Wildling

“A teenage girl’s coming-of-age arrives with a terrifying twist in this spellbinding take on the werewolf legend. Since birth, Anna (Bel Powley) has been raised in isolation by a man she knows only as Daddy (Brad Dourif, Child’s Play). He has done everything possible to conceal the truth about her origins from her. But when the teenage Anna is suddenly thrust into the real world under the protection of no-nonsense police officer Ellen (Liv Tyler, The Strangers), it soon becomes clear that she is far from ordinary. Unable to adjust to a normal life, Anna finds herself drawn instead to the wild freedom of the forest while struggling to resist the growing bloodlust that has awakened inside her. This moodily atmospheric thriller combines supernatural scares with a myth-like tale of self-discovery.”

The film opens as a little girl named Anna seems to be imprisoned in a small room. With bars on her windows and the door knob electrified, she spends each day wondering about the outside world which her ‘Daddy’ tells her only comprises of himself and her. Years pass as Anna becomes a teenager, all the while her so called father has been injecting her with a drug we later find out suppresses her hormonal development. When one day Anna asks for death, her father breaks down and ends up shooting himself, causing the neighbors to call the police who finally discover Anna.

After a stay in the hospital and unable to answer questions as to where she came from, Anna puts her trust in Ellen, the police officer who found her, and will only leave the hospital in her care. Staying at Ellen’s house, Anna meets Ellen’s brother Ray (Collin Kelly-Sordelet) whom she forms a bond with as the two share paths of coming of age that eventually diverge in vastly different directions. Anna’s body is changing and thanks to her isolation she doesn’t know what’s normal and what’s not, and having to navigate this strange new world in the midst of her changing body is impossibly difficult. Was she being protected by her father from the outside world, or was he protecting it from her?

Let’s face it, the werewolf legend has been done over and over, each time trying to inject something new and horrific into the legend to make it unique. Whether that be something totally grotesque or pushing the boundaries of special effects, these films usually adhere to the rules established in the genre long ago. Once in a long while, a film will come along that pushes those boundaries to show us something we’ve definitely never seen before, and that’s where Wildling comes in, a fascinating coming-of-age film in which nothing goes as expected in what we’re accustomed to.

Wildling is reminiscent of so many films. Almost a cross between The Room and Gingersnaps, this film doesn’t rely on a comedic aspect of this process like the latter does. Instead focusing on actually dealing with the process of a girl who hasn’t been exposed to the real world and having to deal with what she’s becoming, whether or not that fits within society’s expectations. Balancing this call to her nature and her connections with the real world is what gives this film its true heart. Anna is learning about the real world, soaking in knowledge about the human race all the while fighting her natural urges that push her backward into the wilderness.

This film wouldn’t be nearly as effective if it wasn’t for Bel Powley giving an absolutely stunning performance. She absolutely drives this entire film, breathing life into this conflicted enigma of a character who struggles to find her place in the world she’s just been introduced to. She’s the best thing about this film, elevating this above and beyond what it might be considered otherwise. Brad Dourif is also an always welcomed presence in horror films, giving a haunting performance of Anna’s adopted father who appears to be a very conflicted character and a good antagonist for the film.  The only thing lacking in Wildling is the special effects that are honestly very bad. But fortunately for us this only applies to about eight seconds of the film, and everything else gore-wise is done very nicely and with practical effects that look great.

Video

Wildling is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.40:1. The transfer looks great with no defects noticed. The film takes place largely at night, with those scenes looking particularly clear and free of any kind of defect or grain issues. Color balance looks to be on the side of yellowish hues, providing nice contrast with the outdoor setting. The palate changes upon the scene in question, always providing a beautiful and artful look to it; much more than a typical low budget horror film.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds great, with the majority of sound coming through the center channel in the form of dialogue. The surrounds are utilized very well using them for atmospheric effects, nature effects and your scarce but typical horror effects. The balance here is well maintained and has a great soundtrack accompanying the film.

Special Features

Only a few extras on this disc. As much as I enjoyed this film I would’ve loved to see more, but I’ll take what I can get. Here’s what you’ll see:

• Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes
• Trailer

Wildling is a great addition to the werewolf genre, giving it a breath of fresh air that it needs. IFC Midnight has again surprised me at the quality of their releases, giving us a solid film that is worth checking out by any fan of the werewolf or horror genre.