Wilderness (2023– ) User Reviews

Lots of filler, could've been a 2-hr movie honestly.

[kintsugi-86517 · 6/10 · 17 September 2023]

It draggggged on way too long. I felt like I'd been watching it for 5 seasons with all the random subplots happening. And that ending monologue? LMAO it didn't even match up with the events of the show and it was so cringey.... Ugh. The lead actors were fantastic though; they're the reason I watched in the first place & I think I got invested in the story around the second or third episode, so I finished it. If you like a Shonda Rimes-esque kinda show with random plot twists & turns but little to no real plot progression, go for it. But if you're like me, and you thought this might be a bit of a thriller/drama, just keep scrolling, darling.

Jenna Coleman is captivating but the ending is so unsatisfying

[julieshotmail · 6/10 · 28 September 2023]

"Wilderness" reminds me of the show "Why Women Kill," but with a more modern, brooding tone. It starts well enough, thanks to the captivating talent of Jenna Coleman. She really is a good actress, which becomes blatantly obvious when she is opposite the actress playing Bonnie, who is just dreadful. This series meanders and gives you enough suspense and mystery, but sadly goes nowhere satisfying. It is the story of a scorned woman and what she is capable of, if tested over and over and for a long enough time. You sort of root for her, but also begin to question her series of stupid choices and behaviors. In the end, this all devolves into a silly conclusion with not enough punch. Disappointing.

I mean, it really wasn't terrible.

[emilylabori-06115 · 7/10 · 25 September 2023]

It was ok. Casual watch. I enjoyed the acting and the musical scoring. There were some scenes I just zoned out and didn't really pay attention to. I don't get the 1 star reviews, or some of the comments being left. I ended this series wondering if there's any originality anymore. This show reminded me of Gone Girl, You, and Gossip Girl (the cheeky narration) and all of those did very well.

I agree with the Featured Review - it could have been a movie. Would it have been a successful movie? Probably not but it would have found its niche group of fans.

Am I sorry I watched it? Noooo. Not at all. Will I recommended? To someone who needs a small time passer. Will I rewatch it? No.

Turn On The Lighting!!!also Jenna is great.

[The_eyes_of_Anna · 6/10 · 16 September 2023]

Why so dark?did someone forget to pay the electricity bill or something.

This badly lit drama/thriller thingy has its moments and most of them belong to Jenna Coleman Look i have to be honest, i found it kind of far fetched i mean what guy who had Jenna Coleman as his other half would seriously think about cheating on her?he would have to be clinically insane lol The story lurches on as we watch Jenna react to his cheating and plot her revenge 6 episodes seemed a bit of a slog to be honest, this could easily have been a more robust two hour job It does drag a bit,not enough to give it a say 3 star rating. And the people giving it 10?whoahh there, i mean it does not electrify in any sense to warrant that high a rating in my view.

The acting is fine and Jenna is easily the best thing about Wilderness. There seemed little chemistry between Jenna's character and the actor who played her other half.

The Ashley Benson character as the other woman seemed kind of flat to me, not really adding much punch to the overall production Some of it was silly, women are supposed to be nice but men are not says Jenna's character at one point, really?says who?i have never encountered that in life. Some of that stuff just seed like an add on for the right on people out there.

Watch Wilderness with an open mind, you may well get some thrills along the way, i have certainly seen worse, Jenna is a talented lady for sure, just dont expect too much from this series as a whole.

Some Interesting Plot Twists

[marimiller-82075 · 7/10 · 23 October 2023]

I dont understand all the negative reviews. I've seen worse mysteries. The acting was good. The storyline was engaging & took some turns you dont always see in this genre. I like that each episode had a surprise end which made you want to watch the next episode because you just had to find out what happened. The depiction of what happens to a marriage when trust is broken was very realistic. I found it very believable as to how Liv keeps getting drawn in, as that IS what happens when you really love someone. However, there were some plot flaws. The red jacket for one. Police would have found that right away. The script for Will was very boring. He says the same apology over & over again. Poor writing on that one. The ending was cringe worthy. But that's what a " thriller" is supposed to do.

2/10: Disappointing Series with a Commendable Lead Actress: Lacks Excitement, Slow Pace, and Cringeworthy Storyline

[Hellooo1234321 · 8 October 2023]

I did not enjoy this series at all. It progresses slowly and lacks excitement. However, the lead actress delivers a commendable performance. Unfortunately, the storyline is cringeworthy and the detective's investigation appears amateurish. I cannot recommend investing your time in this TV series. For its weak storyline, slow pace, and unsatisfying ending, I would rate it 2/10 instead of 1/10, solely acknowledging the lead actress's talent. This series lacks depth and offers a distasteful representation of infidelity and the events leading up to a significant occurrence are objectionable. The writing and ending are both subpar. I strongly recommend against watching it.

The Leads shine but the show itself stalls

[matthewlouie-90370 · 7/10 · 15 September 2023]

Though the leads shine, the run time lulls. 50+ minutes of filler and the odd intrigue thrown in for good measure. Those not fully watching will be entertained and enjoy. Lots of fluff and thrills but not a lot of substance. The show would do well to trim future episodes to 30+ minutes. Cut out the unnecessary dribble and concentrate on things that matter which is the main 3 cast and the plot. Jenna Coleman has her charms and Oliver does an adequate yet seen too many times role as the "wicked" husband. The show seems more geared towards more mature younger adults than all age groups. If you like a thriller with less bite than bark then this show is up your alley.

The actor who plays Will is so bad it hurts.

[cimex-15004 · 1/10 · 9 October 2023]

I started watching this by accident and all I have to say is that the actor who plays Will cannot act in any way shape or form.

I dare anyone to watch this and note down the amount of times he repeats the first word of a sentence when the storyline gets more..."intense" and calls for actual acting. I guess that it's simply how the guy portrays the "incredibly obscure & difficult to portray" emotion of "being nervous".

All that aside - It's actually laughable and completely ruined the whole thing for me. Although some viewers may find it tempting, I just want to say that it would be an incredibly bad idea to down a shot every time he repeats himself - in a kind of drinking game, because you would most definitely end up in A&E with alcohol poisoning and having your stomach pumped.

Another thing that struck me as confusing is that he's arguably the second most important character in the entire thing - yet his acting abilities would appear unqualified even in an episode of Hollyoaks. Therefore I have absolutely no idea how he got cast in this. I have now officially spent far too much time thinking about "Will from Wilderness" so my conclusion is that it must be another example of "it's not WHAT you know - it's WHO you know." In the entertainment business.

Imperfect, Yet Still Interesting

[mandagrammy · 8/10 · 17 September 2023]

I'm not sure why so many reviews are as negative as they are. I agree that this is an imperfect thriller. The main issue I see is in editing. I saw a number of scenes that seemed superfluous and did little to advance the storylne. There were also scenes that didn't make a lot of sense, the main culprit here being the very final scene of the series. We definitely did not need it at all. The show would have been better if it had ended just before that scene. I am not an avid binge watcher, but I sat through all 6 episodes of this series in one day, which says something about it keeping my interest. I particularly enjoyed Jenna Coleman's performance as the wronged wife who chooses a different path to divorce in her reaction to her husband's infidelity. Her performance had to be nuanced in order to convey many different conflicting emotions. On the other hand, Oliver Jackson-Cohen literally had only two emotions to display, one of which was only glimpsed briefly, more towards the end. He also had little dialog to memorize, repeating the same lines ad nauseum. All in all, I did find this to be a good psychological thriller, despite its imperfections.

Wilderness is an oxymoron

[OneAnjel · 6/10 · 18 October 2023]

I watched the whole series so, in my book, that means its worth at least 5*. Im giving it 6 because the story was really quite interesting, I just think the jump from great screen play to film didnt pan out as well as it could. A lot of people are giving low stars because of their expectation this should be a thriller, but its really a character study. Thus the slow pace, setting each mood - which could have been done more effectively because I do agree it felt more like bad pacing at times. People who didnt like the dialog at the end had missed the point of the film.

Im torn between leaving it at that and explaining for those who were unable to follow the film. But if they could not wrap their head around it on film, my explaining might be even less useful.

I think I might have a leg up on some since I did study psychology, but I dont think its really that out of reach for the majority. I think a lot of reviewers are just here to give accolaids to Jenna, and watching a film just because of an actor doesn't mean you will understand the story. All actors did a great job with what they were given. However, the music left a lot to be desired - a little variety would have been more meaningful whereas this same songstress (?) over and over made me ff a few times.

What it is not: this is not mail baching (mispelling to avoid driggering the auto bot). It always surprises me when men see a film about an arrogant dangerous man and think that revealing his shortcomings is baching. If they identify with Will, I would say they have some issues with understanding how normal men act.

Also just want to point out, while I do tire of the qay theme in so many modern shows, here it actually goes well because its not unusual for a strait person to be pursued by someone qay and mistake it for friendship, especially someone lonely and socially maladapted as Liv.

I also got really fed up with hearing the name so frequently - Liv. Please dont write a screen play forcing the partner to repeatedly say the mates name 5 x in every scene; or if you do please make it an actual name rather than an adjective. Imagine a film where someone's nicname is Jump or Duck. Very confusing and annoying.

Many complain that, despite the title, the film only took place in the wilderness for a short time. I would suggest being more open minded to what the title is trying to tell you. This goes for any film but in this instance I think the title is identifying how lost this couple was in life and was just an ironic title.

For me, this was a solid story that could have been done better but still worth the watch.

Promising start but drifts away

[Drew_ajj · 1/10 · 20 September 2023]

Starts really quite promisingly and Episode 1 was pretty good but it then just meanders off and keeps going down hill. By the end of episode 5 I was falling asleep and just couldn't be bothered to carry on. None of the main characters are engaging, yes it's anti-men but the women are all just as horrible so it's an equal opportunity for horribleness. There's a glaring plot hole that would explode the whole thing and it's just never addressed: the women murdered was wearing the coat of her adulterous lover, it's why she was mistaken for him and killed, and he unknowingly reported it as missing .... This should clearly link the victim to the adulterer in about 30 minutes, but that never happens.

Part thriller and part drama

[KatMovieLuver · 9/10 · 28 September 2023]

Jenna Coleman plays the wife of a successful British businessman. She is a stay at home housewife who misses her career back in England. They recently moved to America. If you watched PBS - Victoria she played Queen Victoria. She is an excellent actress. I predict she will soon be a huge star.

Her husband is a manipulative, cheating guy. He is portrayed by Oliver Jackson Benson. He was perfect in this role. You really feel for Liv. What he does to her is horrible.

Liv is not a wallflower. She takes action against his cheating ways. Yet her husband is devious and will do evil things to keep her married to him.

They decide to go on a trip out west to reconnect and fix their marriage. Trouble soon follows. Wilderness is one of the best short series I have seen this year.

Crap music

[lynpalmer1 · 6/10 · 21 September 2023]

If the music in the series is typical of the music, younger generations are listening to these days it goes along way in explaining why the younger generation are so screwed. This is some of the worst music I have ever heard in my entire life, all packed into one series, I'm halfway through the series and even though it's not bad I'm almost ready to pack it in because I can't take another crappy song. I guess I will keep watching though, as I am also interested as to how long it takes for the wife to toss her azzwhole husband to the curb. I would've done it before the end of the first episode.

Misandry, Justified!

[alex_pearse · 2/10 · 25 September 2023]

The beginning of this story was an engaging if familiar narrative; idealised couple shattered by male promiscuity. Embittered wife seeks retribution.

However, (spoilers abound here), the retribution of our female protagonist comes in the form of the attempted murder of her spouse. She fails, but kills his lover instead by accident. She then proceeds to use her cheating husband as a cover for her misdeeds before eventually pinning the murder on a separate, (completely innocent) man who she subsequently murders after he realises she tried to have him imprisoned.

All previous misdeeds are then blamed on her cheating husband who she frames before he goes to prison for murder. In the final throes of the series she visits him in prison just to inflict more suffering by telling him she was the killer and is blaming it all on him.

Perhaps this would all be forgivable within the narrative of a female antihero, but the protagonist is not painted as an antihero during the internal narrative commentary, she is painted as a tortured victim. Should the casual viewer be in any danger of missing this conclusion, the storywriters felt the need to insert a "justification" rant in the final scenes during which our protagonist leaves us in no doubt that the responsibility for these misdeeds is to be laid at the feet of general patriarchal male behaviour.

Infidelity is, it seems, perfect justification for double homicide and false imprisonment within the world of "female empowerment" storytelling. This is warped, indefensible misandry with a genuinely troubling message.

Dumbest detectives in history

[libertyandunion-792-720520 · 6/10 · 22 September 2023]

I really enjoyed Jenna Coleman, but otherwise the acting isn't all that great. There are some good dramatic moments and unexpected twists, which add to the show's value. However, there's a lot of holes that drag down the show. There simply wasn't enough evidence to arrest Garth. How in the heck could police get a warrant to arrest him? How did Liv get Cara's number in her phone contacts? That was never explained, but the police could've easily found a suspicious link between the two. And the detectives believe Liv's explanation when she's found on the surveillance video stalking Cara? The two detectives are dumb as dirt. Liv's hubby never saw the text that Cara would be at the overlook, but Liv assumes her husband is the one just because a person is wearing his jacket? The show doesn't drag out too much. It moves well enough. I was just left a bit empty by the unrealistic parts of the story.

Infidelity revenge thriller worth watching.

[PlutoZoo · 7/10 · 17 September 2023]

Surprising to see some of the reviews saying there's lots of filler in this series, for anyone who's ever watched a series of "You" would realise exactly what filler looks like, and this isn't it. I am one of the first to complain about unnecessary padding and do so often when it's excessive. There's some repetition in this series, flashbacks and time-jumps as a story mechanism but it does move along well enough.

What's good about Wilderness is the writing and two great lead actors. The writing manages to avoid many of the stereotypes we've come to expect from the characters in these kind of marital murder thrillers. In that respect they don't default to the stereotype of the female victim who loses her mind with nerves nor the overly boorish, entitled husband. Sure, he is entitled and privileged but they deftly weave in some aspects which show why she is so in love with him and why she found him attractive in the first place. This is cleverly contrasted with his customary excuses for cheating: "it was a mistake, a one-off", and then his promises to change, him playing the victim of his own avarice and terpitude. And anyone who's been there will know those hollow words but will also know why she doubts herself and her plans for revenge as she's pulled between hurt, hate and reminders of how nice he can be. There are clear aspects of coercion here and overall it is well thought out and written.

Some plot holes exist and perhaps that explains some of the frustration, the police being a bit too trusting or not convincing in their role, as well as her reaction to her husband's other women, let's just say that there's an excess of female solidarity and not a cat-fight in sight. This simply isn't realistic and we all know how most women react to another woman taking their man. So it's slightly on the virtuous side in that respect and rings hollow there.

I found the role of her Welsh mum to be well written and played, those familial ties and resentments another thread that was intelligently woven into the evident drivers of the daughter's character and demeanor.

Overall, it was well written and acted and stands up very well against comparable series. I would say it's a decent 7/10 and don't quite understand some of the negativity or what drives it. If you make up your own mind, it won't be the worst offering available on streaming, not by a long shot and if you're looking for series that showcase what fillers and padding in a series look like, just read through my other reviews.

Entertaining but cynical thriller

[johannes2000-1 · 7/10 · 28 October 2023]

This is a pretty entertaining thriller. The premise is as old as the world: a wife discovers that her man has been unfaithful and confronts him. In this case Liv wavers some time between forgiving or revenge, and in the process accepts Will's peace offer for a sort of road trip to regain their mutual trust and save the marriage. Until along the road fate has some surprises in store, and things take a deadly turn.

The story is solid and involving, and it's a nice touch that here the cheated wife isn't sympathetic at all, but relentlessly goes for her husbands throat, especially when she finds out that his reconciliation is mostly an act and his adultery continues. The story is told from the point of view of Liv, even literally so, with her voice-over giving time and again all kinds of comments (a bit redundant, in my opinion, adding nothing to what we already see). This results in a rather cynical ultimate scene, where her voice-over seems to justify her (very questionable) deeds. I must admit that I had some troubles with the almost men-debunking moral of that.

Jenna Coleman is absolutely great, she carries the whole project on her shoulders, she's beautiful in an almost young Audrey Hepburn-like way, but also spicy and strong willed. Husband Will is played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen, unfortunately they made his character into this stammering and whining wimp, it was a bit hard to imagine him as an incorrigible philandering Don Juan. And I have a soft spot for Eric Balfour, but here his role didn't give him much to put his teeth in.

In short: entertaining, but with an unrewarding closure.

Would have been better as a 3-parter

[backofthevan · 5/10 · 16 September 2023]

So much time wasted filling out the six episodes. Why? How much time can you waste watching a car drive down a highway? Or waiting, interminably, while characters pause, hem, haw, stumble through their lines? Endless pauses on faces, waiting for them to speak, sputter... or do something/anything!

I enjoyed it enough to watch all 6 episodes, but I lost track of how many times I sighed impatiently: "Would you just get on with it!" So much time wasted on unnecessary filler. If you don't have enough real guts of a story to fill 6 episodes, cut the number of episodes.

Some beautiful scenery, including the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta and apparently scenes shot in Vancouver, BC. But there's only so much scenery I can enjoy while waiting for something to happen. Stuff DOES happen, and also two or three really preposterous scenes that jarred me out of the story while I thought how ridiculous/stupid/implausible the goings on were. Really knocked off a couple of points for those.

Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen played their parts well, especially Jenna who got more of a range with her character, while Oliver spends a whole lot of his time on screen snivelling.

I am not a fan of Claire Rushbrook who usually plays meek underdog types with no backbone, but this was a different kind of role for her - a horror of a mother. Although I suppose a lot of mothers, lacking self-awareness, do dreadful wrong in their efforts to be a "good mother".

I can't really recommend you spend 6 hours watching Wilderness, which means six hours with some rather sordid, self-serving, narcissistic, and pathetic people. But, hey, some viewers like that sort of thing!

A Very Twisty Thriller

[revchristodd-138-985726 · 9/10 · 22 September 2023]

Most mysteries and thrillers on TV are fairly predictable. So I love it when I can't tell what the next plot twist is, although not when the twist is unbelievable. It should, with a shift of perspective, turn out to make sense after all. And every plot twist in this series caught me by surprise and yet makes sense, logically and psychologically. And Jenna Coleman, whose show this is, is marvelous. We see her go through every possible emotion: happiness, shock, heartbreak, rage, fear, deceit, anxiety, love, the works. She deploys not only her big eyes but every tiny muscle in her face, and subtly. Contrary to what some reviews say, this is not a slow burn. Everything is important. (1 point off for the writers putting the occasional Britishism in the mouths of American characters.)

Makes for a pleasant binge-watch

[Valentijn78 · 7/10 · 5 November 2023]

The series opens with a woman deciding how to deal with her cheating husband, having herself grown up with a cheating father and a mother scorned. But every time a simple solution presents itself, fate and bad choices conspire to intervene, in a manner which is both generally believable as well as refreshingly unexpected.

The main characters were all well-acted, realistic, and complex - it's never clear who's the good guy/gal, and becomes even less clear as the series progresses.

It does get a little slow during the later episodes, but the plot still plots onwards and reaches a nice crescendo shortly after. There certainly were a couple plot holes and/or unfathomable actions/inactions from the characters, but nothing glaring enough to detract from the experience.

yikes

[kidAmnesia · 2/10 · 18 September 2023]

I thought this show would be a bit of dumb fun, nothing great but at least entertaining. However, this was one of the most excruciatingly annoying shows I have ever sat though. I kept asking why was this happening? Or what's the point in this? I disliked all the characters because (even the one we were supposed to be rooting for) were so whiny and grating. I get wanting to have flawed individuals as characters, but you can make them likeable as well as being imperfect. The soundtrack was very distracting as it always played it really strange times. The editing most awkward I've seen. Also, it has the worst/weirdest final scene I have ever witnessed in a TV show. The only redeeming feature was jenna coleman's performance (who's has been good in everything I've seen her in) although her welsh accent does need work haha. 2/10.

New respect for Jenna Coleman

[andy-taylor1 · 8/10 · 28 September 2023]

Tbh I wasn't expecting g much from this, find a lot of Prime content overly cheesy recently ( and over American...sorry) but I got dragged in by Jenna's performance. Not really a big fan, think I saw her in Dr Who a couple of times and that was it. Thought she was genuinely fantastic in this, absolutely carried the whole show.

Ok it's not ground breaking in its story, but there were enough twist and turns to keep the tension up and the games people play I thought was well done. I thought I had spotted a couple of large plot holes, and was all smug about it, until they were firmly closed off in the final episode....more credit than I had initially given it.

I thought the narration was a nice touch and again delivered very well, adding a calm stone cold view of everything. The very last scene was a great example with the ice cold calmness just starting to slip. Well done.

Good until the final episode

[upcycled · 6/10 · 30 September 2023]

The plot of Wilderness is twisted in a way that makes you wonder if it's just all a novel in processl, or if we have an unreliable narrator, or if there are very deep and dark secrets in the pasts of the two main characters. That's what kept me engaged. I expected some sort of surprise ending. It was not to be.

The ending is open for some interpretation but I'm not sure the director intended that. It feels more like they just wrapped it up in too much of a hurry. The last episode is full of holes and a lot of leaping to conclusion. The husband makes a guess that is wild speculation based on what he actually knows. There is an audio recording that consumes a bunch of air time but never pays off. The main character gives a weird soliloquy at the end which also doesn't pay off. The biggest problem is the potential novel which the main character writes and which will put her in prison were it to be published, even as a work of fiction. There was plenty of potential for a great ending, but it didn't happen.

It's too bad because I was really drawn in until that final episode.

Incoherent slow burning mess

[kububeach · 3/10 · 16 September 2023]

I was actually looking forward to watching this series after seeing the trailers. I thought this could be fun with all the twists and unexpected plots. But, at the end, it was painful to watch. Quite an insult to the viewers' intelligence. And it was really unnecessary long.

The only thriller it provides is trying to know what in the world the writers were trying to do with the plot and characters. It was confusing and incoherent. The characters are so gullible and annoying. Who would keep naked pictures of your mistress in the drawer of the bed? That's just one of the.worst plots I have ever seen.

There are so many holes in the storyline. How did the police find out it was not accident? How did they miss the rain jacket in the first place? The writers are just too lazy to come up with better plots.

And lastly, the acting was just bad. There is no chemistry between the actors. They are probably not bad actors, but they just had terrible acting jobs with this series.

Atmospheric and twisted

[gherahtraitte · 7/10 · 17 September 2023]

What's wrong? Why everyone wants everything to happen fast? Looks like those who leave comments prefer short tiktok videos and absolutely incapable of watching a slow burner with atmospheric scenes and music, where you can see, feel and believe why and how something could change someone and put them on the wrong path. I enjoyed the series , good actors, they actually make you like/hate their characters. Story is complicated and twisted, keeps you wondering how everything will end. Not a wow-material but a decent one, I put 7 stars.

So, if you are in a mood for some twisted slow burning drama, pour yourself a glass of something you like, light on a candle, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the series! Give yourself a rest.