Review of Wildlife (2018) by Hector V — 22 Nov 2018

Paul Dano's 'Wildlife,' is a story about a husband and wife's troubled relationship crumbling in front of their son's eyes. Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal are fantastic as the couple in question, and Ed Oxenbould more than holds his own against his seasoned onscreen parents.

Gyllenhaal takes a dip from the movie for its good middle chunk, but while he's present, you can practically see the gears turning inside his head. It's brutal seeing Mulligan's cheerfully optimistic housewife fade from an initially worriless façade into cold carelessness as she seeks to satisfy the hunger for affection her husband can't provide. The dynamic between her and Oxenbould hits like a truck tanks to the former's reciprocally restrained, but equally moving acting, and I sincerely hope the two are considered for awards come Oscar season.

Beautiful Montana scenery rounds out the film with pale palettes gorgeously contrasted against encroaching fire imagery. Visually and metaphorically, the film is a treat despite its brutal narrative and honest to goodness character development.