Today, Amazon dives into the young adult space with The Wilds.
In The Wilds, a group of teenage girls are onboard a flight to an all-female retreat in Hawaii named ‘The Dawn of Eve’. Making up the group is Leah (Sarah Pidgeon), who’s obsessed with a book; her schoolmate Fatin (Sophia Ali), who’s appearance seems upper important to her; and Martha (Jenna Clause) who stresses about her best friend Toni’s (Erana Jame) anger issues. There’s also the shy and quiet Nora; her athletic sister Rachel who uses her iPhone for more than just calls; and Shelby, who is deeply religious. Rounding out the group is Dot, who’s had a lot to deal with in her teen years the most, and Jeanette, a very talkative individual who loves pink.
The plane crashes and this group of individuals are stranded on an island, but what if it’s not as simple as that? What if these girls did not end up on this island by accident?
As the girls learn to survive on the island, we are given flashbacks to see what brought these teens to the island, and while I won’t divulge anything, there are some seriously shocking moments which will definitely keep you hooked. I must implore you though, as much as you’ll want to binge this series, don’t rush as in doing so, some of those key moments won’t have as much as an impact.
Creator Sarah Streicher oversees Amazon’s first foray into young adult programming and it’s bold and a very different experience as the journey unfolds across different timelines.
With each episode devoted to a different islander, there are some compelling performances by the young cast as we go on the journey. There isn’t a weak link here, and throwing in Rachel Griffiths in a very different role than expected makes it a summer show worth investing in.
Take the flight but remember to space out this perfect adventure.
5 Stars
The Wilds drops today on Amazon Prime.
