Into the Forest

Into the Forest is a 2015 Canadian apocalyptic independent drama film, written and directed by Patricia Rozema, based on the 1996 Jean Hegland book and starring Elliot Page and Evan Rachel Wood as orphaned survivalist sisters in a forest without electrical power. Plot In the near future, two teenage sisters, Nell and Eva, live in a remotely located home with their father in a forest. There is a massive, continent-wide power outage that appears to be part of a region-wide technological collapse. The car battery is drained, so they are left stranded for days. Their father eventually gets the car working and they make it to the nearest town, where they buy supplies including gas from a man named Stan. Eva later attends dance class while her sister meets up with her boyfriend, Eli. Returning home, they see a stranded car and the girls' father offers to help the passengers, but the family move on after they brandish guns. The father says that they will not return to town until the power is restored. Later, while cutting down a tree, he cuts his leg badly with a chainsaw. Knowing he is bleeding to death, he tells the girls to take care of each other and love one another. They bury him where he died in the forest. At two months without power, the girls are low on food. They get by using the skills their father taught them, though they miss the creature comforts they used to enjoy. For example, Eva must dance to a metronome since she can no longer dance to music. Eli arrives one night, having walked there looking for Nell. He says that all the surrounding houses are abandoned. Nell experiences sex for the first time with Eli. Later, he says there is electricity, food, order and jobs again in Boston. He convinces Nell to go with him but she returns after only one night away, unwilling to leave Eva alone. Nell researches plants for food and medicine and forages. When Nell is certain she is not pregnant, she and Eva celebrate.