Justine (Lorenza Izzo) is a college freshman with a crush, and, as they say, love will make you do crazy things. She has found herself surrounded by many other young activists at her school and is ready to take the philanthropic plunge. As Justine becomes closer and closer to the lead philanthropist, Alejandro (Ariel Levy), and one of his goonies, Jonah (Aaron Burns), she finds herself in the midst of an extremist protest group that is about to travel to the Amazon in order to protect its many inhabitants. Once in the unfamiliar rainforest, Justine, and the rest of the activist group, find themselves at the mercy of a cannibalistic tribe. Their futures are uncertain and their bonds are tested as the newly discovered tribe aims to, both literally and figuratively, tear them apart.
Eli Roth is known, by many, to write, produce and direct films that are difficult to stomach. Cabin Fever (2002) and Hostel (2005) are perfect examples of how Roth pushes the boundaries of what is and is not acceptable in the realm of horror. Through blood and gore, Roth is able to effectively tell a tale of unprecidented torture, pain and isolation. While the amount of blood and gore can be too much at times, every instance of violence draws audiences deeper into the depths of the characters’ despair and closer to the emotion that each character exudes as their lives are dragged through a veritable hell.
More than anything else, Roth was able to draw on audiences’ anxiety. His ability to reach audiences in this manner, like in all of his films, is unlike what any other writer/director is capable of doing. The film’s one caveat is that once the devastating actions of the tribe came to an end, Roth struggled to effectively wrap up what had been building for hours. Audiences’ expectations were shattered and the final five minutes of the film lent itself to letting down the masses, rather than building on the wonderfully developed story.
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