The Emerald Forest

Name: The Emerald Forest
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Released: 1985-06-22
Duration: 1 h 54 min
Rating: 6.6
Cast: Powers Boothe, Charley Boorman, Meg Foster, Estee Chandler, Dira Paes

1985·Movie·R·114 min·★ 6.6(265)

Action Adventure Drama More English titles

“What kind of man would return year after year for ten years to rescue a missing boy from the most savage jungle in the world? His father.”

For ten years, engineer Bill Markham has searched tirelessly for his son Tommy who disappeared from the edge of the Brazilian rainforest. Miraculously, he finds the boy living among the reclusive Amazon tribe who adopted him. And that's when Bill's adventure truly begins. For his son is now a grown tribesman who moves skillfully through this beautiful-but-dangerous terrain, fearful only of those who would exploit it. And as Bill attempts to "rescue" him from the savagery of the untamed jungle, Tommy challenges Bill's idea of true civilization and his notions about who needs rescuing.

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Click a service to open The Emerald Forest there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is The Emerald Forest streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	YouTube TV, ScreenPix Apple TV Channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel	—
Canada	Tubi TV	—
France	Canal+, Molotov TV	—
Spain	Amazon Prime Video, Filmin, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	—

About The Emerald Forest

The Emerald Forest is a 1985 English-language action, adventure and drama film directed by John Boorman. The cast is led by Powers Boothe, Charley Boorman, Meg Foster. It has a runtime of 1h 54m. Viewers rate it 6.6/10 across 300 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on YouTube TV, ScreenPix Apple TV Channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .

The Emerald Forest was produced by Christel Films and Embassy Pictures and made in United Kingdom and United States of America. It was released on June 22, 1985, and carries a R certification. At the box office it grossed around $24 million worldwide.

Director: John Boorman
Writers: Rospo Pallenberg
Release date: June 22, 1985
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: United Kingdom, United States of America
Box office: $24 million
Production: Christel Films, Embassy Pictures

#parent child relationship#amazon rainforest#based on true story#jungle#south america#missing child#child kidnapping#deforestation#rainforest#indigenous peoples

The Emerald Forest cast & crew

The Emerald Forest was directed by John Boorman and written by Rospo Pallenberg.

The cast features Powers Boothe as Bill Markham, Charley Boorman as Tomme, Meg Foster as Jean Markham, Estee Chandler as Heather, Dira Paes as Kachiri, and Eduardo Conde as Uwe Werner.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Brian Gascoigne, cinematography is by Philippe Rousselot, and it was produced by John Boorman and Edgar F. Gross.

Is The Emerald Forest worth watching?

The Emerald Forest holds an audience score of 6.6/10 from 265 ratings, a solidly received action films.

At 1h 54m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy action, adventure, and drama, The Emerald Forest is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Emerald Forest

In United States, you can stream The Emerald Forest on YouTube TV, ScreenPix Apple TV Channel, and ScreenPix Amazon Channel . Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.