The Wild (Wilder Than Her) (2023) Movie Review - Painfully Formulaic Thriller
Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing a movie from 2023 called The Wild. This film also goes by the title Wilder Than Her. Directed by first time feature film director Jessica Kozak. The story follows a group of friends who head out on a camping trip to reconnect after the death of their friend. Awkward interactions quickly turn to tension and conflict as the friendship between the girls proves to be weaker than they once thought.
Don’t Be Fooled!
Someone had the genius idea to change the title of this movie from the admittedly awful “Wilder than Her” to “The Wild“. A choice which seems beyond baffling considering a much more popular movie sharing that title released the same year. Meaning this movie does not benefit a great deal from a Google search. If you were to head on over to IMDB to check this film out, however. You might be tricked into thinking it is worth a watch. After all, 6.4/10 is pretty good. At least for a thriller movie, anyway. It’s quietly reassuring that the cast list all feature photos of themselves, as well.
I mean, let’s be real! How many times have you stumbled upon a low budget horror from a first time director. Only to be met with a bunch of actors who work at Walmart on weekdays and have to schedule shoots around picking the kids up from school?
I would urge you to not be fooled, though. That rating comes from only 42 votes.. 42! That’s a stupidly low number and, when you consider the entire cast and crew probably gave it 10/10. It’s a far from encouraging sign. This is, in reality, a movie which wastes its vast potential. The Wild hit the film festival circuit back in 2023 but only saw a wider, VOD, release in March of this year. With that being said, the attention towards it is still minimal.
For Good Reason
This movie is pretty damn average. Falling into that age old trope of friends heading out on an intimate camping trip only to realise that, perhaps, they weren’t quite as friendly as they initially thought. There is a distinct sense that Kozak is attempting to channel some of what made The Ritual so enjoyable. Hell, the setup for the camping trip is exactly the same. They even build a cairn to honour their lost friend.
The similarities are skin deep, though. At its heart, The Wild is a very formulaic and predictable thriller with an unlikable cast of characters. The bulk of the movie consists of awkward interactions between actors with no chemistry. Eventually leading up to an ending that everyone will see coming and with limited thrills in between to keep things interesting.
A few red herrings are thrown in, as we go. None of the twists and turns ever work, however, thanks to just how projected the reality of the story is. I’m not sure whether Kozak wanted you to see what was coming for yourself. Gaining some favour from the viewers that enjoy movies that stroke their ego when they manage to guess what is about to happen. But the predictability takes chunks out of the tension and atmosphere.
The thing that really confused me about The Wild is just how ludicrous the story is. It goes in a seriously crazy direction towards the end. Despite its predictability, the escalation makes no sense and the character’s reactions are laughably silly. It’s like a video game where you make decisions but every decision you make is geared towards the worst case scenario. Nothing that happens in the film warrants the result meaning the ending feels ridiculous.
An Unlikable Cast
Full disclosure, I have yet to enjoy Sunita Mani in any movie I have seen her in. I am not saying that she is a bad actor, she just tends to bring the same qualities to every role. Qualities that I, simply, don’t find to be all that enjoyable. Her character here is rather unlikable. A trait she shares with both of her friends. It is hinted at that Emilia (Mani) has some fairly significant issues coping with the loss of her friend. It’s also clear that she is the black sheep of the group. Something which plays into the story later on.
The glue that holds the group together is Lucey (Kayla Foster). The only character who even remotely approaches being likable. Her overly childlike worldview and unabated excitement at every little thing gets old pretty quick, however. Both of these two characters pale when it comes to the third friend, Finn (Kate Easton). Finn is an incredibly annoying character who is confrontational and antagonistic. A trait which doesn’t exactly make for positive interactions.
The fact that the cast is unlikable isn’t the biggest problem, though. It’s the fact that the actors have zero chemistry. The relationships are the driving force behind the story which makes this a big problem. They really could have benefited from spending a decent amount of time together. They don’t feel like a natural friend group, in the slightest. It doesn’t help that the script is utterly abysmal. Some of the lines are bafflingly stupid.
Worth Mentioning
Acting is a problem, too. Mani lacks believability in her line delivery. Even when the situation calls for it, she is pretty flat. Her performance ranges from very monotone to shouting with little in between. Foster manages some moments of emotion that stand out as feeling fairly organic. Even if those moments come against a backdrop of stupid story telling and needless escalation.
Easton is pretty damn annoying. She chews the scenery every single time she is on screen. As the movie goes on, it just gets worse. I am assuming this is her first lead role and she wanted to make it count. I’m just not a fan of volume over nuance acting.
On the plus side, this isn’t a bad looking movie. There are some decent shots and the location is okay. When we are afforded a chance to take in the scenery, it’s easy to appreciate some of Kozak’s obvious film making talent. With that being said, I do think some viewers will enjoy the generic thriller-lite trappings. I find thriller fans to be fairly undemanding and it could be argued that the film does enough to stay interesting. Even considering the fact that it is extremely predictable.
I should add that I absolutely love female focused horror and thriller movies but why are they always like this? Even when written by a woman they still devolve into negative portrayals of female friendship. I can count on one hand the number of movies I have reviewed that portray female relationships positively. Can we have less movies like this and more like Unseen, please? I want to see women kicking everyone else’s asses, not each others.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Kayla Foster: She is the glue that holds the cast together. Her character, Lucey, is the only one who approaches being likable, and she manages some genuine moments of emotion.
- The Visuals: It isn’t a bad looking movie. The location is decent, and there are some shots where you can appreciate Kozak’s potential as a filmmaker.
- It’s Watchable: If you are an undemanding thriller fan who just wants something generic to put on in the background, it does just enough to keep you vaguely interested.
The Bad
- Zero Chemistry: The actors don’t feel like a friend group at all. Their interactions are awkward, stiff, and completely unbelievable.
- The Script: It is abysmal. The dialogue is bafflingly stupid in places, and the “twists” are so projected they fail to work as red herrings.
- Unlikable Characters: Emilia (Sunita Mani) is flat, Finn (Kate Easton) is annoying and antagonistic, and neither gives you a reason to root for them.
- Ludicrous Ending: The escalation makes no sense. It feels like a video game where every decision is geared towards the worst possible outcome for no logical reason.
The Ugly: The negative portrayal of female friendship. It’s tired, it’s cliché, and it’s frustrating. Instead of women supporting each other or fighting an external threat, we get petty squabbling and toxicity. We need fewer movies like this and more like Unseen.
Should You Watch The Wild?
The Wild is a very middling thriller with little to separate it from the crowd. The aspects of female friendship would be a big plus if it didn’t devolve into petty squabbling and conflict. The friend group don’t feel organic, acting is lacklustre, the thrills are predictable and the plot escalates in a manner that is, frankly, ludicrous. Throw onto this some terrible scripting and there just isn’t that much to recommend. The Wild is about as average as thrillers come.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video (Rent)🛒, Apple TV (Rent), Vudu (Rent)
Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight
Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.
A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.
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