Quicksand 2023

Two adventurers, Carolina Gaitan as Sofia and Allan Hawco as Josh, find themselves embroiled in a dangerous situation deep within the Colombian wilderness. The couple, who have been separated for some time, travel to Colombia at the request of their mutual friend Marcos, played by Sebastian Eslava, hoping to reconnect and explore the beautiful country. Unbeknownst to Marcos, Sofia and Josh have personal issues they’re trying to navigate while away from their two children, aged 3 and 5, who they left behind at home.

Sofia, a dedicated healthcare professional, is reluctant to go on a hike Marcos invites them on, especially after an awkward dinner where Josh finally admits that they’ve been separated for a while. Despite the tense atmosphere, Sofia initially declines the invitation, choosing instead to keep her distance from Josh. However, the next day, she changes her mind, eager to pursue a personal goal — visiting the stunning Cascada La Chorrera — a destination she’s always wanted to see and with which she hopes to reclaim some of her own peace amid the chaos of their relationship.

Choosing to go alone and leaving Marcos behind, Sofia and Josh set off on a hike that quickly turns tense. They are given a map for the route but are advised against taking a shortcut through a place called “Las Arenas,” a dangerous area infamous for its snake infestations and fearsome reputation among locals. As they venture deeper into the forest, the couple faces increasing challenges. Earlier in the story, a mysterious scene shows two hunters in the same area, one of whom is followed and attacked, hinting at the lurking dangers ahead.

Their hike proceeds smoothly at first, but rainy weather forces them to turn back. During their descent, they encounter a man who appears to be meddling with their car—an ominous figure who, despite Sofia’s warnings, the couple confronts. The situation quickly escalates when the man pulls out a weapon, leading Josh to intervene with a makeshift club while Sofia warns him to stay back. The confrontation ends with Josh striking the attacker and they fleeing into the forest, desperate to escape the threatening figure.

Thinking they’ve outrun danger, Sofia and Josh veer into Las Arenas, only to soon realize they are not alone. In the aftermath of a fall, Sofia hits her head on a branch and becomes unconscious. When she regains consciousness, she is trapped in quicksand, fighting to free herself as Josh desperately searches for her. The scene intensifies as Sofia’s head sinks into the sand, prompting Josh to jump in to rescue her. He manages to pull her out, but their plight takes a darker turn when Sofia spots a snake egg in the sand, her worst fear since she recently expressed her phobia of snakes. Unfortunately, she soon discovers the dead body of the hunter, whose backpack contains a knife, a Bible, and a rifle—evidence that he likely succumbed from starvation or some other dire cause.

Struggling to survive, Sofia and Josh fashion a rope from the hunter’s belongings so Sofia can attempt to pull herself out of the quicksand. Their efforts are thwarted by insufficient length, leaving them stranded and helpless for the moment. Meanwhile, Marcos, who learns from a voice message that Josh and Sofia are on the hike, begins to worry. Back in the forest, Sofia gets attacked by aggressive army ants, and Josh, in a rare moment of resourcefulness, hands her vodka to help remove the insects—an action that reveals his struggles with past alcoholism, a consequence of their ongoing stress and separation.

The situation worsens when a large snake bites Josh just before Sofia can shoot it with the hunter’s rifle. She manages to injure the snake, but it slithers away, leaving only one bullet in the gun. Sofia, skilled as a doctor, swiftly works to save Josh from the venom’s deadly effects, but his condition deteriorates rapidly. Recognizing their dire predicament, Marcos soon deduces that something is terribly wrong when he spots Josh’s backpack at the hunter’s site. Marcos intervenes, creating a commotion that results in Sofia and Josh being detained and locked up, although Marcos manages to leave a warning and his watch with the hunter’s captor.

The tension between Sofia and Josh flares up as they confront their mistakes and frustrations, yet their shared concern for their children eventually brings some civility back into their strained relationship. As the venom spreads through Josh’s body, Sofia quickly devises a risky plan. Using the dead snake and the hunter’s belongings, she attempts to extend the lasso to reach a distant rock, aiming to pull Josh out of the quicksand. Her plan involves a daring and dangerous move: she lures the snake with the hunter’s binoculars, prepares to shoot it, but is ambushed from behind by the creature. The snake wraps itself around Sofia, and in a tense moment of survival, Josh uses his limited remaining resources to kill it with the knife.

With the serpent finally dead, they attach the snake’s body to Sofia’s improvised lasso to help drag her free. She pulls herself out just before Josh succumbs to the venom’s effects. Sofia, weak and trembling, must then navigate the treacherous terrain to find help, with her thoughts drifting to the lecture she was meant to deliver and how this ordeal has overshadowed her professional goals. Her escape is arduous, but she is eventually found by Marcos and a rescue team he has summoned. The film concludes with Sofia caring for Josh as they are transported to safety, her relief palpable as she kisses him, grateful that they have survived their harrowing ordeal.

The movie masterfully captures themes of survival, fractured relationships, and resilience amid relentless danger. It leaves viewers with a powerful message about confronting fears and the importance of sticking together even when everything seems to be falling apart in the wild, unpredictable Colombian landscape.