Netflix has new movies in its Top 10, and the one holding the eighth position is Wild, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and starring Reese Witherspoon. The emotional film is based on the memoirs of Cheryl Strayed and many critics praised the cinematic adaptation for capturing the essence of the book and conveying the emotional nature of her journey.
The story begins with the protagonist dealing with the loss of her mother, Bobbi. The mother-daughter relationship is a central theme, and the mother’s death has a significant impact on her, triggering her journey. After her mother’s death, Cheryl embarks on a spiral of self-destruction, engaging in risky and self-destructive behaviors.
The challenges she faces were some of the factors that caught the attention of platform users, gaining more and more views. The title nominated for two Oscars has managed to surpass several classic productions, such as The Forever Purge with Tenoch Huerta Mejía and No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence.
Wild is Netflix’s top 8 globally
According to the specialized site Flix Patrol, the film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée has become the eighth most-watched on Netflix worldwide. Users from various countries have decided to give a chance to the emotional drama about self-discovery, resilience, and unexpected journeys.
Laura Dern and Reese Witherspoon in Wild. (Source: IMDb)
Wild follows a woman who, after the loss of her mother and experiencing a series of self-destructive events, decides to embark on a transformative journey of over 1,000 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. With little hiking experience and carrying an enormously heavy backpack, Cheryl faces physical and emotional challenges as she seeks to heal and find new meaning in her life.
Reese Witherspoon‘s performance in the lead role was widely praised and earned her numerous nominations and awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress. The film itself received positive reviews for its direction, performance, and the emotional and powerful narrative.
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In addition to the Big Little Lies actress, the cast was composed of big stars from the entertainment industry. Laura Dern shares several scenes with Reese in the role of Bobbi, accompanied by Michiel Huisman, Gaby Hoffmann, Thomas Sadoski, Brian Van Holt, Keene McRae and Kevin Rankin, among others.
What did critics say about Wild?
Wild received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for Reese’s performance. Many professionals and critics have written reviews and opinions on various websites, acclaiming not only the production but also how Cheryl Strayed‘s true story was told.
Henry Barnes from The Guardian gave it four out of five stars and wrote in 2014: “The premise sounds cheesy, but Vallée, in collaboration with screenwriter Nick Hornby, injects energy into the film by splitting the narrative. They create a mesmerizing two-hour montage of the hike and Cheryl’s backstory that intertwines with the songs, quotes, and poetry she recited to herself while walking”.
On the other hand, Susan Wloszczyna, part of the official team at Robert Ebert‘s website, gave it only three stars. However, the critique focused more on the lead actress’s performance than the film itself, and she wrote:
“We should feel worried for this traveler, completely alone in nature and without proper footwear. However, I knew she would be fine. Why? Because Reese Witherspoon, an actress with enough high-octane courage to fuel an entire cheerleading squad and football team, portrays her“.
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She also compared some of Witherspoon’s previous roles and her work in each of them, saying, “She has always been adept at embodying extreme personalities that somehow manage to overcome any barrier in their way. Whether it’s Elle Woods’s underestimated intelligence in Legally Blonde or Tracy Flick’s unstoppable ambition in Election, she is an expert at embodying cheerful pillars of strength that are a little bit scary”.
