Ravenous

1999 • 100 minutes

About this movie

Capt. John Boyd (Guy Pearce) begins a journey to hell when he and a small, motley group of soldiers, banished to a desolate military outpost in California's barren and icy Sierra Nevada Mountains, face off against a marauding band of cannibals in a deadly struggle for survival.

Ratings and reviews

I have read several books that consisted of actual diaries of the Donner Party. The surviving party members were ultimately rescued by volunteers who set off to find help and actually succeeded in making it to Sutter's Fort. The rest of this movie is fiction. Please read, "Ordeal by Hunger". It is a horrifying real insight into human nature under unimaginable conditions. It depicts actual events and timelines. Some were heroes. Some were cowards. It is jarring and emotional.

Very unique, interesting movie. I had the impression that this was going to be a horror movie of sorts, but it's not. It's a bit of several genres, kind of a historical thriller with the occasional indie movie feel, with a dash of action and gore.

This is a really good movie with laughter, drama and intrigue. Though it's not meant to really depict the Donner Party, but more anti meat eating unless human survival is at risk, which is why the main phrase signifying move is "You are what you eat."