Content Advisory: Rape and Sexual Assault, Kidnapping
Escapees from a Russian prison camp have to fend for survival in the wilderness in Walking Supply. Henry (James McDougall) is part of a group of American office workers kidnapped in St. Petersburg, Russia and sent to work in a Siberian Gulag. Henry’s skills as an electrical engineer make him useful to his captors and also catch the attention of fellow American prisoners Kurt (Douglas Nyback) and Anthony (Joel Labelle). With Henry’s help, the two orchestrate an escape and are joined in the wilderness by fellow prisoners Victor (Ian Matthews) and Brock (Dru Viergever), the former of whom ends up teaching Henry some survival skills. However, as Henry struggles to keep up with his fellow escapees, the true reason Kurt and Anthony brought him along comes to light.
Walking Supply Synopsis
Walking Supply is a wilderness survival film co-written and directed by stunt performer turned filmmaker Derek Barnes, based on his 2016 short film of the same name. The film stars James McDougall (Becky) as Henry Rutherford, a man who finds himself quite literally out of his element when he first finds himself imprisoned in a Russian labour camp and then becomes the odd man out when he joins Kurt and Anthony to escape through the wilderness. On this journey, Henry learns that he must do what he must to survive.
My Thoughts on Walking Supply
It is stated at one point by the Russian escapee Victor that “the Wilderness is our prison now.” I don’t want to get too specific about certain aspects of the plot of Walking Supply, including the meaning of the film’s title, though the film is ultimately about three men fighting against the elements and each other to survive. Particularly noteworthy is the evolution of the protagonist Henry from someone who at one point cries that he wants to go back to the Gulag to somebody willing to do what it takes to make it in this unforgiving wilderness.