Into The Wild Movie Review

A picture of Chris that was found with left with his things

A few months ago, while flipping channels on TV, I came across a movie called "Into the Wild". At first, I didn't pay much attention into details and when I was about to flip the channel again and move on, a scene caught my attention immediately, as if it was calling me to sit back and keep watching because the best was yet to come. That is exactly what happened!

I am not obsessed with movies; I don't follow the latest trend or even rush to watch the latest movies in theaters. I can watch a movie years after it's released. I remember watching Frozen five years after and it happened by coincidence. I watch a movie based on my mood and if the story behinds it attracts me enough. 

Into the wild is a movie that is based on a true story. It is about a young man named Christopher McCandless who returned to the wilderness of Alaska in 1990 by himself. He left everything behind, he left his family, he gave up all the savings he had which were about 25,000$ for charity and left without a trace for 2 long years. What really fascinates about his story is the fact that he walked away from the privileged life he had. He was a college graduate from a middle-class American family that lived by the outer perfect image that he decided to break free from.

"Strong. You can do anything. You can go anywhere. Money, power is an illusion. It's up here. You can be here. Me and you." - Christopher McCandless

Throughout the journey, he abandoned his car and burned all his cash. He wanted to start from scratch; he wanted to live the life he truly wanted to live, the actual part of it. He didn't want to be found. McCandless was in search for the essence of living and for him, life was a mystery and he was on a mission to unravel the larger riddles it holds.

The abandoned bus in Alaska

Some people would think that he lost his mind for leaving everything behind and go into pursuit of the meaning of life and some think that he is an inspiration because he was courageous enough to leave the materials our lives depend on. Personally, I am very inspired by his story and his philosophy. Maybe his childhood and the fact that his father was married to another woman who he had five children with her affected the person he grew up to be and his father's relationship and he treated both women wrecked the perfect image the McCandless family had.

Unfortunately, Chris was found dead by hunters in an abandoned bus in Alaska. He died because of starvation. His journey ended too soon but maybe it answered some of the questions he had. However, he kept a journal with him in which he wrote everything in detail inside of it. It is as if he sensed he would actually die there. He learned how to live and cope with nature. He was driven by challenges so nature was the right place to challenge himself.

This movie can open your eyes to facts and it can make you think deeper. It can give you answers but mostly, I am sure it will greatly inspire you on so many levels. It is now in my bucket list to visit the abandoned bus Chris once lived in. Many people hike to that bus from all over the world. Chris is an icon although years have passed since he passed away and his story left a lesson many will definetely learn from.