Wildling

A man called Daddy lives in a house in the woods with his daughter Anna. She never leaves the house and the outside is alien to her. As she grows Daddy teaches her of a world that's dark and filled with danger. She grows up knowing only his world view. In his own bizarre way he means well but it's clear that he isn't telling her the real truth. Then one day when she's a teenager he puts a gun in his mouth and Anna soon finds out what the real world is all about.

I love going into a film cold. I love having no idea what's going to happen. In this age of non stop spoilers it's a rare treat. Five minutes into this I was guessing at the ending and I couldn't have been more wrong about it. It's great when a story leaves you second guessing it's every twist and turn and uses your previous knowledge and expectations of other genre films against you. It makes for a satisfying watch. Wildling is a fine little film that takes, what in clunkier hands would be a hoary and cliched tale, and with judicious application of good writing and a fine cast turns it into a compelling watch full of metaphor and meaning.

Horror like comedy is at its best when you actually give a shit about the characters onscreen. Here Bel Powley as Anna gives us a lead character you'll empathise with instantly. A wide eyed innocent suddenly thrust into a whole new world of experience and sensation. Bel's a teenager too and wants to do what teenagers do which leads her into trouble not surprisingly. She hooks us into her story and gives such a good performance that it helps the film stay grounded even when things start going a bit off the wall as the story progresses. She was fantastic in Diary Of A Teenage Girl in 2015 and this film shows that's she not just good but has super range as well.

The film builds it's own little mythology in a clever way. One hinted at earlier and fully explained later. It takes turns you might find it a bit silly but if you can look past it you'll see all manner of deeper meanings hinted at. The establishment's fear of women, specifically female sexuality and empowerment. Rules men use to keep people down. Our fear of the unknown. It all adds a lovely bit of depth to what some may see as a slight tale. It's one of my favourite things about genre movies actually. So many of them are written in an allegorical way and use their stories to convey important themes in a manner that isn't rubbed in your face but leaves you to use your head and tease out hidden meanings. Us viewers appreciate that and it's why horror stays evergreen in terms of popularity

As mentioned Bel Powley in the lead is great but the supporting cast do very well indeed. Brad Dourif as Daddy is one of those actors who I have a instant emotional reaction to. In the likes of Deadwood and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest my heart broke for him and in the Chucky films or Lord Of The Rings he instantly triggered disgust. Here is performance hovers between the two and as usual he plays it perfectly. Liv Tyler as Sheriff Ellen holds her own too as the straight face of the film. Tyler's career of late has taken a rather interesting turn. As she's matured her left field choices like this or TV's The Leftovers have taken her down an interesting path and I'm looking forward to what she does next.

If this is playing in the cinema near you it's well worth going to see. It's a clever and intelligent take on an old story and one that will linger in the mind. Go fast though, it won't be around long.