Amazon Prime’s ‘The Wilds’ Will Take You On A Wild Ride
Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Wilds.
Amazon Prime’s The Wilds is a female-driven story that takes a deep dive into the lives of teenage girls and the diverse struggles they each face. Amazon Prime Video dips into the young-adult genre with a show about the real truth behind how hard it is being a teenage girl in today’s world.
I actually heard about this show through an advertisement before it premiered and was unsure if I was going to watch it, but once my friend recommended it to me, I decided to check it out. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Here are just a few of the topics they touch on: race, sexuality, eating disorders, mental illness, sexual harassment, complex familial relationships, etc.
The action starts when all of the girls are on a plane, under the impression that they’re headed to a feminist retreat; then the plane goes down and they end up stranded on an island. They have to figure out how to survive and work with one another to do so. We meet nine girls in total: Leah, Dot, Martha, Toni, Nora, Rachel, Fatin, Shelby, and Jeanette. The show is quick to reveal that this is actually a social experiment to study women and how they work in groups to adapt to this unique situation.
Each episode centers on one of the girls and her specific back story, while also showing what they’re all up to while stranded, and even the aftermath of them being rescued and interviewed by a psychologist. This look into the past serves a vital purpose in the show because it immediately connects you to the girls and finds something relatable in each of them. I think this was the smartest choice they made, going back and forth between flashbacks and their present-time experiences on the island, because it allows great insight into the characters and their motivations, and it is an easy way to get to know and sympathize with them. In terms of the scenes where the girls discuss the trauma after the events of the island, it is pretty compelling because it reveals some secrets we do not know yet as we wait for them to play out on the island. We do not get to see everything that they discuss, but we do know that there’s a lot more to discover, possibly in season two should the show get renewed.
The show has a lot of plot twists, which makes it an exciting watch. I was surprised when I wanted to watch the whole series in one sitting, but every episode is full of suspense and mysteries to uncover. One example is how one of the girls might possibly be working for the experimenters, knowing that they are trapped on this island on purpose to be studied. It is unclear who this girl is and that makes everything that much more interesting. The acting also helps keep the intensity level high, and the actresses deliver stellar performances.
By the end of season one, we also do not know the whereabouts, mental state, or final experiences of all the girls. In fact, we don’t even see how they get rescued. At first, I was a bit annoyed about this detail, but I am crossing my fingers for a season two where we hopefully get the answers to all of our questions as to what really happens to them as they are saved from the island. I also hope that if there is a second season they devote more time to developing some of the relationships; the friendships are wonderful and there’s commendable representation in many ways, but I wished we had more time for some of the romance. It has immense potential, however, I wished we got more moments between what I assume is set to be the main couple.
The conclusion of the show is also a giant cliffhanger that you won’t see coming. Throughout, there are scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat; whether it’s tension between the characters or the gripping suspense of them exploring the unknown. If you love a good twist, this show just might be perfect for you.
