Rent Jungleland (2019)

Average Uninspiring Drama - Jungleland review by GI

A gloomy and uninspiring drama with a fairly predictable storyline. It's a story of two brothers, Stan (Charlie Hunnam) and 'Lion' (Jack O'Connell), down on their luck and with Stan dreaming of making it rich on the back of Lion's boxing skills. But they're stuck in the world of illegal bare knuckle fights and Lion is becoming tired of Stan's dreams whilst he gets ever more injured. Stan wants Lion to fight in a big tournament in San Francisco that has massive prize money and secures Lion a place with the help of a loan shark on the condition they deliver a package to a gangster en route to the tournament. This package turns out to be Sky (Jessica Barden), a wayward girl who is coveted by a nasty gangster. The film then turns into a sort of road movie where loads goes wrong, mostly for Stan and inevitably Lion and Sky start to be attracted to one another. It all ends in a big confrontation that is under done and obvious. Hunnam and O'Connell are ok as the brothers but the relationship is stereotypical and doesn't offer much that hasn't been seen before. The baddies aren't nasty enough and of course the brothers' bond becomes tested to breaking point. This is an average film and whilst it looks good it's one that is quickly forgettable.