Humanitarian efforts are what we hear about from many of the youngsters these days who seem to want alter aspects of life that they disagree with. Many of the people who speak out don’t actually take action, but in Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno, we follow a group of college students who choose to do more than just use social media to voice their opinions. Unfortunately for them, stepping out into the open in this scenario proves to be something of an unwise choice.
One of the most recent volunteers of what’s currently the most popular movement on campus is Justine (Lorenza Izzo), a college student wanting to make a difference. Tired of the usual “slacktavism,” she decides to join a group of fellow students on a purposeful journey to the Amazon with the hopes of stopping big corporations from taking land from the natives. That sounds simple enough, but they soon learn that interfering in this battle puts their lives in grave danger.
The Green Inferno is probably as gross and vile a film as an American filmmaker is willing to create. Depending on who you ask, that can be perceived as either a good thing or a bad thing. For myself, it’s a good thing to me simply because it’s different from what we generally get these days when talking about film, plus there doesn’t appear to be any real restrictions on Eli Roth here as a director. He’s doing what he wants, and that’s something I appreciate.
Aside from the visually grotesque scenes that are plastered onto the screen, there’s an element of fear that a good number of people can get from watching this. The thought of traveling to an unknown piece of land and finding yourself with seemingly no way out is a terrible concept in itself. However, throwing a village of people looking to take you out to the mix could make things even worse for viewers psychologically. I’d imagine this is what was in mind when the film was being put together.
Under normal circumstances, I could see myself criticizing the acting here since it’s not exactly going to earn anyone praise, but it kind of fits with The Green Inferno‘s tone and approach. It only takes a few seconds to realize that these actors aren’t exactly seasoned at this point in their careers. More well-rounded acting would have risen the level of the movie, but having it done this way allows it to play as somewhat of a “B-movie” kind of feature.
That’s why it doesn’t matter as much as it usually would. Because of what it is, the only thing that matters is the gruesome events that are taking place. This aggressive source of mayhem is easy to take delight in if you’re into that kind of thing. It will also most certainly cause some people to either cover their mouths in awe of what they’re watching or maybe even get some to walk out if it turns out to be too much for them.
If any of those things are to happen, it could very well be in the earliest portions of the movie. Roth doesn’t hold back and allows that stuff to grace the screen as soon as they set foot in this part of the rain forest that’s in danger of being taken over for corporate gain. There’s the usual setting up of what we’re going to witness, but after that, nothing is there to stop Roth from going insane.
While this isn’t an epic horror film that one would recommend based on its astounding cinematic qualities, The Green Inferno is something that knows where it fits and provides some entertainment in the realm that it calls home. With its light price tag and Eli Roth’s apparent freedom to do as he pleased, it’s clear how and why it works when you judge it from the correct perspective.
If you’re one of those people who thinks they can handle this type of stuff, The Green Inferno is a flick that you should surely check out. You may like it or you may find that it’s not very entertaining at all, but it is a piece of cinema that should be experienced by anyone who thinks they can stomach what’s being offered up for our eyes to gaze upon. It turns out to be a rare in plenty of ways that will leave you thinking about much of what you experienced.
Director: Eli Roth
Cast:
Lorenza Izzo
Ariel Levy
Daryl Sabara
Kirby Bliss Blanton
Sky Ferreira
Magda Apanowicz
Nicolás Martínez
Aaron Burns
Ignacia Allamand
Ramón Llao
Richard Burgi
Film Length: 100 minutes
Release Date: September 25, 2015
Distributor: BH Tilt
