Into the Wild (2007)
Into the heart. Into the soul.
After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity, and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness.
Rent on Prime Video $3.99 (opens in a new tab) Buy on Prime Video $7.99 (opens in a new tab)
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 21 September 2007 |
| Genre | Adventure, Drama |
| Director | Sean Penn |
| Starring | Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt |
| Runtime | 148 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.5/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 83% · Metacritic 73/100 · TMDB users 7.8/10 |
| Budget | $15 million |
Where to watch Into the Wild
We could not find Into the Wild on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Rent or buy
You can rent Into the Wild on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and JustWatch TV Store. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Into the Wild in 35 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Angola | Netflix about |
| Azerbaijan | Netflix about |
| Cameroon | Netflix about |
| Cape Verde | Netflix about |
| Chile | Clarovideo |
| Colombia | Clarovideo |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Netflix about |
| Equatorial Guinea | Netflix about |
| Ghana | Netflix about |
| Hong Kong | Max |
| Indonesia | Max |
| Italy | Skygo, Now TV |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Kenya | Netflix KSh300 |
| Madagascar | Netflix about |
| Malaysia | Max |
| Mali | Netflix about |
| Mexico | Clarovideo |
| Mozambique | Netflix about |
| Niger | Netflix about |
| Nigeria | Netflix ₦4000 |
| Papua New Guinea | Max |
| Philippines | Max |
| Senegal | Netflix about |
| Seychelles | Netflix about |
| Singapore | Max |
| South Africa | Netflix R99 ZAR |
| South Korea | Netflix ₩13500, Watcha |
| Taiwan | Max |
| Tanzania | Netflix about |
| Thailand | Max |
| Uganda | Netflix about |
| Ukraine | Netflix about ₴253 |
| Zambia | Netflix about |
| Zimbabwe | Netflix |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Sean Penn directs this 148-minute drama, which feels less like a movie and more like a long, quiet exhale. The film captures a specific kind of freedom that is terrifying to watch. Emile Hirsch plays Christopher McCandless, a man who trades a comfortable life for the silence of the Alaskan wilderness. He gives away his savings and leaves his possessions behind. The story moves with a deliberate, heavy pace. It asks you to sit with the weight of his choices rather than rushing to a resolution. It is a portrait of a life lived at maximum volume, followed by a sudden, total quiet.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes reports an 83% approval rating as of November 2022, with an average user score of 7.5/10 from October 2021. Metacritic sits at 73 out of 100 based on 38 critics, a score that indicates generally favorable reviews. The consensus is that Sean Penn turned a complex nonfiction work into an accessible character study. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called it "spellbinding" and praised Emile Hirsch's "hypnotic performance." He noted the film means something to its director. The movie grossed $56 million worldwide. It won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and received two Academy Award nominations.
How it did with audiences
It cost $15 million to make and took in $57 million worldwide, a margin that suggests the studio found its audience eventually. The path there was less direct. It opened in just 4 theaters, then sat in limited release for weeks before expanding to over 600 screens. That wide debut drew $2.1 million. On TMDB, users rate it 7.8 out of 10. The numbers say the slow burn worked.
What came next for the cast
William Hurt stepped from The Village into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jena Malone traded the period drama of Pride & Prejudice for the dystopian chaos of The Hunger Games trilogy. Emile Hirsch moved from indie dramas like Alpha Dog to war films and horror. Marcia Gay Harden’s quiet presence in Mystic River was followed by a stint in the Fifty Shades franchise. The credits list what followed, not why.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Into the Wild.
Sources
- Into the Wild on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q269912 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Into the Wild (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
Watch it without paying for the whole year
Binge Boss tracks the movie you are on and tells you which services you need this month, and which you can cancel.
Add Into the Wild to your list