Hollywood is littered with stories of child actors who went off the rails and/or struggled to establish themselves within the film industry as an adult. Drew Barrymore is probably the most famous example, but she managed to eventually escape her demons to forge an impressive career for herself. Daniel Radcliffe’s journey hasn’t been anywhere near as exciting or scandalous. Although, he’s struggled to shake-off the shadow or Harry Potter. He’s finally managing to make his presence felt as an actor, both on the stage and in recent films such as Swiss Army Man and particularly in Greg McLean new drama Jungle.
Yossi Ghinsberg (Daniel Radcliffe), an Israeli adventurer, travels to Bolivia to continue his quest for exploration and enlightenment. He strikes up a friendship with Marcus (Joel Jackson), a Swiss school teacher, and Kevin (Alex Russell), a well-known American photographer. The trio plan a trip together, but this all changes when Yossi is approached by Karl (Thomas Kretschmann), a mysterious Austrian who offers to take them on a real adventure. With the promise of discovering a lost tribe in the jungle.
Based on a true story, Jungle is an entertaining mix of action, adventure and drama. McLean romanticises the spirit of wanderlust before showing what can happen when things go very, very wrong. It’s well made and the lead performances add the necessary sheen of believability, although the accents can sometimes be a little distracting. It’s Radcliffe best work yet. He embodies Yossi’s enthusiasm, dread and determination. Jungle is a tale of friendship, trust and fighting for survival against all odds.
Jungle is available on digital platforms now and on Blu-ray and DVD from 1 January.
