In recent years, celebrities like Paris Hilton have come forward to discuss the harm they’ve endured in residential institutions meant to help “troubled teens.” Created by BAFTA-nominated Canadian comedian Mae Martin, who had their own tumultuous experiences as a teen, Netflix‘s latest thriller, “Wayward,” offers audiences a glimpse into a fictionalized version of one of these facilities. The series is a disturbing yet fascinating portrait about friendship, coercion and the lies that shape who we are and who we are destined to become.
Set in 2003, “Wayward” opens in the scenic town of Tall Pines, Vermont. As night falls amid the vast trees and lush greenery, a teenage boy breaks a window, climbs out of it and flees toward the forest on foot. Almost as soon as he slithers out of the facility, alarms blare and a woman’s voice begins thundering over the PA system. Elsewhere at a high school in Toronto, Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and her best friend Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind) are having a much better day. The pair has snuck onto the school’s rooftop to skip class and smoke weed — a typical activity for them. Unfortunately, their principal, Mr. Turner (Patrick J. Adams), is at his wits’ end. Though he sympathizes with Leila, who has had a challenging few years following the death of her older sister Jess (Devin Cecchetto), he blames her for dragging Abbie along her path of destruction. Abbie’s parents have also had enough. After being introduced to the idea by Mr. Turner, they begin seeing Tall Pines Academy as the only option for getting their daughter back on track and away from Leila’s magnetic influence.
Back in Tall Pines, police officer Alex (Martin) and his pregnant wife, Laura (Sarah Gadon), are eager for a fresh start. The couple has decided to settle in the small community (which happens to be Laura’s hometown), seeing it as an idyllic place to raise their unborn baby. Having previously been a cop in Detroit — where he appears to have been let go — Alex feels welcomed in this new town, but is immediately thrown off kilter by the intimacy among neighbors in Tall Pines. There appears to be a bizarre codependency among residents, and Laura is still particularly close to her mentor, Tall Pines Academy headmistress, Evelyn Wade (a hauntingly good Toni Collette). Though Alex initially tries to ignore the odd energy reverberating around the community, when he and his new partner Dwayne (Brandon Jay McLaren) nearly run over a terrified and disturbed teen boy during patrol rounds, Alex begins to think that things aren’t as tranquil as the residents of Tall Pines may have led him to believe.
Meanwhile, having been kidnapped in the middle of the night from her own bed (with her parents’ consent), Abbie starts to adhere to the unusual rules and structure at Tall Pines Academy. Evelyn’s four-step program is strange to her, as are the school’s group therapy sessions, the brown food and her obviously emotionally disturbed roommate, Stacey (Isolde Ardies), who takes pride in ratting other students out. However, when Leila arrives at the institution, planning to jailbreak her bestie, things begin to shift. Though she set out to save Abbie, Leila finds herself being inexplicably drawn to Evelyn and the remedies she sets forth to soothe her pain and grief.
“Wayward” is fascinating, because it’s much more than it seems. There is an eerie and ominous energy that pervades the entire season as Alex, Leila and Abbie scramble to piece together exactly what they are up against. As the audience tries to untangle Evelyn’s bizarre practices and haunting methods while determining her endgame, “Wayward” unveils more of the origins of Tall Pines Academy, Evelyn’s personal story and various peculiarities of the town itself. Moreover, as the show delves into the mystery behind the academy’s founding and its benefactors, Evelyn’s manipulation tactics become apparent, wedging even the closest pupils apart and establishing a hierarchy among the Tall Pines Academy staff.
Amid an endlessly captivating cast and a compelling plot that never quite moves in the direction the viewers might expect, “Wayward” is a thrilling watch. Martin’s limited series — which begs for a second season — highlights why coercion and control are typically ineffective remedies for adolescent rebellion. It also depicts how charismatic individuals can gain power over those who are desperate for a sense of direction.
“Wayward” is now streaming on Netflix.
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From Variety US