Wilderness

A woman finds out her husband is cheating, so she decides to go on a vacation and kill him (they're played by Jenna Coleman & Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Almost immediately, things get complicated and the ensuring intrigue creates twists. Films like this are common these days, so what sets this apart is the duo's performances. While they create compelling characters, her endless suffering in pensive close-ups and his non-stop pleading for forgiveness both get tedious. While this series launches with potential, the slow unfolding inhibits any real tension. I found the final outcome controversial, but can't delve into details without spoiling it. Even though there's nothing new, this film is a step above the typical revenge drama, thanks to the actors and the surprises.

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.