Wildling (film)

Wildling is a 2018 American horror-fantasy film directed by Fritz Böhm and starring Bel Powley, Brad Dourif, Collin Kelly-Sordelet, James LeGros, and Liv Tyler.[2] The screenplay was co-written by Böhm and Florian Eder.[3] The plot follows Anna, a blossoming teenager who uncovers the dark secret behind her traumatic childhood. The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 10, 2018[4] and has received favorable reviews. It was released in the United States in select theaters and on video on demand on April 13, 2018, by IFC Films under their IFC Midnight brand.[5]

Wildling
Theatrical release poster
Directed byFritz Böhm
Produced byCeline Rattray
Trudie Styler
Liv Tyler
Charlotte Ubben
Written byFritz Böhm
Florian Eder
StarringBel Powley
Brad Dourif
Collin Kelly-Sordelet
James LeGros
Liv Tyler
Music byPaul Haslinger
CinematographyToby Oliver
Edited byRobb Sullivan
Matt Rundell
Production
company
Distributed byIFC Midnight
Release date
  • March 10, 2018 (2018-03-10) (SXSW)
  • April 13, 2018 (2018-04-13) (United States)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2 million[1]
Box office$474,122

Plot

Anna (Aviva Winick) spends her childhood in the care of a man whom she believes to be her father. He keeps her confined in her attic bedroom, warning her of a child-eating monster called the Wildling that roams the woods. When Anna (now played by Bel Powley) reaches puberty, "Daddy" begins giving her leuprolide to suppress estrogen production, under the guise of treating her "illness". By the time she reaches 16, she begins to suffer near fatal side effects from the lueprolide. "Daddy" attempts to give her a mercy kill at her request but instead turns the gun on himself which fails.

Anna wakes up in a hospital after being found by Sheriff Ellen Cooper (Liv Tyler). She helps Anna start her new life as a normal teenager, taking her home where Anna befriends Ellen's younger brother Ray while also giving Anna a bath and shaving her legs. Anna's body starts to develop, having been stunted by the leuprolide. While chasing a deer in the forest, she is prevented from getting caught in a trap by a half blind man in a wolf skin.

Ellen reveals to Anna that the hospital ran a DNA test and "Daddy", whose name is revealed to be Gabriel Hanson, is not her biological father. He remains in a coma in the hospital and has been slightly disfigured from his self inflicted gunshot wound.

In the school library, Anna finds pictures of the Northern Lights and feels a strong pull. The Northern lights come alive on the pages and she realizes her senses are particularly acute, allowing her to hear other girls making fun of her being barefoot. Ellen has put a pretty yellow dress in Anna's room. Anna wears the dress when Ray takes her to a friend's party, where they share a brief romantic moment. Anna's mouth begins to bleed spontaneously, and she loses some of her teeth. Ray calls to her through the bathroom door, but Anna escapes through the window. When Lawrence Fuller, a local bully, follows Anna and attempts to rape her, she mistakes him for a Wildling and kills him by biting through his throat. Confused and frightened, Anna runs away in her underwear and stumbles across her childhood home, where she finds some clothes and wonders whether she might be turning into a Wildling herself.

The next day, a barefoot Anna returns to town, having realized that her bleeding mouth was caused by her human teeth being pushed out for sharper teeth, and observing that her nails are turning into claws. She refuses to talk to Ellen, and runs into the woods, where she encounters The Wolf Man. He tells her that the Wildlings were killed in the last 'purge' sixteen years ago, and directs her to a cavern, where he says she will find her mother. Discovering her mother's sharp-toothed skull, Anna has a vision that reveals that her mother was killed by "Daddy" before he took her away as a baby. Shaken, she sees him at the hospital, where he has awakened from his coma. She returns to Ellen's home, and hugs Ellen, who has promised to take care of her. Anna doesn't understand why Ellen clicks handcuffs on her wrists. Lawrence's body has been discovered next to Anna's yellow party dress. She is arrested and taken to a cell in the local jail.

That night, Anna is visited by "Daddy" in jail. He tells her that she was a mistake and gives her a syringe that he implies contains a lethal dose of her medication. Anna refuses to take it and escapes. Ray agrees to drive Anna north into the forest, where she hopes they can find the Northern Lights. The two have sex that night, Ray assuring her that he is not concerned about the changes in her body when her claws have grown longer and there is hair on her back. The next day, Anna finds that claws have grown on her feet as well which Ray compliments. Ray is injured by a group of hunters led by Gabriel. He says he must find his way back to the car, but Anna runs the other way and leaves him.

Months later, the hunters corner Anna in the forest. A now dark-skinned, near-furry, and animalistic Anna kills Ellen's deputy Roger after he threatens to shoot her. Ellen lowers her gun and allows her to escape when she sees that Anna is pregnant.

The hunters start a forest fire that forces Anna to dig into the cavern. After ripping off her clothes and now sporting stretched-out feet, she is shot by "Daddy" with a tranquilizer dart. He attempts to perform a c-section on her to claim the unborn child. If the child is a girl, he promises her that he will name her Anna. Anna fights off the drugs and kills "Daddy" by opening her lower jaw wide to tear his throat out before collapsing. She regains consciousness when the Wolf Man finds her and stitches up her wound from the attempted caesarean.

The next morning, Ellen and Ray are part of the group exploring the burned forest. Although they see Anna on the other side of a lake, they allow her to escape into the wilderness.

Weeks later, Anna has traveled far and is finally able to see the Northern Lights. Anna is now fully transformed into a Wildling with black skin and black fur. In her hands, she holds her newborn child. Far in the distance, she hears the call of another Wildling.

Cast
  • Bel Powley as Anna, a teenager who is secretly a Wildling.
    • Aviva Winick as Little Anna
    • Arlo Mertz as toddler Anna
  • Brad Dourif as Gabriel Hanson, a man who took in a younger Anna.
  • Liv Tyler as Sheriff Ellen Cooper, a sheriff who rescues Anna from Hanson
  • Collin Kelly-Sordelet as Ray Cooper, the brother of Ellen.
  • James LeGros as Wolf Man, a mysterious person who tells Anna of her Wildling origins.
  • Mike Faist as Lawrence Fuller, a bully killed by Anna.
  • Troy Ruptash as Roger Fowler, a deputy who works for Ellen.
  • Trevor E. Dickerson as Wildling
  • Alina Cho as the voice of the newscaster
  • Patrick M. Walsh, Brian Donahue, and Don Hewitt as Hunters

Production

Wildling is the directorial feature debut of Fritz Böhm, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Florian Eder. The film was produced by Maven Pictures (US) in co-production with Arri Media (German), Film i Väst and Filmgate Films (both Swedish) and in association with IM Global and Night Fox Entertainment.

International sales were handled by IM Global, which first introduced the film to buyers at the European Film Market (EFM) during the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival.[6] On February 18, 2016 Screen International announced that UK rights were acquired by Warner Bros.[7] On February 19, 2016 Deadline Hollywood reported the closing of distribution deals for Latin America, South Africa, Switzerland, Portugal, Middle East, Turkey, Thailand, Israel, Ex-Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Baltic States and Vietnam.[8] On February 7, 2018, Variety reported acquisition of the film's release rights in the United States by IFC Films.[9]

Casting

On October 5, 2015, Deadline Hollywood announced the casting of Bel Powley and Liv Tyler for the lead roles.[10]

In an interview with Film Inquiry, Bel Powley talked about what originally drew her to the film, saying, "I've always wanted projects that kind of subvert tradition and the norm, and I think that's something that Wildling really did from the first draft I read."[11] With Inverse, Powley described the film as a "story about becoming a woman in our society and the obstacles you're faced with."[12] In an interview with Vulture she explained, "What Anna goes through in the movie is symbolic of what every girl goes through when they become a woman."[13]

Brad Dourif said in an interview with Rue Morgue, "When I was first offered the part [of Daddy] I wasn't initially going to do it. But before I actually said no, I wanted to talk to the director [Fritz Böhm] first. I told him about how, as a parent, I was interested in the idea of it, but that I wanted to play the character in a certain way. We worked through it, and after our discussion I wanted to be a part of the film. It was really the theme of fatherhood that compelled me to take it on."[14]

Photography

Production was first announced on October 5, 2015[15] and filming took place in late 2015 over 23 shooting days in various locations in the state of New York, including a natural stretch of the Bronx River within the Bronx Zoo, the town of Congers, the Sleepy Hollow police station, Rockland Lake State Park and Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan.[16] In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, Böhm spoke about the challenges of working with child actors, water scenes, animals and special effects makeup on a limited budget and schedule.[16] During a Q&A in the Arena Cinelounge Hollywood, Böhm revealed that the film's elaborate cave sequences were entirely shot in a warehouse in Brooklyn against blue screen, "since real caves don't exist within the 23 mile radius of Columbus Circle, Manhattan in which the movie had to be shot in order to fulfill the requirements for New York City's film incentive program."[17]

Production designer Lauren Fitzsimmons told audiences at South by Southwest that the attic of "Daddy's house", which is seen in the first 15 minutes of the film, was a set she "built in the same Brooklyn warehouse in which the cave scenes were shot". In a Q&A at the IFC Center (New York City) moderated by Boaz Yakin, Böhm explained that, during the editing process, he drove to the Redwood National Forest in Northern California to shoot additional nature footage by himself as a "one man second unit".

Post-production

Böhm worked with Arri Media in Munich, Germany where the film was mixed in the Dolby Atmos format. The film was color-timed by Florian "Utsi" Martin, and film editor Peter Boyle served as creative consultant in the editing process. The film comprises roughly 350 visual effect shots, for which Böhm utilized his background as a post-production supervisor and visual effects artist in his native Germany.[16]

Release

Wildling premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 10, 2018.[18]

IFC Midnight released the film in the United States and Canada on VOD and Digital HD on April 13, 2018, as well as in select theaters starting in New York City and Los Angeles.[19] DVD and Blu-ray release in the United States was on August 7, 2018.[20]

In the UK and Ireland, Warner Bros. released the film theatrically on April 20, 2018.[21] Other theatrical releases included Russia on June 22, 2018 (as САГА О ЧУДОВИЩЕ. СУМЕРКИ) and Turkey on June 22, 2018 (as Yabani)[22]

Rating

The Motion Picture Association of America gave the film an R rating "for violence including bloody images, language, some sexual content and teen drinking."[23] The British Board of Film Classification rated the film suitable for 15 years or older for "strong bloody images, threat and language".[21]

Soundtrack

The original motion picture soundtrack was released digitally on April 13, 2018.[24] It features the film's score composed by Paul Haslinger, and the main title song "Wildling" written, performed and produced by Linda Perry.[25]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 70% based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "Wildling's feminist themes – and the ferocious Bel Powley performance that brings them to life – are often enough to make up for its narrative deficiencies."[26] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[27]

The Hollywood Reporter included Wildling in their "10 Best Films of SXSW 2018".[28] The Hollywood Reporter's Justin Lowe wrote in his review "Whether representing an unsettling allegory of adolescence or a fortuitous convergence of contemporary social issues, IFC Midnight's April release will provide a new perspective on themes of female empowerment before carving out a unique niche in home entertainment formats."[3] Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B+ score with reviewer Leah Greenblatt calling the film "a clever, sharp-fanged mélange of classic midnight-movie horror and modern indie ingenuity." She wrote further, "As Bohm, assisted by vivid visuals from Get Out DP Toby Oliver, steers Wildling toward its gruesome, hallucinatory climax, the film loses something in logic but gains a visceral, almost volcanic momentum."[29] Los Angeles Times's Noel Murray wrote "At its best, Wildling is very smart about how we humans like to compare ourselves to animals" and wrote the film "offers a darker, artier take on one of the classic horror premises: the misunderstood adolescent monster."[30] Sara Stewart of New York Post called the film "skillfully directed" and pointed out Bel Powley's performance, "Powley uses her expressive face perfectly as the guileless Anna."[31]

Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times called Wildling a "creature feature" that is "functional but lacks flavor." Kenigsberg noted that Powley "is well suited to her character’s wide-eyed wonderment" but found the movie suffers "when she turns into a special effect".[32]

/Film's Meredith Borders called Wildling "such an assured debut, darkly mystical and elegant" and described the film as "a really smart approach to an ageless tale" with "great performances and some extremely effective gore."[33] Jacob Knight of Birth.Movies.Death called the film "beautifully composed" and said that "Bel Powley is incredible as Anna".[34] Vicki Woods of Morbidly Beautiful called the film "a powerful fable". She wrote in her review, "Wildling is a moodily atmospheric thriller combining supernatural scares with a myth-like tale of self-discovery and a beautiful coming-of-age tale" and "the acting throughout is terrific, but it is Bel Powley that takes the movie to another level."[35] Heather Wixon of Daily Dead wrote, "Powley delivers a truly powerful portrayal".[36] Charles Early wrote on Austin360, "Director Fritz Bohm has created a misunderstood creature for the ages".[37] Brian Williams of The Hollywood Outsider wrote, "The masterful direction of Wildling cannot be overstated. With only a two million dollar budget, Böhm pulls off a cinematic miracle that can only be compared to some of the independent upstart movies like Desperado and Clerks in that the budget-to-quality ratio is off the charts."[1]

Alex Arabian of Film Inquiry called Wildling a "wildly original creature feature that transcends the horror genre" and the third act "visually rewarding". He wrote "Wildling is a film about growing up as an outsider, becoming a woman, being free from oppression, and loving your body as it is." He also pointed out the performances by the main cast, writing "Horror legend, iconic character actor, and Oscar nominee Brad Dourif, Liv Tyler, and rising star Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) give a trio of superb performances. As the central and titular character, Powley delivers yet another powerhouse performance, following her The Diary of a Teenage Girl and Carrie Pilby roles." He also noted the work of cinematographer Toby Oliver, writing he did "a phenomenal job lighting and shooting the film".[38] Paul D'Agostino of Hyperallergic called the film "captivating" and wrote "Fritz Böhm's debut film Wildling is cloaked in mystery, dark and dank, occasionally bloody, sometimes shocking, and fantastically folkloric." D'Agostino compared Wildling to Tomas Alfredson's Let The Right One In and a number of films by Guillermo del Toro and M. Night Shyamalan.[39]

Looper called Wildling "one of the best movies of 2018".[40]

References
  1. Williams, Brian (March 27, 2018). "Wildling | SXSW 2018 Film Review". The Hollywood Outsider. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  2. Collis, Clark (March 15, 2018). "Liv Tyler is a small-town sheriff with a monster of a problem in 'Wildling' trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  3. Lowe, Justin (March 12, 2018). "'Wildling': Film Review | SXSW 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  4. "Wildling". SXSW Schedule. South by Southwest. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  5. "Wildling". IFC Films. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. Kay, Jeremy (February 3, 2016). "IM Global to launch 'Wildling' at EFM". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  7. Kay, Jeremy (February 18, 2016). "Warner Bros takes UK on 'Wildling'". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  8. Jaafar, Ali (2016-02-19). "IM Global Cleans Up At EFM, Clocking Big Sales Across Diverse Slate – Berlin". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  9. Lang, Brett; Setoodeh, Ramin (February 7, 2018). "SXSW: IFC Midnight Nabs 'Wildling' Starring Bel Powley, Liv Tyler (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  10. Jaafar, Ali (October 5, 2015). "Rising Star Bel Powley To Topline 'Wildling'; Liv Tyler and Trudie Styler's Maven To Produce". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  11. Arabian, Alex (April 12, 2018). "Interview With Bel Powley, Star Of WILDLING". Film Inquiry. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  12. Plante, Corey (April 13, 2018). "'Wildling' Star Bel Powley Breaks Down the Feminist Werewolf Allegory". Inverse. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  13. Crucchiola, Jordan (April 13, 2018). "Bel Powley Wants to Make Men Uncomfortable". Vulture. New York Media. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  14. McGillvray, Maddi (April 11, 2018). "Exclusive Interview: Actor Brad Dourif On His Role in the Dark Creature Feature "Wildling"". Rue Morgue. Marrs Media. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  15. Jaafar, Ali (October 5, 2015). "Rising Star Bel Powley To Topline 'Wildling'; Liv Tyler and Trudie Styler's Maven To Produce". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  16. Grobar, Matt (March 12, 2018). "Internalizing Childhood Fairy Tales, Director Fritz Böhm Makes Debut With 'Wildling' — SXSW". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  17. Arena Cinelounge (April 14, 2018). "@ifcmidnight's #Wildling director #FritzBohm and @leestobby chat about their #IndieFilm with our audience #SupportIndieFilm #Wildling 🐺🎬…". Instagram. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  18. Ortega, Tania (March 10, 2018). "World premiere of "Wildling" at SXSW". Good Day. FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  19. "IFC Midnight to Release WILDLING on April 13, 2018". Nightmarish Conjurings. March 26, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  20. "Wildling DVD Release Date August 7, 2018". DVDs Release Dates. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  21. "WILDLING (15)". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  22. "Wildling (2018) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  23. "Weekly US Ratings from the MPAA". Cutting Edge. Censor Watch. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  24. "Wildling (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes Preview. Apple Inc. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  25. "Wildling Soundtrack (2017) OST". Find Your Soundtrack. Ringostrack. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  26. "Wildling (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  27. "Wildling Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  28. DeFore, John; Linden, Sheri; Lowe, Justin; Ulhlich, Kevin (March 19, 2018). "Critics' Picks: The 10 Best Films of SXSW 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  29. Greenblatt, Leah (April 12, 2018). "Wildling is a clever, unsettling horror debut: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  30. Murray, Noel (April 12, 2018). "'Wildling' offers a darker, artier take on a classic Hollywood premise: the misunderstood teen". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  31. Stewart, Sara (April 12, 2018). "Puberty is a bitch in new horror film 'Wildling'". New York Post. NYP Holdings. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  32. Kenigsberg, Ben (2018-04-12). "Review: In 'Wildling,' Bel Powley Finds Her Inner Monster". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
  33. Borders, Meredith (March 17, 2018). "'Wildling' Review: A Creature Feature About the Fear of Teenage Sexuality [SXSW]". /Film. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  34. Knight, Jacob (March 10, 2018). "SXSW 2018 Review: WILDLING Is A Scary Coming Of Age Creature Feature". Birth.Movies.Death. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  35. Woods, Vicki (April 8, 2018). "Reel Review: Wildling (2018)". Morbidly Beautiful. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  36. Wixon, Heather (March 11, 2018). "SXSW 2018 Reviews: Coming of Age with WILDLING and PROSPECT". Daily Dead. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  37. Early, Charles (March 10, 2018). "In 'Wildling,' puberty can be quite dangerous". Austin360. GateHouse Media. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  38. Arabian, Alex (April 6, 2018). "WILDLING: Move Over, Vampires". Film Inquiry. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  39. D'Agostino, Paul (April 7, 2018). "Monstrous and Touching Stories Within Stories". Hyperallergic. Hyperallergic Media. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  40. Szabo, Sarah. "The best 2018 horror movies you haven't seen". Looper. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
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