Title – Lost in the Jungle (2025)

Director – Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Free Solo) and Juan Camilo Cruz (A Simple Soldier)

Cast – Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy, Herman Mendoza Hernández

Plot – A documentary exploration of four siblings who were lost in the Columbian jungle when their plane crashed, setting in motion a life and death rescue mission that was facing seemingly insurmountable problems to succeed.  

“Four children. One jungle. And a miracle that changed everything”

Review by Eddie on 24/09/2025

There’s a fascinating true story at the heart of new National Geographic backed documentary Lost in the Jungle, one of survival, the human condition and trials against the odds but sadly its a story that for the most part alludes Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Juan Camilo Cruz’s feature.

Exploring the 2023 incident of four Columbian siblings becoming lost in the wilds of the jungle when their plane crash lands, setting in motion a nail-biting search for the children that was the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack that was also constantly on the move, Jungle’s true story points towards a gripping subject matter but it’s likely many will be disappointed by a film that on end product feels like a false piece of advertising.

Barely spending more than what appears to be a quarter of its running time on the children’s trial to tame the jungle and make it out alive while their rescue teams made up of formalised government entities and more barebones indigenous search parties, Jungle instead pushes their plight and story to the side while it allots more time to the uninteresting and unlikable adults responsible for their safe retrieval and the drugs they enjoyed taking while they enjoyed many a moments of respite.

It’s an extremely curious approach from the trio of directors to take, even more so when you consider these filmmakers are all responsible for some of the recent eras most noteworthy documentary features and any viewers (like myself) who looked forward to watching this quintessential examination of this incident will be left bemused by just how unfocussed and uninteresting much of it is thanks to its delivery.

If Jungle had been promoted as a feature made purely to dive into the world of yagé (ayahuasca), a traditional jungle medicine with psychedelic properties or feuds between federal forces and militia groups Jungle may not have felt like such a wasted opportunity but when you have this amazing story of resilience the power of the human spirit waiting their in the sidelines, you can’t help but escape the feeling that you and this story has been shortchanged.

There’s glimmers of what might have been found throughout this pretty but emotionally empty documentary and you can see the great film just begging to be gifted life but sadly Jungle is nothing more than a polished what might have been that feels like one of 2025’s great missed opportunities.

Final Say –

There’s a fascinating and gripping story at the core of this tale but sadly that’s not found here as Lost in the Jungle gets lost in itself, prioritising a range of other story elements outside of its core subject, ensuring this feature length documentary is more likely to induce boredom and frustrate over anything else.

2 magic turtles out of 5