Based on the book written by Jean Hegland, Into The Forest is story of two sisters who live with their father in an isolated house on the outskirts of local civilisation but when massive power outages his the country they need to learn to let go of their need for modern amenities and utilise nature to survive in an increasing hostile situation.

Nell (Ellen Page) spends most of her time studying online for her upcoming SAT’s while Eva (Evan Rachael Wood) is a dancer who is struggling to compete with younger girls as she gets older and finds herself having to spend longer and longer practicing just to keep up. They live with their father Robert (Callum Keith Rennie) in a remote country house outside of town in the middle of a local forest and while they have all the modern technology, at times they find it difficult to deal with the isolation where the only physical link to the rest of the town is via their fathers jeep.

As news reports begin to appear on the television regarding power outages effecting the whole country it is not long until they too are hit by the same issue and left with only the use of a gas powered generator to keep the electricity running but, during a supply run into town it becomes apparent that this is a bigger issue than just a simple power problem as the supermarket is almost empty and all supplies of gas are already nearly depleted. The town is already showing signs of society breaking down and elements of lawlessness are creeping in but thanks to the resourcefulness of their father they are able to retain some semblance of normality despite their position.

When an incident occurs which takes their father from them the two girls are left alone to fend for themselves and as time passes with supplies becoming more sparse, the sense of isolation increases, their outlets of studying and dancing have been taken away from them and every decision can have major implications. Their relationship becomes strained but they must learn to put aside their differences and work together to ensure their survival but when Nells boyfriend Eli (Max Minghella) arrives at their house informing them of reports that power has been restored in Boston and that he and some others are going to take to the road further friction is caused as Nell is torn between leaving with Eli or staying with Eva who refuses to leave the family home and travel across the country on hear say.

While it’s hard to call this a post apocalyptic movie as we are never given details of the event it certainly has the feel of one especially as they months progress as we begin to see the increasing desperate situation the girls find themselves in but what the film does give is a look at how the family unit can be tested under pressure and particularly how sibling rivalry can manifest itself in the seemingly silliest of ways as tension grown and the situation becomes more precarious.

Both Page and Wood do an excellent job in portraying the sisters, Page initially looks like the head strong and purposeful Nell who knows exactly what she wants and is seemingly worst effected initially while Eva is more free spirited, has been the more effected by their mothers death and has put all her eggs in one basket in the form of her dancing but as they story progresses we see that they is more to both of these girls than meets the eye.

It’s a study at the human side of the situation and deals more in tension than action however but the couple of incidents that do occur are handled well and the impact of the does hit home so although it is key to the whole plot, the final third seems to drag a little and the fact that the ending can be interpreted in many ways depending on the viewers take on things will possibly frustrate some who were expecting closure. Nevertheless it’s still an interesting and well acted look at how human nature can quickly change once basic amenities are removed from every day life and the subsequent change in how attitudes and demeanor can quickly shift when the pressure hits.

DJ Speaks Rating: 5 Out Of 10