Backcountry (film)

Plot

Alex and his girlfriend Jenn drive from the city to a provincial nature reserve in Ontario for a camping trip. He wants to revisit a trail from his youth and ignores a park ranger’s advice to take a map. An Irish tour guide named Brad passes their campsite, and Jenn asks him to stay for dinner. Brad’s flirting bothers Alex, causing friction, then Brad leaves.

The next day, Alex leads Jenn off the marked path to find a lake he recalls. He spots a bear paw print but says nothing. They come across a partially eaten deer carcass and realize they are lost. Jenn searches for her phone; Alex admits he left it in the car because he thought she would be distracted.

She tells him she never wanted to hike and accuses him of always needing to show off, especially on her first camping trip. He reveals he planned to propose. That night, a black bear devours their food. The following day they find a bear bed and hike far away from it while there’s light.

The next morning, Alex wakes to a bear outside the tent. It tears through the fabric, cutting Jenn’s arm. She fires bear spray, but the bear returns, pulls Alex out, and kills him. Jenn escapes with the engagement ring.

She spends the night in a tree. A helicopter flies overhead, waking her. A bear chases her to a waterfall, where she gets away but twists her ankle. She makes a splint and limps through the wilderness.

She finds a park canoe, paddles back to the entrance, and collapses in the parking lot. Brad, getting ready for a tour, sees her and runs over to help.

Production

Backcountry draws from the real 2005 mauling of Mark Jordan and Jacqueline Perry by a black bear in Ontario’s Missinaibi Lake Provincial Park. Jordan was later awarded the Star of Courage by Governor General Michaëlle Jean. The film was shot in Powassan, Ontario, and Caddy Lake, Manitoba, from October to November 2013, with funding from Telefilm Canada and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 50 critics gave Backcountry a positive review, with an average score of 7 out of 10. The site’s summary praises the film as tense, well-acted, atmospheric, and brutally impactful, calling it a strong debut for writer-director Adam MacDonald. Metacritic reports a score of 62 out of 100 from five critics, reflecting generally favorable reviews. While it didn’t succeed at the box office, the movie later found an audience through streaming and online platforms.