MOVIE REVIEW | Wild Boys

LifeIsXbox’s Wild Boys Review | Not to be confused with Steve’o and Chris Pontius’ TV Show Wildboyz, Wild Boys is a heartfelt film about a woman named Kate who sets out to fulfill her father’s last wish, to go on a treasure hunt if she wishes to inherit the family home. With no choice, Kate sets out to retrieve the treasure. On her journey, she meets two feral young men in the wilderness, where the trio must travel far and wide, solving mysteries and hunting clues. When an overzealous government agent finds out about their mission, Kate must not only try to save her home but also protect her new friends.

Wild Boys stars Kate Frampton Davis, Vincent Catalina, Jordan Laemmlen, Vince Major, and Alyssa Padia in the leading roles. Wild Boys is Directed by Morten Forland and Distributed by +47 and is available to stream now on Amazon Prime.

What We Liked!

• The Plot | Despite it being a rather weird request from Kate’s late father, the love he had for her and the want he had for her to get out and explore trumped everything else. Kate is somewhat of a recluse in Wild Boys and doesn’t leave the house. Kate spends all her time making video games and studying online Ninja classes. Sounds like someone you know perhaps? Anyway, taking a stab at today’s youth aside, Kate’s father fails to leave the house to her unless she can go outside on one last adventure. With no other option available, and facing the possibility of eviction, Kate sets out to find the treasure her father has left for her in order to keep the house. Along the way, she meets two feral men, who she manages to befriend using a can of beans, and they agree to help her find the treasure in exchange for more beans. Meanwhile, an overzealous ICE agent who is convinced they are terrorists tries to convince locals that their country is under threat, and tries to arrest and capture the Wild Boys. Kate is now faced with saving her two new friends, finding the treasure, and also saving her own life. It sounds like a lot, but in the context of the movie, it couldn’t work any better. It really allows for the characters to develop in any way they see fit, and draws from that inspiration of slapstick humor.

• The Cinematography | Set against the backdrop of rural Springville, the film really stretches its wings, and I don’t mean figuratively. Throughout the film, there are some really gorgeous shots of the scenery. Huge aerial shots of the woodlands, mountains, and lake areas really show you just how beautiful this movie is. I wouldn’t of expected shots like this from a comedy, but it really is great to look at.

• The Comedy | As I mentioned in the intro, Wild Boys takes a lot of inspiration from the 90’s movies before it. You can see the slapstick humor break through in many parts of the movie, for example, the spitting in each other’s hands, the screaming from within the car, and the Wild Boys’ lack of understanding of the common world. The whole character development is set up perfectly for them to be as crazy, and as clever as they want to be, making the joke potential limitless. What starts off as a very serious setup, quickly turns into a fun, heartfelt comedy.

• Heartfelt | Despite all of the jokes, crude humor, and stunning cinematography, Wild Boys has some heartfelt moments that we can all learn from. Underneath the main plot of the movie, we have a movie about self-betterment, loving one another, and sticking up for the little guy. Doing the right thing is only half the battle, but going out of your way to protect those that are vulnerable is what true heroes are made of. Kate in many ways learns more than just saving her home. Kate’s journey takes her on a personal one also, and by making friends realises that there is more than one home to have. The Wild Boys quickly welcome Kate as one of them, opening her eyes to what life has to offer, and the hate that comes from general civilisation.
  
  
• The Music | Wild Boys has some great music. The title sequence alone has a ’90s synth and really gets you in the mood. It really gels well with the backdrop of Springville, the long panning shots of the trio walking, and the funny jaunts down the center of town. When it focuses on the heartfelt moments of the film, it quickly switches to its more serious tones, showing a nice cohesiveness throughout the movie. The woodland shots have the right sounds to accompany them as well.

Mixed Feelings

• The Ending | While not the ending I was expecting, Wild Boys does wrap up the film nicely with some exposition, but fails to touch on the subject matter of Kate’s home, and if she ever met up with the Wild Boys again. Since the characters were so quickly introduced into the movie and played pivotal characters, I would have loved to have seen a more concrete ending to the movie which could have given the viewer closure.

What we Disliked

• Nothing | There was nothing I disliked about Wild Boys.

You’ll love this if you liked: Ace Ventura, The Goonies, and George of the Jungle.

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