Gird your loins for a safari of animalistic desire and side-splitting shenanigans in 'Khaki Fever'

What would you get if you combined the pelvic-thrusting allure of “Magic Mike”, the drool factor of “Baywatch”, and the freewheeling camaraderie of “Girls Trip”? Well, wonder no more. 

Brett Michael Innes has done just that with “Khaki Fever”, a film that makes you question whether the premise is built on truth or an exaggerated urban myth.

Either way, this R-rated offering will leave viewers weak-kneed and breathless from the laughter.

Having recently attended the 13th Silwerskerm Film Festival, I had the opportunity to see the film before its Showmax debut today.

It was such a surreal experience, especially having the actors, crew and director in the audience. In the Q&A session after the screening, they let the audience in on behind-the-scenes shenanigans during the shoot. 

This fun-filled offering offers thrills beyond the Big 5 in the most uproarious way.

It centres on a group of close-knit game rangers working at Zalisa Lodge, a family-owned private game reserve in South Africa, run by Anel (Trix Vivier), who is a stickler for rules. 

While she isn’t a fan of her rangers' reckless behaviour - or their nicknames for each other - she is kept busy by Magda (Ilse Klink), an insufferable guest who refuses to leave until they locate her French bulldog Chardonnay. 

Meanwhile, her rangers - Marco (Abel Knobel), Daniel (Christopher Jaftha), Albie (Francois Jacobs), Stoffel (Liam Bosman), Cobus (Sean Brebnor) and Nicola (Anja Taljaard) - have a secret wager going for the “King of Khaki” title. 

Whoever bags the most hookups walks away with the tips at the end of the season. 

For Daniel, who is grappling with a family crisis, this is a walk in the park, so to speak. Those come-hither looks, charm, chiselled features, and six-pack see him as the frontrunner for the title. 

However, he gets stiff competition from Nicola, a bona fide hottie who, much to the envy of her peers, swings both ways. 

While Marco is stud material, he is thrown a little off his game by his feelings for Embeth (Izette Blignaut), who is Anel’s sister and has been giving him the cold shoulder. 

Although Cobus is the oldest member on the team, he manages to get a few points on the board with the help of a little blue pill.

Meanwhile, Albie goes for the low-hanging fruit and maintains an impressive streak. 

Then there is the late bloomer in the group: Stoffel. With the mentorship of Albie, his naivete is quickly replaced by confidence as he joins the “hunting” spree. 

With the rangers on the prowl for opportunities to up their numbers and claim the prize money, Magda scavenges for traces of her Chardonnay. 

“Khaki Fever” is pure escapism. I’ve never laughed so hard in a while. 

It’s sexy (those itty-bitty shorts are going to start a new trend), hilarious and thoroughly entertaining. 

I’m not gonna lie, Jacobs, who bagged the Best Supporting Actor accolade at this year’s kykNET Silwerskerm Awards for Film and TV, stole the spotlight.  From his side-splittling sexcapades to lines - he nailed those punchlines with his deadpan expression.

Of course, it was a wonderful ensemble cast effort, and the onscreen chemistry doesn’t lie. 

The dexterous editing of the racy scenes was commendable. 

Overall, this movie allows you to escape from the seriousness of life. I can’t tell you which was wilder, the script or the performances, but I know that everyone will never look at game drives the same again (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

Rating: **** a standout film with exceptional qualities.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE MOVIE

• This is Christopher Jaftha’s breakthrough role.
• The film was shot in two weeks in locations at the Cradle of Humankind
• Brett Michael Innes wrote the script with his husband Nick Ahlers, and they co-produced it with Paulo Areal for Nostalgia Productions.
• On the script, Innes said: “My husband, Nick, who co-wrote the script with me, loves the bush, and whenever there is a holiday with family, we go to a game reserve. The term ‘khaki fever’ is one that we always joke about whenever we’re there, especially if there are rangers that come out in those short boere-kinis. We always joke about catching khaki fever. We’ve had conversations with rangers and with people within that industry about it. I can’t say it was formal research, but we’ve certainly heard some stories from them … And every ranger we’ve since bumped into, we love to tell them about the movie to see their reaction, and they’re like, ‘You’re hitting the nail on the head’.”