Prime Video’s Wilderness Is a Revenge Thriller Devoid of Wit

There is nothing quite like a woman-led revenge thriller. From heroines getting back at villains who wronged them to malicious characters tricking audiences into thinking they’re the victims of the story, these films and TV shows have garnered not only popularity but respect amongst viewers. In the late 2010’s, these stories became increasingly popular, not just in film and television but in novels as well. From David Fincher’s Gone Girl adaptation to the 2019 horror film Ready or Not, slowly but surely, these stories have dominated our culture. With Wilderness, Prime Video is finally attempting to capitalize on the trend. 

Based on the novel of the same name by B.E. Jones, Wilderness follows Liv (Jenna Coleman), a writer who has recently relocated to America from the U.K with her husband, Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). The two have the perfect idyllic life, despite Liv’s frustrating writer’s block. They live in a stunning apartment, attend classy work parties, and have a love that seems quite stable. However, the facade is shattered when Liv discovers that Will has been cheating on her. Crushed, she confronts him with this knowledge, to which he admits his faults, stating it was a one time mistake.

The two decide to go on a wilderness retreat in the hopes of becoming one with nature and mending the broken bonds of their marriage. The trip quickly unravels once Liv finds a video that actually catches Will in the act, vehemently telling the other woman he plans to leave his wife for her. Pushed to the edge, Liv decides that nothing would please her more than to see her husband dead. Things become even more dire once the other woman (played by Ashely Benson) shows up to the same retreat. This causes Olivia to crumble, igniting a chain of events that will change her and Will’s lives forever.

This adaptation is quite different from the novel it’s inspired by, unraveling more twists and turns that should ultimately make the adaptation more in depth. Instead, the show fizzles under the weight of its tediousness, showcasing itself as a series which feels like it needs to hold its viewers hand to guide them from plot point to plot point. As the series goes through twists and turns, what could have been an excellent cat-and-mouse game instead becomes a failed attempt at a revenge thriller.

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Liv and Will are both terrible people. While rooting for villains can be fun, Wilderness does not do the groundwork of establishing these two characters as people outside of their relationship. This results in a duo who are so focused on themselves that they show no remorse for dragging their peers into their mess, forcing innocent bystanders to get wrapped up in their web of lies and ultimately, death. The two leads lack a chemistry that is fundamental to this kind of story, making it hard to believe that they once loved each other, and later, that they hate each other. Jackson-Cohen tries his best, but it’s hard to make a character like Will work when his various scene partners feel like they’re sleeping through each scene.