Wildhood | Telescope Film
Wildhood

Wildhood

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Teenage brothers Link and Travis live in a trailer park with their abusive father. When they discover their estranged mother, from the indigenous Mi'kmaw culture, might still be alive, they set off on a journey to find her. Two-spirit Pasmay, who they meet along the way, helps Link reconnect with his indigenous roots and discover his sexuality.

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What are critics saying?

91

Original-Cin by Thom Ernst

It would be easy to simply recount the stages and progressions of growing up, coming age, self-discovery, and sexual awakenings. Wildhood is all that, but it also dips into identity issues that run deeper than what is affected visual clues and by the preference of touch.

80

TheWrap by Carlos Aguilar

Though the ending leaves most narrative loose ends untied, there’s a nurturing wisdom Link acquires from those he meets over the course of the ever-spontaneous journey. Plenty remains unsolved, but he knows himself as a person more than ever before.

75

IndieWire by Jude Dry

Enlivened by elegant handheld cinematography and a galvanizing breakout performance from Phillip Lewitski, Wildhood is a beautiful testament to the power of authentic storytelling.

75

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Aparita Bhandari

Filmed in Nova Scotia and featuring both English and Mi’kmaw, Wildhood beautifully captures the beauty of the landscape and its community as well as moments of humour, even as it treads some bleak spaces.

70

The New York Times by Natalia Winkelman

The quiet candor with which Hannam addresses issues of masculinity, and how it intersects with an Indigenous and queer identity, elevates this otherwise conventional story.

70

The Hollywood Reporter by Lovia Gyarkye

Wildhood combines the foundation of heartrending coming-of-age narratives with the feel-good elements of road trip flicks to create a delicate, not to mention visually appealing, sophomore film.

60

The Observer (UK) by Wendy Ide

It’s striking, certainly, but teasingly elusive when it comes to story resolution.

60

The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw

Maybe there is a kind of saintliness in the film which is occasionally difficult to take, but it’s an accomplished, tremendously shot piece of work.