The story begins when Captain John Boyd (Guy Pearce) is sent to Fort Spencer, a remote outpost in the Sierra Nevadas. The desolate site was punishment in a way for Boyd, who had been accused of cowardice during the Mexican-American War. Boyd is third in command, and shares his humble surroundings with eight others - until one day, a strange newcomer arrives at camp.

The stranger, Colquhoun (played by Robert Carlyle), badly suffering from the elements, begins spinning a mad tale about the horrors that had recently befallen him. Ives, a member of Colquhoun's team which had been forced to set up camp further up the mountain, had killed several other members of their group and ate their flesh in order to stave off an almost certain death by starvation. Colquhoun had gone off in search of help - desperate to escape both starvation and the idea of possibly becoming Ives' next meal.

Boyd and his party set out in search of Colquhoun's comrades - hoping to rescue anyone who may not yet have been eaten by Ives. Unfortunately,

In ancient Native legends, it was believed that an evil spirit called the Windigo resided deep within the forests of the North. The Windigo crossed man's path in various different ways. A mortal may be possessed by a Windigo, causing him to do despicable things like eating the flesh of other humans. However, the spirit of the Windigo may also be invoked by acts of cannibalism - therefore, whomever eats of human flesh becomes a Windigo, and therefore possesses various evil powers (such as unbelievable speed and agility and the ability to recover or regenerate after sickness or injury).

Ravenous not only tells a formidable tale of life, death and the unexplainable in the wilderness, but it also touches upon the struggle between morality and survival. How far is one willing to go to stay alive? Ravenous is by far one of the most gripping and under-rated films I've seen in a while. Just might make you wanna pay more attention to folklore ;)