Into the WildMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 73 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
15 Iffy for 15+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Spellbinding. Read full review

  • 91
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    The beauty of Into the Wild, which Penn has written and directed with magnificent precision and imaginative grace, is that what Christopher is running from is never as important as what he's running TO. Read full review

  • 90
    Washington Post | Ann Hornaday

    Sean Penn sings a powerful and poetic hymn to America with Into the Wild, his sweeping, sensitive and deeply affecting adaptation of Jon Krakauer's best-selling book. Read full review

  • 88
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Captivating and multifaceted. Read full review

  • 88
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Penn, in tandem with the superb cinematographer Eric Gautier (The Motorcycle Diaries), captures the majesty and terror of the wilderness in ways that make you catch your breath. Read full review

  • 80
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    Though Penn's fierce identification with the protagonist is a key source for the film's accomplishments, Into the Wild succeeds on screen because Hirsch ("Alpha Dog," "The Lords of Dogtown") throws himself into the part without reservation, projecting an appealing openness and life force that brings a special poignancy to his fate. Read full review

  • 80
    The New York Times | A.O. Scott

    Though the film's structure may be tragic, its spirit is anything but. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    A big leap forward for Penn as a director and deserves to be one of the most talked about films of the season. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Dennis Harvey

    Sean Penn delivers a compelling, ambitious work that will satisfy most admirers of the book. Read full review

  • 60
    The Hollywood Reporter |

    Penn opts for epic proportions and clutters his narrative with gimmicks. For the most part, it works. What's missing is the perspective and insight that would illuminated the inner dimensions of a driven young man who is preachy and downright irritating. Read full review

View more reviews for Into the Wild on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 15+ Powerful, tragic true story is too heavy for kids.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this long (140 minutes) drama is based on the true story of a college graduate who decided to live off the grid for more than two years, culminating in a fatal four-month solo journey to the Alaskan backcountry. The tragic nature of his death might be too heavy a theme for younger kids, but teens -- some of whom may read the best-seller on which the film is based in school -- could be drawn to the story of a young man who seeks beauty and truth. There's some language (including "f--k") and social drinking, some bare breasts, a non-sexual glimpse of star Emile Hirsch's penis as he floats naked in a river, and another fleeting shot of a couple making love (no sensitive body parts shown).
  • Families can talk about whether knowing Chris' fate ahead of time affects the impact of the movie. If so, how? If not, why? Are movies based on real lives/true stories more interesting than those that are pure fiction? Families can also discuss how you feel about Chris after watching the movie. What honorable/admirable things did he accomplish? How did he impact the people he came to know on the road? On the other hand, did he treat his parents and sister fairly? Should he have contacted his family?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: It's highly debatable whether some of Chris' actions were inconsiderate and selfish or justified. Either way, he chose to abandon his family and the prospect of a conventional life for one more attuned with nature and "truth."
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Chris is badly beaten by a railroad cop. There are disturbing images of Chris' emaciated body toward the end of the film. In one bloody sequence, Chris shoots and butchers a moose; in other scenes, he shoots and roasts smaller game. He carries a hunting rifle during many of the Alaska-set scenes.
  • sex false5 Sex: Jan and Rainey are briefly shown making love in their RV (nothing sensitive is shown); a 16-year-old takes off her jeans and propositions Chris, but he declines. One non-sexual glimpse of a completely nude Chris floating on a river. A brief drive-through scene in a nudist camp; when Chris has lunch with a cheerful Danish couple, the woman goes bare-breasted for most of the scene.
  • language false3 Language: Strong, but not incessant. Words include "f--k," "a--hole," "s--t," etc.
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: International Harvester bus; John Deere; Burger King.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Chris drinks with Wayne and his friends at a local bar in a couple of scenes; Jan appears to roll a joint.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Dave White

4.0

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… Penn is more interested in commenting on the U.S. today … Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

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