stranded alone without tools or training. He survives for weeks, experiencing hallucinations. Meanwhile, Kevin is rescued and eventually finds Yossi in the village of Curiplaya. The film concludes by revealing that Karl was a criminal who lured backpackers into dangerous situations; Marcus and Karl are never seen again.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- Australia; Colombia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Greg McLean
- Writers
- Justin Monjo · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Radcliffe · Yossi Ghinsberg; Alex Russell · Kevin Gale; Thomas Kretschmann · Karl Ruprechter; Joel Jackson · Marcus Stamm; Yasmin Kassim · Kina; Jacek Koman · Moni Ghinsberg; Lily Sullivan · Amie; Angie Milliken · Stela Ghinsberg
- Genres
- biographical; survival; drama; adventure
- Themes
- survival; friendship; deception
- Tone and mood
- tense; dramatic
- Setting
- The Amazon rainforest in Bolivia during the early 1980s.
- Premise and plot tags
- true story; survival; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- true story of Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg's 1981 journey
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive reviews, with critics praising Daniel Radcliffe's performance while some noted the film's tendency toward melodrama.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 62% · review count: 55; Metacritic · score: 48 · scale: 100 · review count: 14
- Production trivia
- The film was dedicated to the memory of Marcus Stamm.; The film was shot on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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