Man from Deep River

John Bradley attends a boxing match in Bangkok with a woman who grows frustrated and leaves. An unidentified man follows him to a bar and confronts him with a knife. John turns the weapon against the attacker, kills him, and flees into the night.

The next day, John rents a canoe and hires a guide to take him down the river into the rainforest. The guide, Tuan, voices concerns about traveling so far from civilization, but John insists on one more day before returning. They push deeper into the jungle, venturing into unknown territory.

John wakes to find Tuan dead and is seized by a native tribe who haul him in a net toward their village. The people insist he is a strange 'fish-man' captured in their territory, fueling fear and hostility.

In the village, John is hung in a net from a pole and forced to witness the execution of two war criminals. He quickly labels his captors as murderers, realizing the brutal moral code of the tribe. The scene underscores the tribal hostility and the danger John faces.

Marayå, the chief's daughter, argues that John is not a fish-man and persuades her father to release him as Marayå's slave. John is locked in a shack while Taima explains that he will be released as Marayå is soon to be married to Karen. The politics of the tribe begin to shape his fate.

On the day of the Feast of the Sun, Luhanà unties John but a helicopter flies overhead and rescue attempts are thwarted by warriors. Marayå intervenes to help him, and John begins planning an escape, aided by Taima.

A month passes since John's capture. A building accident claims a young worker, triggering funeral rites that remind John that escape is possible. He tries to flee, but Karen and a group of warriors corner him; he kills Karen to survive.

John is finally incorporated into the tribe, enduring rituals and torture until he proves himself as a warrior. He uses his knowledge of modern technology and medicine to help the tribe, but his growing influence puts him at odds with the witch doctor.

John and Marayå grow close and marry, their union bringing him status within the tribe. They consummate their relationship and she becomes pregnant, but a black butterfly flies overhead, portending doom for the couple.

Six months after capture, John fully embraces life with Marayå and helps fend off a Kuru cannibal attack on the village. He participates in actions he once condemned, signaling a complete personal transformation.

The couple considers returning to civilization for medical treatment as Marayå’s pregnancy worsens. Taima helps them escape, but she is caught and punished, forcing John and Marayå back to the village.

Marayå goes into labor and dies after childbirth, despite John's rejection of the witch doctor's help. The Kuru attack returns, setting fire to the village. A black butterfly omen is confirmed, and John wanders the jungle before taking cover with his tribe as helicopters pass overhead.