I’ve long been fascinated by the post-Potter career of Wizarding World star Daniel Radcliffe. After finishing his stint as 'The Boy Who Lived' in 2011, the British actor has crafted quite a diverse filmography and has flexed his acting muscles across a wide range of genres.
While the likes of horror “The Woman in Black” and action-comedy “The Lost City” received their fair share of attention, Radcliffe’s 2017 survival thriller, "Jungle," never managed to break out.
That’s a shame, as this “man vs. nature” tale is gripping and sees Radcliffe in fantastic form as a real-life adventurer.
Never heard of “Jungle”? I’m not particularly surprised, but there’s no time like the present to fix that oversight, as this movie is currently available to stream for free via Amazon Prime Video.
As with pretty much all free streaming, you will have to tolerate commercials, and while these are annoying, a couple of ad breaks are a small price to enjoy an intense survival drama without spending a cent.
Here’s what you need to know about “Jungle” now it's streaming for free.
What is ‘Jungle’ about?
Based on the true story of Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg’s trek into the Amazon rainforest in 1981, “Jungle’ is a story of survival and the hostility of the natural world.
In the 1980s, Yossi (played by Radcliffe) was backpacking through Bolivia when he was invited on an expedition into the dense jungle alongside friends, Kevin (Alex Russell) and Marcus (Joel Jackson). At first, the trip is the stuff of dreams, as the group explores sites of extreme beauty that no camera can fully capture.
However, the once-in-a-lifetime experience takes a nightmare turn when Yossi becomes separated from his crew and forced to battle against the elements for survival.
With no formal training, lacking any survival gear and the jungle throwing relentless obstacles in his path, Yossi must endure practically unimaginable hardships to make it through a thick green maze that seems never-ending.
‘Jungle’ is an intense 'man vs. nature' tale
“Jungle” packs a strong cast. Thomas Kretschmann’s Karl, a man who claims to be a seasoned expert in the Amazon but is quickly revealed to be less trustworthy than advertised, leaves a strong impression. However, this is very much Radcliffe’s movie.
The movie’s back half, which sees Yossi stranded miles from civilization in the thick and dangerous jungle, allows Radcliffe to become fully absorbed in the character. The sequences where he starts to hallucinate due to lack of sustenance are so intense that they border on uncomfortable. At least he makes a valuable friend in a riverside tortoise!
Yossi’s on-screen plight is especially harrowing because it's inspired by real events. Of course, “Jungle” does play around with the overall timeline and changes a few elements of Yossi’s story for the dramatic effect, but the broad strokes are accurate, which adds greater stakes and a sense of authenticity.
The closing moments, which show images of the real Yossi following his ordeal, make for a fitting conclusion, even if his skeletal appearance is rather stomach-turning.
While the movie does place a lot of focus on Yossi’s misery and the intense trauma of his situation, it’s also deeply inspiring. Watching him keep finding the drive to push on, refuse to give in to sheer despair and even constantly tell himself "I will survive" is spine-tingling, and Radcliffe’s committed performance only elevates things further. Just don’t be surprised if the movie puts you off exploring for life — I’ll be sticking to beachside resorts in the future.
Director Greg McLean also incorporates some truly breathtaking shots of the jungle itself, giving the movie an almost virtual tourism element. Of course, not that it exactly serve as a particularly compelling travel advertisement.
Nevertheless, the movie does highlight the beauty of nature and serves as a valuable reminder that the wild, untamed jungle must be respected.
'Jungle' is an underrated survival thriller
I’m a little surprised to see that “Jungle” has only managed a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes, as in my view, it deserves a much higher score.
The most common criticism appears to be the scripting in early portions, and the second act being rather melodramatic in tone. While I somewhat agree, the movie really comes into its own when Yossi is separated from his friends and has nobody to rely on but himself to survive the green sprawl.
The movie’s viewer score is similar at 59%, with some audiences struggling with the pacing. Though I would push back against this line of critique, as while it’s certainly not a zippy thriller, I was never for a moment bored while watching, and the constantly ratcheting stakes ensure that the movie only gets better as the two-hour runtime progresses.
Now that “Jungle” is available to stream for free on Prime Video, I would encourage you to give it a watch. It’s a fantastic showcase for Daniel Radcliffe’s talents (he's so much more than just Harry Potter), and a reminder that, for all the beauty in the world around us, nature can be an extremely hostile force.
It's almost like a feature-length episode of Bear Grylls' "Man vs. Wild" TV show, only in this case, Yossi wasn't sleeping in a luxury hotel each night after filming was finished. He was instead squaring off against Mother Nature for real.
Not sold on "Jungle" and looking for some alternative options? Here’s a roundup of everything new on Prime Video in June 2025. But you will need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch these movies and TV shows.
Watch "Jungle" for free on Prime Video now
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