In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1985) | Region-Free (DVD) | Directed by Raju Patel

Title: In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1985)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Thriller

Plot Synopsis: Set during a severe drought in Kenya in 1984, the scarcity of food and water drives 90,000 wild baboons to aggressively attack humans and animals to survive. As the baboons become increasingly desperate, a group of people find themselves hunted by the starving primates and must do whatever they can to stay alive.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Raju Patel
• Writers: T. Michael Harry, Jeffrey M. Sneller
• Cast:
  • John Rhys-Davies as Chris Tucker
  • Timothy Bottoms as Jack Ringtree
  • Irene Miracle as Lee Ringtree
  • Michele Carey as Ginny
  • Calvin Jung as Mitushi Uto

YouTube Trailer: In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro | Trailer

IMDb Link: In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1985)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. cameron fetter – ★★★★☆ “I’ve been meaning to watch this for a long time but I recently impulse bought a giant vintage poster of it so now I had to lol. Shitty VHS rip, but still so fun to watch. Insane amount of baboon action, truly an unbelievable amount of baboons sprinting towards actors simultaneously, Lord of the Rings Helm’s Deep style throngs of baboons just going fucking crazy, beautiful. Didn’t pay so much attention to the plot but you don’t need to when it’s a movie about 90,000 baboons. Wow. A movie about 90,000 baboons. And 1 named Goldie that drinks beer.”
2. More_Badass – ★★★☆☆ “That’s In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro, aka Night of the Living Dead by way of The Ghost & The Darkness. Despite releasing in the mid-80s, Raju Patel’s sole directing credit treats its shot-in-Kenya animal attack premise with post-Jaws seriousness and suspense. Largely average with thin characters, awkward editing, uneven pacing, and an overreliance on stock footage, but the baboon attacks are genuinely thrilling and the film’s commitment to its premise is admirable.”
3. Bob R. – ★★★☆☆ “In this Kenyan-made shocker, an animal reserve warden butts heads with the local mine-owner over whether or not to evacuate the area when a severe drought results in a horde of 90,000 angry, hungry baboons. Before long, everyone is running for their lives from a tidal-wave of brittle fur, tiny hands, and shiny, sharp teeth. This is the horror of In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro. Timothy Bottoms is solid as the warden, and the film does a good job building tension, but some of the effects haven’t aged well.”

Meta Description: “In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro” (1985) is a thriller directed by Raju Patel, depicting the harrowing events during a severe drought in Kenya where 90,000 starving baboons turn aggressive, forcing humans to fight for survival.