Wildlike (2015)

Overrated and overhyped

Admirable film.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I was told by several people to check this film out. A couple of years later, I finally had a chance to screen it. Wildlike takes you on an uncomfortable journey, including violence specifically sexual abuse in a world that most would not want to inhabit. Its well written and the execution of the script is flawless. The story does a great job of sucking you in even though you're not sure you want to be sucked in. The cast is superb led by Ella Purnell who plays the lead. Her character is a troubled teen sent to live in Alaska with her uncle. You may not agree with how she lives her life, you might even start out not even liking this character, but it doesn't take long until you are hooked. You want to see her triumph; you want her to be redeemed. Does it happen? No spoilers here folks, you'll have to watch to find out and I think you'll be glad you did. Solid acting throughout, beautifully shot and wonderfully directed. I give Wildlike a solid 8 and a high recommendation.

It's really well cast. There are no risks taken with the casting which leads to the film simply being really well cast, which in turn adds to the believability of the aesthetic & therefore the story.The story is subtle without over-dramatisation, which makes it all the more realistic & allows the viewer to be carried along with ease. The subject matter itself is approached with respect & a gentle hand. I found the end very moving, as the child is offered hope of a childhood.Often films of this nature can be too dramatic, too dark, which leads the viewer to be repulsed & empathy can be lost in that mix. However! This film offers hope above all else. We know there are awful humans in this world & that children fall foul to them via circumstance, but there is good in this world too, there is hope.Well written piece.

Drama, fantasy, comedy - whatever the story genre, good ones have one thing in common. Truth. The story needs to tell the audience of something they know, something they have forgotten or something they can now imagine. Case in point, two films I've recently watched illustrate success and failure clearly. Both involve children being sent away to visit with less than careful parents. I intend to post this review at the site of both films, because the contrast is clear. Wildlike & The Visit both are stories about children being sent away to visit with relatives, mistakenly, by troubled parents. Both are stories about horror, but, where one tells us about evil, the other tells us bad puns. In Wildlike we see a young girl sent away by a defective mother who can't handle taking care of herself or her child. In this movie we walk in this child's shoes and understand the choices she makes. The evil she faces is banal, quiet and could go unnoticed. We see the past and current trauma this child has endured in the acting and writing. The truth is this is everyday evil, the kind that we won't change without understanding it. In the Visit we see a sister and brother sent away by a mother distracted by her own issues. Children know when their parent's are not competent. It affects them and causes doubt and tension. Instead of reflecting that, these siblings are snarky, self involved, smart alecks who are not cautious, vigilant or concerned. The danger these kids face is overt and direct early on, but they seem not to take it serious. Neither can the audience. The truth in a similar film of M. Night Shyamalan's, the Sixth Sense was not the horror the child faced, that only made the film compelling. The truth was about the adults learning to respect the child's view of reality. Their is no such kernel in The Visit.

I liked the film- thoughtful, visually engrossing, and deft in the complicated unraveling of the protagonist's story with a sensitivity that conveys a genuine understanding of humanity's harsher realities. Greenwood and Purnell delivered in what I'd have to call the redemption of all things good in humanity in an environment that doesn't nurture such things. Inspiring. Good storytelling here is the reason. Dealing with subject matter as potentially volatile and devastating as this can be without losing sight of the story is a very good summation of Frank Hall Green's skill as a filmmaker. I wouldn't be surprised if WILDLIKE became something of a benchmark film for a number of organizations who provide services and support for victims. This isn't a story of victimization however- it's the story of resilience and how even the simplest of gestures can result in profound hope and recovery. Highly recommend!