Wildhood

Born and raised in a trailer park on the Canadian east coast, Link (Phillip Lewitski) experiences a poisonous relationship with his father, beaten frequently and merely surviving by abiding to strict behavioural rules. Eventually, the strain of this life becomes too much for him and he escapes, along with his half-brother, Travis (Avery Winters-Anthony), leaving in search of his Mi’kmaw mother, whom they discover may still be alive after all these years. On the way, Link finds not only familial connections, but a true understanding of himself as he explores his community, indigenous history and new romance. 

Bretten Hannam’s Canadian coming-of-age film Wildhood provides some very welcome indigenous representation that has been lacking in recent high-budget movies, with Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River proving fairly unaccompanied in the field. The blond-haired Lewitski is endearing in his portrayal searching for a sense of belonging in a world where he has grown up confused and unloved. Despite his traumatic upbringing, Link’s care for his half-brother knows no limits and this beautiful, unbreakable bond is evident from the start. 

The film clicks most when it warmly embraces the tenderness between Link and newly acquainted friend and love interest Pasmay (Joshua Odjck). The scenes of sexual exploration could be considered important but not vital to the protagonist’s growth, and that’s ok because it isn’t the true purpose of the character. Rather more crucially, Pasmay opens the door to a heritage he knows well, about which the blond lead knows little. He acts as a teacher and mentor to Link and his brother, as well as their companion, and ultimately proves to be the key mechanism pushing this moving story of liberation onwards.

Less is more here. It’s an effective tale at times but, despite being adventurous, there isn’t a feeling that Wildhood ever reaches beyond its coming-of-age foundations. Strings begin to connect as the movie develops, but it rarely injects a sense of peril to accompany the raw emotion and sensitive narrative already present. However, it is wonderfully shot, with golden-hour-heavy cinematography singing from the same hymn sheet as Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight, and on the whole it’s an eastern Canadian visual feast. If anything, Wildhood has to be considered a win for indigenous representation, and praise can be given to the performances of the leading trio.

Guy Lambert

Wildhood is released in select cinemas on 2^nd September 2022.

Watch the trailer for Wildhood here: