For anyone unfamiliar with a ruck, it is military slang for a backpack; and “rucking” refers to walking or hiking with a loaded/heavy backpack. In other words, “a ruck march” is rucking with a ruck.

Got it?
Good.
Onward we go…  

This found footage film is another jewel in a slew of recently made films within the same sub-genre, and it’s quite a thrill trek through a Nevada desert in a short amount of time (70-minutes!) Can an innocent hike become so explosively evil in so little time? 

Yes.
Extremely.  

The Ruck March begins with a mention of decomposed bodies found in a desert beside camera phones and video footage which was pieced together and released on the dark web for “our” enjoyment.

Ok, so let’s enjoy!  

Alannah is a young, stubborn woman who makes it a personal mission to join a ruck march she finds advertised on flyers around town. Dragging along her bestie, Emily (who is more hesitant to join this backpacking team into the wilderness due to all the military training Alannah forces upon her weeks in advance), these two ladies arrive at the rendezvous point with some reservation until meeting their fellow travel companions: newlyweds, a father/daughter duo, several singles, and others in hopes of testing their limits both physically and mentally.

What could possibly go wrong in a group of 30+ adventurers? Perhaps we should pay attention to the foreshadowed exclamation from happy pessimist Emily, “So excited!!! Just kidding. We’re gonna die.”

As these first timers limber up for the expected 16-hour hike, their ambition is disrupted with the following caveat: No phones, no cameras, no watches and…no food. The only acceptable footage of this quest is documented by a guide who has clearly done this before.

The leaders collect all of these items, locking them into a large container which will accompany this team on their hike. But then the question becomes, when will they be allowed to eat and more importantly…WHAT will they be eating?  
 
While the early onset of positivity and fun attitudes prompt the group to enjoy this trial of endurance, several of the members are suddenly disappearing after a few pit stops and bathroom breaks. With the repeated excuse “he/she couldn’t continue anymore, so he/she went back”, the justification is accepted…for a while.  
 
This simple yet effective film drives home a long-lost lesson we’ve all heard before: “Better to be safe than sorry”. Or is it, “Always ask before committing?” One can even argue that it may even be “If it sounds too good to be true…” although there is really no other escape from a barren area where there’s no place to hide and no where to run. All to the contrary…best of luck, y’all!