The Hungry Jungle Trope In Horror, Explained

gamerant.com:

A scary story is dominated by its setting perhaps more than any other type of narrative. The depths of space, the bottom of the ocean, the massive metropolis, or the simple suburban home all have their unique horror ecosystem. One of the most hostile and entertaining horror environments involves the deep foliage and hostile wildlife of the tropical jungle.

When a story starts with a plane crash or a shipwreck on a deserted island, most audience members know the kind of human vs. nature narrative they're in for. Battling the forces of the untamed wild is a time-honored storytelling tradition that still holds strong today.

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Unlike a horror story that takes place in the unforgiving cold of the Arctic or the punishing heat of the desert, the scariest part of the jungle is often the hostile wildlife. The Hungry Jungle imagines the deep rainforest as a horror movie monster. Within these stories, every element of the jungle seems to work together to destroy the victims' bodies and their minds. Animals seem to coordinate their strikes, the conditions counter humanity's efforts to conquer them, and keeping anything functioning is an impossible struggle. It's not just wild predators and toxic plants, every aspect seems to breed infectious disease, leading to the victim's body becoming part of the assault. If there are any humans present aside from the protagonists, they're either the Tarzan-esque savior who has become attuned to the environment or bloodthirsty cannibals to add to the struggle. This unique type of horror story has a power to it that can't be matched elsewhere.

There's usually nothing explicitly supernatural about the jungle in a Hungry Jungle story. The jungle works together as a