Wild
A grieving and self-destructive young woman attempts an arduous solo trek across the Pacific Crest Trail to rebuild her life from the ground up.
Overview
A journey of self-discovery unfolds as a woman confronts her past and embraces the wilderness.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- gritty
- melancholic
- intimate
- reflective evening
- solo movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, emotionally resonant memoir adaptation, highlighting Jean-Marc Vallée's vivid direction and Reese Witherspoon's intensely committed central performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cheryl's Pacific Crest Trail journey is repeatedly interrupted by emotionally linked memories of her mother, marriage, relationships, and destructive past.
Cheryl's punishing solo hike functions as a concrete process of recovering from bereavement, divorce, addiction, and self-destructive behavior.
The Pacific Crest Trail's scale, danger, solitude, and beauty mirror Cheryl's grief and gradual reconstruction of self.
Cheryl undertakes an immense hike alone despite inexperience, physical vulnerability, and social expectations surrounding her past.
Films like Wild, and why
Tracks
female-led wilderness journey combining survival, grief, self-discovery, and emotional catharsis
The Way
memoir-based character drama about solitary travel, personal reckoning, and healing through physical hardship
The Soloist
emotionally intense true-story drama centered on grief, addiction recovery, and a transformative journey
The Glass Castle
literary, memory-driven drama about a damaged protagonist confronting family trauma and personal responsibility
Movie Details
- Director
- Jean-Marc Vallée
- Release Date
- 2014-12-05
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (2739)
Cast
- Reese Witherspoon
- Laura Dern
- Keene McRae
- Gaby Hoffmann
- Michiel Huisman
- Kevin Rankin
- Cliff DeYoung
- Thomas Sadoski
- Randy Schulman
- W. Earl Brown
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Wild about?
- A grieving and self-destructive young woman attempts an arduous solo trek across the Pacific Crest Trail to rebuild her life from the ground up.
- What is Wild like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Wild as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Wild violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Wild as mild.
- What did critics think of Wild?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a powerful, emotionally resonant memoir adaptation, highlighting Jean-Marc Vallée's vivid direction and Reese Witherspoon's intensely committed central performance.
- Which films are like Wild?
- Films with a similar feel include Tracks, The Way, The Soloist, and The Glass Castle.
- How long is Wild?
- Wild runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Wild?
- In United States, Wild is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
