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Amazon Prime's The Wilds Is More Complex Than You Think

I Just Finished Amazon Prime Video's New Show The Wilds, and It Is a Rollercoaster

Watch out! This post contains spoilers.

The Wilds is a 10-part series on Prime Video about a group of girls who are stranded on a deserted island after being forced to go on what they thought was a wellness retreat. Immediately, it sounds like something fans of Lost or Final Destination might be into, but having watched the show in its entirety, I can safely say there's something for everyone.

Throughout the series, I'm reminded of a number of episodes of Euphoria, mainly because of how quickly it showcases so many dark plot lines — plot lines that almost feel far too intense for the teenage girls experiencing them. In one season alone, the show tackles bulimia, homophobia, toxic relationships, violence, and suicide. It's heavy stuff. On the flip side, the show also has a real focus on the relationships and even friendships that develop amongst the girls, not too far from the storyline of The Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants. And because of its wider social commentary, the show almost feels somewhat inspired by Alex Brooker's Black Mirror. I told you it was dark!

At first, you're drawn to the mystery behind why the girls are left on the island, but the more you watch, the deeper in you fall. You're hooked by the mystery, but the reason you stay is because every one of the girls has a seriously important backstory, one that seeks to reinforce the lesson that you really can't judge a book by its cover. For example, Shelby, an extremely religious Christian from Texas, ends up exploring her once forbidden-to-exist sexuality, and it's not for the first time. Fatin, a seemly frivolous rich girl who makes it look like she has it all, is still struggling to accept the fact that her mum stayed with her cheating father, even after his countless exploits were publicised. Twins Nora and Rachel have been navigating a quiet rivalry their entire lives, whilst Rachel struggles to accept that her career as a diver is well and truly over.

Characters aside, the show takes a number of unexpected twists and turns (including the fact that there's an entire secret operation behind the girls' displacement on the island), which means that the temptation to binge is so, so real. That said, it's an intense watch, so breaks are most definitely advised. With every episode, a new leaf of the "investigation" behind the island is unturned, and you'd think that it brings more clarity, but you are mistaken.

Eventually, you find out that the investigation itself is a ploy from the same masterminds that put the girls there in the first place. But it doesn't end there. The show takes you back in time, to the very creation of Gretchen Klein, the woman behind it all. She's arguably the most fascinating character at all, because she genuinely believes she's doing a good thing by creating this experiment, and the worst bit is, at times, you almost believe her.

Prime Video's new show, The Wilds, is set for release this Friday, 11 Dec.

Image Source: Amazon
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