175. Wildling; movie review

WILDLING
Cert 15
93 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong bloody images, threat, language

Sadly, I only see about 25% of movies without prior knowledge of them - but, boy, it makes a huge difference to their impact.
If I had known anything about Fritz Bohm's Wildling - I probably would have groaned inwardly at the prospect of another Twilight-alike.
However, because I didn't, its myriad twists and turns lured me in more than it would have done.
Bel Powley stars as Anna, a young woman held captive in a room by her 'daddy' (Brad Dourif) who keeps her compliant through drugs.
She knows nothing of the outside world until a shattering moment after which she awakes in a hospital.
Liv Tyler plays a local sheriff who recognises the young woman's bewilderment and, temporarily puts her up in her home.
Inevitably, the transition is a difficult one because she has been entirely reliant on her captor for her everyday needs.
Indeed, it is even more tricky because he has persuaded her that there are terrible dangers that lurked beyond her bedroom.
Wildling doesn't bear too much scrutiny - although recent cases have proven that a child can be kept incarcerated for a long period without neighbours knowing.
My problem is with her reaction when she is released because she is not nearly as disorientated as she should be.
However, it is what comes next which really surprised me and if I write any more, I would spoil the potential shock value for any unknowing readers.
Suffice to say that Powley has proven her remarkable range and, despite my misgivings about plot holes and daftness of this film, I believe she will be a big star in the future.

Reason to watch: If teen vampire-style movies appeal
Reasons to avoid: Too daft even for a fantasy

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10

Director quote - Fritz Bohm - "I would say that you’re going to see a dark fairytale from the perspective of the monster and, for our story, the monster is female."

The big question - Has any actor had a more diverse CV recently than Bel Powley?

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