During the Great Depression, sisters Tinsley and Mattie Wilde, two clueless socialites from New York, are sent to Washington State after their father commits suicide. There they face the elements, wild animals, merciless killers, and people they're used to looking down on. All without the creature comforts they are more than accustomed to. How will they survive?
Everybody loves a fish-out-of-water story. Seeing someone struggle to adjust to a situation and/or environment they are clearly not suited to can be rather hilarious. Especially when said person is somewhat unlikeable. Which is exactly what you get with The Wilde Girls... one of them, anyway. Writer/director Timothy Hines' cartoonishly calamitous trek into the woods is delightfully reminiscent of Disney's classic cartoons. Tinsley (Lydia Pearl Pentz) and Mattie (Cali Scolari) lost in the wilderness is amusing all by itself, especially with Tinsley being so irritatingly snooty - think Jack Black as Bethany in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, only worse. But the fact that almost everything the sisters do ends in unbelievable absurdity, elevates the film to cartoonishly whacky, allowing it to consistently surprise you. Matt Silver's 'Button' is certainly surprised when his encounter with the Wilde sisters leads to a Goofy-esque wander through the woods.
While some slightly ropey visual effects actually bring something of a 1930's newsreel feel, the beautiful shooting locations make the film a real feast for the eyes. In fact, The Wilde Girls could be enjoyed for the views alone. It is certainly easier to enjoy this stunning wilderness from the safety of your own sofa. Safer too, given how life imitated art during filming. While trying to get a shot Hines was suddenly swarmed by ground hornets, having unknowingly squatted over their nest. But Hines - who carried on filming despite "swelling up like the elephant man" - also uses that sense of awe and wonder to show us just how lost the girls are. Somehow making it all the more hilarious watching Tinsley and Mattie try to survive, or at least find a phone. Although I get the feeling that seeing Tinsley and Mattie attempt to live anywhere that isn't part of their super-rich bubble would be good fun.
In that respect, the film definitely benefits from a little schadenfreude, as it can be rather enjoyable watching the sisters suffer - especially Tinsley. A lot of which is thanks to the marvellous performances by Pentz and Scolari. They don't exactly make you want to hate Tinsley and Mattie... well Mattie, anyway. As surprising as this may seem, and despite nailing that spoilt rotten cluelessness of rich kids, Pentz and Scolari actually make you want to root for the sisters. Eventually that is, as they begin to adapt - and in Tinsley's case, grow. Helping them with that growth is Silas Colter (Teddy Smith), an apparent saint who takes pity on them and somehow refrains from killing them, despite all the trouble they bring his way. Smith's performance as the often exasperated Silas is both hysterical and relatable, and yet in amongst all this wackiness, he grounds the story in some sort of reality. At the very least, you'll likely share his exasperation - much like I did.
This tale of calamity and hardship does, however, go on a little too long. That and some clunky editing messes with the movie's pacing here and there. Leaving it struggling to marry up the comedic and more serious sides of the story. A major casualty being a subplot involving the rest of the Wilde family and a few hired killers, which is left somewhat under served. It boils away in the background, but seems to take an age to come to fruition. And even when it finally does, the whole thing falls a little flat, thanks to some disappointingly wooden supporting performances and a few curious sound issues. I'm not sure why some of the male characters sound like they've been dubbed with the audio from a vintage film, but it can be a little distracting. The result of which is an oddly convenient finale that is lacking in both tension and humour, and a mildly disappointing way to end this crazy foray into the wilderness. Thankfully, however, it is also a blip at the end of an otherwise hilarious journey.
Clueless is definitely not a survival skill! But that doesn't stop Tinsley & Mattie from making it work... for them, anyway. The Wilde Girls may be a little long, with a mildly disappointing finale, but ultimately it's a hilariously calamitous foray into the depression era wilderness.
7/10
The Wilde Girls is currently streaming on Prime Video.
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