MovieChat Forums > Ravenous (1999) Discussion > How long was he in the hole?

How long was he in the hole?


I'm no expert in lunar revolvement around the earth.
How long did Boyd stay in the hole before he started eating Reich?
How long did it take from that night til he was able to climb out?

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Well, judging from other instances, i'd say 2-3 days. not many more than that, and here's why.

When he is fed the human meat later, it seems to only take over night for him to heal. also, when he's stabbed on purpose and has to choose to eat or not, he eats and he's up and ready the next day. to me, this means that the human flesh had intense healing powers, which you already know. Finally, a quote explains it kinda. Calhoun says, "i found Reich or what was left of him, you didn't finish. of course...he was tough, but a real soldier ought to be." this means he ate a lot of the body. i think eating that much would have taken him a few days. but, knowing the rage and crave it brings, he could have done it all in one night. but then give time for Calhoun to make it to authorities and become Hives, which you also have to take into account. So, in a nutshell, 1-3 days. i hope this made sense.

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The cycle of the moon clearly indicates that he was down there for three or four weeks, certainly not a couple days.

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good catch.



I'll talk some jive. I'll talk some jive like you've never heard!

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Agree about the moon cycle. What I don’t get is how he survived down there for so long with no water. Enjoyable movie but very silly at times.

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Snow! Plus, you know, superhuman cannibal power. But also snow.

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Snow isnt great for survival over the long term. Now, add superhuman cannibal power and it could work.
The best part about this movie is that it's just fun which is why it doesn't matter.

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Yeah, there may have been a bit of snow down there, but I didn't see enough of it to sustain a man for a full month. Now, the "superhuman cannibal power" theory could make sense, but if you pay attention to the scene closely (specifically the moon cycle), you'll notice that Boyd doesn't actually begin cannibalizing Reich for quite a while. Rather, he spends at least a couple of weeks just lying there—a mere mortal, who, already having sustained severe physical injuries from his fall, is now exposed to the brutal elements of his harsh environment, facing intense cold, and basically lacking any food or water.

So it's actually only after those first two or three weeks that Boyd succumbs to his fear and weakness, finally deciding to give some of that tasty human flesh a try. At which point he does indeed gain the aforementioned superhuman power and quickly heals up. Ridiculous logic, of course, but within the context of a fantasy-based story, I can accept the supernatural elements.

Really, it's the logical lapses in basic human physiology that I take more issue with.

Either way, it's a fun movie, so I can forgive the flaws.

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Don’t forget, this isn’t just him finally giving in—this is him finally giving in AGAIN. Who knows how long a little cannibal power stays with you?

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Interesting point. Although I wouldn’t consider the original incident to be him “giving in” to cannibalism. From what I remember, he was just trapped below a pile of corpses, and some human blood inadvertently leaked down into his mouth. He didn’t make any conscious decision to cannibalize anyone there.

But yeah, I suppose the event could have nonetheless had some lasting effect on his physiology.

As you said… who knows?🤷

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What’s this moon cycle business? Was it mentioned in the film?

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Not specifically mentioned; rather just a series of visual cues used to illustrate the passage of time as Boyd was laid up in the hole.

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