Wilderness – Review [Prime Video Series]

WILDERNESS on Prime Video is a new limited series in six parts. Based on a novel, this has solid GONE GIRL vibes. Also, the two actors starring in it are already favorites among fans of genre productions. Expect to be hooked by the end of episode 1. Read our Wilderness series review here!

WILDERNESS is a new Prime Video limited series in six parts. The episodes are hour-long but time does fly by when you’re watching this story about betrayal and revenge. The new series is based on a novel, and it has a vibe that reminds me of Gone Girl. Mostly because, well, it does have a few things in common with that iconic book and film.

However, this is also very much its own story. Fans of various horror, thriller, and sci-fi series should also be happy to see two fan favorites, Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, in the starring roles. Both deliver very strong performances – as does the supporting cast.

Continue reading our Wilderness series review below. Find all six episodes on Prime Video from September 15, 2023.

Look what he made her do

In Wilderness, we meet the lovely British couple Liv (Jenna Coleman) and Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). A couple who seem to have everything going for them. They have a new, but seemingly rock-solid marriage, they lead a glamorous new life in New York, and yet their lives are only just getting started.

All is well until Liv finds out Will has been having an affair. When she calls him out, he doesn’t react well, but by the end of episode 1, you’ll know that he’s not the good guy he appears to be.

Liv is fairly quick to move from heartbreak to anger, which results in a plan for revenge. When you watch events unfold, it’s rather easy to understand the tagline of the show; Look What He Made Her Do.

When Will suggests that they finally take that road trip Liv has been dreaming of, she knows how to get her revenge. After all, accidents can happen in all kinds of ways when you travel to America’s National Parks. We even get to see some of the ideas considered by Liv.

Also, yes, the theme song for this limited series is very appropriately Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do”. When the familiar beat of that song started, I felt like I already knew what style and vibe to expect. Fortunately, the series absolutely lived up to these quite specific expectations.

Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen star

Having Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen as the stars of Wilderness is no small scoop. Not only are they both more than capable of playing multi-faceted characters, but they also work really well together. You can easily buy them as a happy couple, but you can also see them from their less-than-flattering sides.

In case you need reminding, you might have seen Jenna Coleman in all kinds of genre series. From Doctor Who and The Sandman to the mini-series The Cry and The Serpent. She’s always brilliant and seems to be having a ball with her role in Wilderness.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen has become a familiar face worldwide thanks to Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Also, he had the title role in Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man (2020).

The two will actually co-star in a movie (the action thriller Jackdaw) set for release later this month as well.

In a key supporting role as the woman Will has been having an affair with, we see Ashley Benson. Ever since Pretty Little Liars (well, the first couple of seasons anyway), I’ve always been happy to see her in genre productions. Also in an important supporting role is Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 remake)).

Watch the Wilderness mini-series on Prime Video now!

Marnie Dickens is the creator of Wilderness and is very experienced when it comes to limited series. The 2016 series Thirteen was also created by Marnie Dickens, as was the 2019 mini-series Gold Digger. Both the two previous and this latest include elements of crime, thriller, and mystery.

All six episodes are directed by So Yong Kim, who is a director whose work I always enjoy. So Yong Kim directed episodes of series such as Roar, Tales from the Loop, Dr. Death, Room 104, and The Exorcist series.

The new Prime Video limited series is based on B.E. Jones’ novel of the same name. I found it impossible not to be reminded of Gone Girl while watching Wilderness, but that really isn’t because the stories are identical. It’s more to do with the vibe of the characters. Particularly showing all aspects of each character – the good, the bad, the ugly, and the downright dangerous!

Wilderness premieres on Prime Video with all six episodes on September 15, 2023.

Details

Creator: Marnie Dickens
Director: So Yong Kim
Stars: Jenna Coleman, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Benson, Claire Rushbrook, Eric Balfour, Morgana Van Peebles