In today’s world, the concrete jungles are all that most of us are familiar with, and even the thought of being left alone in the deepest jungles of the world with wild animals and wilder environs is enough to send a shiver down our spine. Well, as much we are frightened of the jungles and all the dangers they hold, we are also excited when we come across movies that are set against the backdrop of these jungles. After all, these are the ones that offer us the wildest of adventures, leaving us both scared and thrilled at the same time! So to satiate the thirst of the jungle in all of you, we bring to you this list of 10 Films Set in the Jungle That Will Make You Dread the Wild. Enjoy the adventure!
The Indiana Jones Franchise
Let’s get to the franchise first, the ones that have so much of wild adventures in them that we just couldn’t pick just one! The Indiana Jones series is probably one of the most adventurous of escapades and one can’t help but wonder that if it wasn’t for Harrison Ford and his portrayal of the famed archeological professor and explorer, we would have really missed out on so many jungle adventures. Well, we all know how Indiana manages to find trouble everywhere he goes (or is it the other way around, we’ll never know), but the reason the Indiana Jones franchise is on this list is that so many of these exploits play out in dangerous jungles around the world. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, all have their share of jungle capers, and we sure love every little scene that has the protagonists of the films sweating it out in the wilderness. So if you want to have a taste of the jungle from the comfort of your homes, all you have to do is hunt down an Indiana Jones movie and you’ll have more than your share of it!
The Jurassic Park Franchise
Way back in 1993, when audiences around the world first sat in movie theaters and witnessed the mayhem that unfolded in front of their eyes in the form of Jurassic Park, we all knew that things had changed forever as far as jungle adventures were concerned! For the first time, dinosaurs seemed more than just CGI figures and for the first time, we felt the chill of these prehistoric creatures doing what they did best — kill! After this extraordinary treat, audiences of course wanted more, and it was time for the Jurassic Park franchise to take shape. Since the first movie, we’ve been treated to many more — The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Jurassic World, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom — and although some of the scenes in these movies did take place in the concrete jungle too, the ones that brought us true chills and thrills were the ones that were played in a dinosaur’s natural environs, the deep jungles! And now, with the latest title in the series — Jurassic World Dominion — making its way to us, we can only hope that this one too, just like its predecessors, gives us enough reason to thank our stars that we were born millions of years after these scary creatures walked the earth.
The Jumanji Franchise
Well, the Jumanji franchise may seem like all fun and games but even this comedic franchise, which brings to our screen loads of action, has made us dread all the nasty things that can happen in a jungle. Oh, and if you feel that these were only fun movies that were only created to make us laugh, you only have to look at all the deaths that occur in each of these movies and you will be forced to rethink your stand! With the exception of Zathura: A Space Adventure — with the title giving away our reason for not really counting this title among the others here — every other movie in the franchise has had jungle adventures in them. While the ride began with the Robin Williams starrer Jumanji in 1995, the relatively modern franchise of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level continued giving us the same experiences through loads of daring escapades and impossible quests. If it’s excitement and peril in deep jungles that you seek, the Jumanji franchise will surely give you a lot more than you want!
The Beach
The Beach may not completely qualify as a movie that is set in the jungle but considering how the main motive of the people in it was to get away from civilization and create a life of their own that was more in sync with the wild, we guess this one’s as good an addition as any. And when you consider that most of the thrills in the movie take place in the jungles indeed, it adds one more reason to our list. As a movie, The Beach was certainly quite a different one, showing how one’s idea to live a simpler life in the wilderness is a lot more complicated than anyone ever thought. From the drama of twisted relationships to the real dangers that even people hold in their hearts, let alone the jungle and its own set of perils, the movie explores quite a few aspects. And as much as the greenery of the jungle and the beautiful beach entice us, the way the movie progresses shows us that not every bit of paradise is without its own shares of troubles. Tackling the wild that’s in our minds as well as around us, this Leonardo Di Caprio starrer sure was a thrill and a treat!
Tears of the Sun
It’s one thing to make your way through the jungles of Africa and another to make one’s way through them with bullets and bombs all around you! Tears of the Sun, with Bruce Willis in the lead, gives us the latter experience, and boy, were we at the edge of our seats all the way! Set against the backdrop of the war-torn regions of Africa, this one particularly zeroes in on the civil war in Nigeria that had people running for their lives to make it across the border and to safety. With Monica Bellucci going beyond her usual list of glamorous roles to play the part of a doctor who treats her patients in a jungle hospital, Tears of the Sun shows how the members of a US Navy SEAL team takes it upon themselves to assist fleeing refugees escape a bloodthirsty group of Nigerian soldiers and make it to safety. Brilliantly portraying the emotions that flow amidst death and danger all around, the backdrop of the jungles of Africa makes the movie even more thrilling. We especially love the idea of Bruce Willis finally fighting it out amidst nature instead of going on one of his famous crusades in cities!
Predator
One of the movies that came to redefine Arnold Schwarzenegger in so many ways (especially his epic one-liners in the movie that are popular to this day), Predator was one of the best movies of its time and still remains a great piece of thrilling entertainment today. A film that was tagged a science fiction action horror film, the movie might as well have added another genre of jungle adventure to its name, especially considering how the entire movie is played out in the deep jungles. With an alien predator with way more advanced weapons and survival skills than humans decides to go on a killing spree to earn some badges back home, but with Arnie and his team set to make things difficult, the alien being has quite a rough time. Killing one soldier after another, it almost looks like the extraterrestrial being would win this one until Dutch, the character played by Arnie, takes things into his own hands in a do-or-die battle. With plenty of scares and loads of action, Predator remains a great movie that does complete justice to its jungle setting.
The Lost City of Z
A biographical adventure drama film set against the backdrop of the famed and dangerous jungles of the Amazon, The Lost City of Z follows the journey of British adventurer Percy Fawcett — played by Charlie Hunnam — and his exploits. The film also stars a host of other brilliant actors, including Robert Pattinson who plays the role of Henry Costin, an adventurer just like Percy, Sienna Miller who plays the role of Percy’s wife who goes by the name of Nina, and Tom Holland, who plays the role of their son Jack. Although the movies received quite satisfying reviews from critics, the movie did not do as well at the box office. And if its numbers were anything to go by, the movie actually tanked — grossing only $19 million against the $30 million it took to make. The movie did face quite a few casting hurdles from the start, and arguments provided by fans included that if it were Brad Pitt or Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of Percy Fawcett, the project would have earned more eyeballs. Brad first backed out of the project followed by Benedict before the makers zeroed in on Charlie to play the lead role. Despite its dismal display in the markets, The Lost City of Z proves to be quite the treat as far as jungle adventures go.
The Ritual
Making your way through the wilderness is bad enough, and when you add to it the element of horror, things sure become bloody and unbearably scary even before you can let out a scream. And that’s exactly what goes down in The Ritual. Although the movie begins in the urban jungle and the murder of one of the protagonists, it soon moves to the hiking trails of northern Sweden where the most bizarre of episodes begin to unravel, agonizing the lives of four friends who were only out in the wilderness to honor the memory of the one who had initially suggested the trip. With hallucinations making their minds go crazy and the bloodlust of a creature from folktales who blesses a cult in the forests with immortality in return for human sacrifices, the movie soon takes a bloody turn that has one protagonist after another meeting a horrific end. It eventually comes down to one last surviving friend and his fight against his own mind and the creature Jotunn. With a menacing tale that has an equally menacing villainous creature and the shadows of the forest to add to the horror of it all, The Ritual remains one of the most gripping films to be played out in the jungle.
Jungle
If you can’t get over the image of Daniel Radcliffe as the kid who is Harry Potter, all you have to do is watch the movie Jungle, and you won’t just forget that this was the same innocent-looking boy who waved his wand around but will also begin proclaiming how Daniel has garnered acting skills that match the best veterans out there. In one of the most thrilling biographical survival drama films to hit the screens, Jungle is an Australian movie based on the adventures of Yossi Ghinsberg, the adventurer from Israel whose escapade through the rainforests of the Amazon jungle has been well-noted as one of the outrageous yet bravest journeys ever. And although the hike begins as a group journey, Yossi is soon separated from his friends and the conman who has misled them into believing that he knows of a hidden tribe in the deep rainforests, facing one danger after another and surviving till the end. The film has a long line of impressive yet disturbing sequences and truly brings out the challenges that even a hike into the jungle can bring. With on-the-scene inputs from the real-life Yossi Ghinsberg, the movie is as close to the real thing as possible, making it even more realistic and thrilling.
Apocalypto
A fast-moving, emotional, action-packed, and bloodcurdling film that has some of the brilliant jungle sequences to ever play out in Hollywood, Apocalypto is a retelling of the stories that have evolved from the historical Mayan civilization and the disturbing practice of human sacrifice. One of the best works from Mel Gibson, although the brilliant actor does not feature in the movie itself, the film was a great success, raking in a cool $120 million against the $40 million that it took to make the movie. The film’s storyline follows Jaguar Paw and his fight against the Mayan people who see him and his tribesmen as nothing more than heads that roll down from their sacrificial altar. In a bid to save his family and escape almost certain death, the main protagonist takes us through some thrilling chases and adventures that play out in the jungle. And although the Apocalypto research team and Mel both came under fire for historical inaccuracy, there’s no denying the painstaking details that have been inculcated into the movie to show the struggle for survival in an already challenging setting.
It’s Time to Leave the Jungle Now!
As thrilling as that lineup was, and even taking into account the adventures they entailed, we are still glad we made it out in time! Oh, and don’t let the horrors of these movies stop you from enjoying the outdoors. When you plan your hikes into the jungle well and make sure that you have trained professionals guiding you along, even the dangerous wilderness proves to be a welcome break from the concrete jungles we have gotten used to. And even if you can’t take that well-deserved break anytime soon, you can relive these adventures that feature on our list of 10 Films Set in the Jungle That Will Make You Dread the Wild to get as close to the real thing as possible!Jurassic World Dominion
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