Network: Amazon Prime Video
Creator: Sarah Streicher
Production Companies: Dylan Clark Productions, Fanfare Productions, ABC Signature, Amazon Studios, and A.B. Baby Productions
Release Date: December 11, 2020
Age Rating: TV-14
Genre: Adventure, Drama, LGBTQIA+, Mystery, Thriller
Format: Television Show
Reading Level/Interest Level: N/A
Awards or Honors:
ReFrame Award: IMDBPro Top 200 Most Popular TV Titles 2020-2021
Plot Summary
Three timelines converge in one show that follows nine young women whose plane crashes on their way to a retreat and are stranded on a deserted island.
Before the crash. We follow Leah in the events leading up to her participation in the retreat program. An artsy high school student who falls in love with an older writer and engages in an illicit affair, Leah’s parents discover her relationship and send her away on the Dawn of Eve retreat to gain distance and perspective.
The crash. The teens wake up in various states, unsure of what happened during the crash. After converging on the beach, they discuss what their plan is and what resources they have. Personalities clash, especially between Christian pageant queen Shelby and tomboy basketball star Toni.
After the crash. The group has been rescued and Leah is interviewed by investigators trying to understand what happened to them. She details her life leading up to the crash and tries to make sense of the events on the island. But things don’t quite add up as Leah tries to connect the dots and piece together why they were sent there and what happens next.
Creator Background
Sarah Streicher is a screenwriter and executive producer who began her career as a playwright. She earned her MFA in Screenwriting from USC as well as a Master's Degree in French Literature from Stanford. In addition to her work on The Wilds, Sarah was a writer on the third season of the Daredevil series as well as the 2022 Pixar film Turning Red (Amazon Studios, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation
When I say this show is addicting, I mean addicting in an “I watched the entire series in two sittings and couldn’t stop thinking about it” type way. It’s incredibly hard to talk about this show without spoilers, but I will say that I couldn’t decide who my favorite character was and switched my opinion at least five times per episode (at the moment it’s Fatin, but that is subject to change). The acting was spectacular and the way the show switched between timelines wove a complex narrative that had me guessing through the very end. Deserted island shows and plotlines are fairly common, but this one brings an added mystery that keeps the viewer in constant suspense about what will happen next. Teens will definitely be drawn to the drama of the show and the portrayal of a cast of characters that come from many walks of life. With an almost entirely female ensemble of diverse characters, each one has a complex background that is revealed piece by piece as you progress through the episodes. I truly have no complaints about this show, it’s of the highest quality and was impossible to stop watching.
Creative Use for a Library Program
Hold a wildlife survival class that teaches teens the basics of survival skills. Include CPR certification to make sure teens are prepared for anything.
Speed-Round Book Talk
Flight 29 Down meets Lost in this thriller about a group of teens who are stranded on a deserted island. What do these young women have in common and how did they end up in a plane wreck that leaves them helpless? More importantly, how did they get out, and what (or who) was sacrificed in the process?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
There are no challenges to this TV series, but there is some sexual content and language in the show that parents might find problematic for teens. I wouldn’t want to censor this item because I personally feel the benefit outweighs these two issues and everyone is entitled to their own level of comfort. I would flag these elements if I was recommending this item to a teen and trust that they are aware of what they are okay watching.
Reason for Inclusion
I fell in love with this show for its amazing cast and thrilling plot, but ultimately it’s a study of human interaction and what could happen when people are pushed to their limit. I haven’t seen a show that kept me thinking about it long after it was over in a long time and knew I had to include it as a recommendation for teens. People are truly sleeping on this show. The show Yellowjackets was released the following year and I think it took up all the hype for survival shows, so I have been pushing this show on everyone I know who likes thrillers.
If I haven't convinced you to watch it yet, maybe the trailer will?
References
Amazon Studios. (n.d.). Sarah Streicher. https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/cast/sarah-streicher/138
Amazon. (2020). The wilds [Image]. https://www.google.com/search?q=the+wilds+amazon+show&tbm=isch&chips=q:the+wilds+amazon+show,online_chips:desert+island:0C-NetBBkas%3D&client=firefox-b-1-d&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiS6a2a9M73AhVzADQIHfa2DnwQ4lYoBHoECAEQJg&biw=1440&bih=683#imgrc=q5FB0HqNL9C-HM
Goodfoe4ever. (n.d.). The unsinkable eight the wilds [Image]. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/350928995976079793/
IMDB. (2020). The wilds [Poster Image]. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8633062/?ref_=nm_knf_i1
Possumnest. (2021, May 30). The unsinkable eight (practice w drawing unique and recognizable faces!!! Everybody watch the wilds) [Image]. Tumblr. https://possumnest.tumblr.com/post/652620728027529216/the-unsinkable-eight-practice-w-drawing-unique
Prime Video. (2020, November 18). The wilds - official trailer [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUQ2vMSQf4M
Streicher, S. (2020). Courtesy of Sarah Streicher [Image]. Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/list_item/up-next-sarah-streicher/
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