Is Wilderness on Prime Video worth watching?
Calling all thriller fans, Prime Video's latest series Wilderness drops tomorrow and if you're in the mood for six episodes packed full of lies, cheating and jaw-dropping American scenery, then this one is for you.
Based on B.E. Jones’ novel of the same name, Wilderness stars Jenna Coleman as Liv, a woman who discovers her husband Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is having an affair. When Will offers up the chance for a great American road trip as a way to apologise, will Liv take the opportunity to repair their relationship or is revenge what's really on her mind when she says yes?
Ahead of the series release tomorrow (15th September), we've got everything you need to know about the series, including exactly what we thought when we saw it.
What is Prime Video's Wilderness about?
Based on B.E. Jones' novel of the same name Wilderness focuses on Liv and Will, a British married couple who have moved to New York following a job opportunity for Will.
Everything seems idyllic in their new city, that is until Liv discovers Will is having an affair. Following his betrayal Will organises a road trip on the west coast to repair their relationship, but that's not exactly what's on Liv's mind. Oh, no she's planning her revenge.
Who is in the cast of Wilderness?
Taking on the lead role of Liv in Wilderness is Jenna Coleman, who you'll probably most know from her iconic roles in Doctor Who, The Serpent and Victoria.
Playing Liv's husband Will is Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who is known for his roles in The Haunting of Hill House, and The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix.
And calling all Pretty Little Liars fans, also starring in Wilderness as Cara, is Ashley Benson. Completing the cast is Claire Rushbrook, Talia Balsam, Eric Balfour, Morgana Van Peebles and Marsha Stephanie Blake.
What is Wilderness similar to?
With the main focus of Wilderness being largely around deception, revenge and cheating in marriage, some of the most similar TV shows to Wilderness include Big Little Lies and BBC's Doctor Foster.
While of course not following the exact same plot lines, if you're into these plots that largely revolves around woman's journey in discovering her partner's affair and the complicated dynamic and occasional criminal impacts they have, then you're likely to enjoy Wilderness.
So, should I watch Wilderness on Prime Video? Our review
Ok so first things first, the series isn't your typical 'wronged woman gets revenge on cheating husband' story. The characters of Liv (Will's wife) and Cara (Will's mistress) are thankfully written in a way that fleshes their characters out beyond the traditional 'innocent wife' and 'immoral mistress'. Although it may feel like the series is heading that way at the start, thankfully, as the series goes on it pulls apart that traditional dichotomy and gives both women agency, and complex back stories. You're not simply rooting for Liv and hating on Cara.
Instead series writer Marnie Dickens gives you a more nuanced look at what happens in a relationship after someone cheats, presenting two female characters who have flaws, reasons to make you sympathetic and at times seriously question their motivations. This is undoubtedly the biggest strength of the series. Jenna Coleman does a great job as Liv, although her in and out Welsh accent is occasionally a little jarring.
And Oliver Jackson-Cohen does an impressive job at making you feel very strongly hateful towards Will, but still giving you just enough to understand Liv's inability to stay away from him.
Despite the name of the series and the trailer promising a lot of "wilderness" the series spends a surprisingly low amount of time in the outdoors, with Will and Liv's trip to the National Parks taking up a small fraction of the series, with the majority of the series focused on the lead up and aftermath of what happens on their trip to the outdoors. So if you were expecting a whole thriller series set in the wild outdoors you'll be disappointed. But perhaps this is for the best as some of the most interesting scenes of the series come from conversations between the characters in hotel rooms and Liv and Will's apartment.
The series is only six episodes long which is thankfully just the right amount of time to pack in the surprising twists and turns, of which there are many, although there could also have been scope for more shocking ones. It does occasionally jump around with the timeline at first which can be a little confusing.
So is Wilderness worth watching? Yes, it's a fast-paced, nuanced look at cheating and the breakdown of a relationship, sprinkled in with some stunning scenery and occasional jaw-dropping shock plot twists.
Oh and how could we forget? Wilderness' opening credits features Taylor Swift's 'Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor's Version)', which is reason enough alone for us to binge all six episodes.
Wilderness is available on Prime Video from 15th September
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