Rent it on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, and YouTube.
Not too long ago, I was engaged in a conversation about good movies that only need to be seen once. Powerful classics like Schindler's List and Training Day come to mind, as they are movies with relevant themes and important commentary delivered in a polished manner that provide the necessary impact with only a single viewing. Once you've seen them, you often don't need to see them again because they succeeded in leaving an impression, albeit a most likely depressing one.
Today's film, Wild Indian, is a brand new addition to the subcategory of films that only need to be seen at least once. It's a hard and dark story about mental health, regret, abuse, secrets, and murder. Not to mention the continued mistreatment of Native Americans. If this all sounds like a bitter pill to swallow, it is. Even so, it's a pill worth taking at least once.
The story follows two best friends: Makwa and Ted-O, living on an Indian Reservation in Wisconsin. Makwa is bullied at school, ignored by his teachers, and abused by his father & neglectful mother. His only solace is meeting up with his best friend and shooting his dad's rifle in the woods. One particular day, a harder-than-usual day to tolerate, Makwa sees one of his school bullies wandering around the woods. With no one around and having no healthy outlet for his abuse-induced stress, he aims the rifle and takes the shot, killing the boy dead. After realizing what has happened, Ted-O decided to help his friend dispose of the body and agree to never tell anyone. Fast-forward thirty years later, Makwa (Michael Greyeyes) has grown up into a successful businessman with a wife and child but still has unresolved emotional & mental issues from his past experience. Meanwhile, his best friend Ted-O (Chaske Spencer) has recently been released from prison on drug charges. After reconciling with his family, Ted-O decides that it's been long enough, and he & Makwa must confess to their crimes. The only question is will Makwa feel the same way?
This film is difficult to watch at times, but it is indeed as amazingly well crafted as you might have heard. It is a terrifying portrayal of a man with severe issues and his inability to seek help. Most likely a result of feeling trapped in a situation where help never comes. An experience shared by far too many people in modern society.
What sells the film is the powerhouse performance from Michael Greyeyes. He carries the emotional weight, mental instability, and struggling humanity with incredible conviction that he is genuinely scary in some scenes of the film. This guy has talent and skill on par with the likes of Robert De Nero and Ryan Gosling, and he deserves any & all praise he receives for this performance. I hope he gets many more acting gigs from here on out.
Wild Indian is a film that indeed "knocks you out," as it says on the poster. While I praise the film for its social commentary and stunning artistry, I should recommend that, if you watch this film, be sure to watch something funny afterward. I assure you, it will be needed.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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