“The most important value is family”—at least, such is a given in many cultures. Several films explore the significance of the family bond; fewer condemn it. Debut director Jeanette Nordahl’s Wildland is one of the latter category. Wildland’s Danish title translates to “Flesh and Blood.” It’s an apt name for a film in which family and bloodshed go hand in hand.
This foreign crime drama chronicles the life of 17-year-old Ida (Sandra Guldberg Kampp) following a car accident that killed her mother. She goes to live with her mother’s estranged sister (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and her adult sons. The lot is warm and welcoming, leading the initially skeptical Ida to believe she’s found a nurturing home. But Ida is under no illusions as to what kind of shady business her cousins get up to. Soon, Ida herself is pulled into their illegal and violent dealings.
Wildland certainly gives “mob mentality” new meaning—when the family’s mob activities get out of hand, Ida has to reevaluate her unquestioning commitment to her new family. Audiences must ask themselves the same question the teenager struggles with: Does family really come first no matter the scenario?
This subdued crime thriller is equally a coming-of-age story and psychological drama, its storyline containing undercurrents of themes like burgeoning sexuality and feminist motifs. Kampp quietly impresses with a performance of a love-struck teen enamored with her cousin’s girlfriend—this is just one example of something a woman in this film cannot have. Among the cast of characters, women are disparately dependent: a depiction that subtly impresses on viewers the hypocrisy inherent in their “family first” values.
In one word, Wildland is bittersweet. Almost proportionally tedious and engaging, it draws you in with characters who are equally lovable and infuriating. A worthwhile watch for any interested in a genre-subverting, slow-moving mob drama, this film would make an excellent addition to foreign language, drama, and thriller library shelves. Recommended for Danish film programming.
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