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Creator (Platform): Marnie Dickens – based on the novel of the same name by B.E. Jones (Prime)
Publisher (Release): Amazon Studios (2023)
Length: 6 episodes
Genres: Adult; Revenge; Romance; Thriller
❗️Disclaimers❗️:
strong depictions of sex, violence, and abuse
this review contains low-level spoilers
recommendation: vibe check before watching
👍 Pros 👍
Jenna Coleman steals and saves the show
Ramps up close to the end in divisive but interesting ways
👎 Cons 👎
Slow to start and repetitive for most
Sizzles but never pops
Heavily reliant on tropes to explain actions
👀 Synopsis & Trailer 👀
When wife Liv discovers her husband Will Taylor’s infidelity, the illusion of her happy, loving marriage implodes. The lies stack, emotions boil, and even the best of us can find the wild inside when pushed past the point of rationality.
🧩 Plots 🧩
Riveting
Engaging
Enjoyable
Uneven
Boring
🎭 Characters 🎭
Alive
Developed
Okay
Inconsistent
Soulless
🚨 Romantic Thriller 🚨
Mind-blowing
Intense
Tense
Meh
Yawn
🧠 Final Thoughts 🧠
I’m just gonna kick off with Jenna Coleman deserves all the credit here. Wilderness (based on a book I didn’t know about because I try not to unduly influence my opinion through prior research and am now giving up on the whole read-the-book-first mantra) is a haphazard collection of tropes that would’ve sunk the series if not for Coleman’s exemplary performance as Liv Taylor.
So, what are these tropes? Well, there are a few, but primarily it’s the source of the show that provides the most glaring: a hysterical woman makes hysterical choices after her one-dimensional husband cheats. The ensuing chaos is…underwhelming, with tension only really coming into play in the show’s last two episodes. The road there likes to repeat itself and the consequence is a story that only sizzles and never pops.
However, Coleman inextricably pulls all the dangerously frail threads into a believable and riveting character arc. The cast does fine, but there’s no real development set aside for them, so it’s up to our main actress to do the heavy lifting and do the lifting she most definitely does. Able to sell any emotion, Coleman showcases the gentle’s descent into madness, turning what could’ve been an overlong trudge into a trial of fire that births a psychologically complex character.
The Phoenix Project 