The Last Jaguar: family adventure film by Gilles de Maistre on Netflix

Directed by Gilles de Maistre and co-written with Prune de Maistre, The Last Jaguar is a family adventure film starring Lumi Pollack, Emily Bett Rickards, and Wayne Charles Baker. The story follows Autumn, a young girl connected to a jaguar in the Amazon rainforest, between her childhood in the heart of the jungle and her adolescence in the city. Released in theaters in February 2024, the film will be available in France on Netflix on December 1, 2025.

In the Amazon, Autumn grows up among the trees alongside Hope, a baby jaguar she has taken in. The relationship between the child and the animal develops at the pace of life in the forest, until one day a family tragedy forces Autumn and her father to move to New York, far from their original home.

Now a teenager, Autumn remains marked by this bond. When she discovers that Hope is threatened by poaching and the destruction of her habitat, she decides to return to South America to try to find and protect her, despite the distance and the dangers.

The trailer for The Last Jaguar

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The project is a continuation of Mia and the White Lion and The Wolf and the Lion, with the aim this time of addressing the Amazon rainforest and animal trafficking. Filming took place mainly in Mexico, near Playa del Carmen, as well as in Montreal, with real jaguars trained over several months. Gilles de Maistre and his team alternated between fake sets and real animals in order to maintain authentic interaction between the young actress and the felines. The film addresses deforestation and the disappearance of jaguars, an endangered species in the region.

The Last Jaguar offers an adventure suitable for ages 6 and up, built around the relationship between a teenage girl and a wild animal. The story combines a journey of discovery, ecological themes, andfamily adventures, playing on the contrast between the dense jungle and the urban world of New York City. It targets a family audience interested in nature stories, environmental issues, and coming-of-age tales.

Our opinion on The Last Jaguar:

In his latest film, The Last Jaguar, Gilles de Maistre continues his cinematic commitment to environmental causes, once again weaving a narrative around the symbiotic relationship between humans and animals. This film follows on from works such as Mia and the White Lion, The Wolf and the Lion, and, to a certain extent, Mystère by Denis Imbert, where the protection of nature and endangered species is at the heart of the narrative.

Gilles de Maistre and his wife Prune (co-screenwriter) take us to the heart of the Amazon, depicting the struggle of an indigenous tribe against ruthless poachers. The film is in line with recent productions such as La Promesse Verte with Alexandra Lamy, pursuing the laudable goal of raising awareness of the devastation wrought by humans on the natural world.

One of the film's most surprising revelations is undoubtedly the performanceof Emily Bett Rickards, known for her role as Felicity in Arrow. The actress brilliantly plays a young agoraphobic woman who, despite her fears, pushes herself to protect Autumn. Emily Bett Rickards excels in this unconventional role, bringing lightness and emotional depth to comical scenes that skillfully balance humor and tension.

While the story suffers at times from a certain predictability, with the plot resolution seeming somewhat simplistic, this narrative weakness is largely offset by the film's visual richness. The Last Jaguar offers a cinematic escape through breathtaking landscapes, capturing the wild beauty of the Amazon with true artistic finesse.

The Last Jaguar is therefore more than just a family film; it is a poetic and visual manifesto that advocates for the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. While the story may sometimes seem implausible, the importance of the message it conveys and the quality of the production make this film a must-see for viewers of all ages who want to marvel at the splendor of our natural world and reflect on our environmental impact.

Gilles de Maistre has once again succeeded in delivering a work that is both entertaining and educational, and which remains a vibrant call to action for the preservation of our planet.

The Last Jaguar
Film | 2024
On Netflix December 1, 2025
Adventure / Family | Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes
By Gilles de Maistre | Starring Lumi Pollack, Emily Bett Rickards, Wayne Charles Baker
Nationality: France / Canada

The film tells the story of a friendship between a young girl and a jaguar, set against the backdrop of the defense of the Amazon rainforest and the fight against animal trafficking.

To go further, check out our selection of new Netflix releases for December, our guide to streaming releases on all platforms, and today's selection of What to watch today on streaming.

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