In 2013, Benh Zeitlin appeared out of nowhere with an astonishing debut movie, Beasts Of The Southern Wild, that earned him a Best Director Oscar nomination — as well as a nom for his non-professional child star Quvenzhané Wallis. It’s taken Zeitlin seven years to follow-up that lo-fi, magic-realist masterpiece, though his long-awaited encore might appear potentially disappointing, being yet another cinematic reinterpretation of Peter Pan.
Last year’s Come Away was barely seen and Joe Wright’s Pan was a complete flop, while many elements of J.M. Barrie’s source material remain nose-wrinklingly problematic. But Zeitlin, co-writing with his sister Eliza, all but ditches that source material, teasing out just a few of its most essential story strands and weaving them into something that’s more progressive and personal.
Its celebration of dirty, outdoor play and prepubescent ferocity delivers a dose of Spike Jonze’s _Where The Wild Things Are_.
Unsurprisingly, with its entirely non-professional cast and entirely real-world locations, Wendy feels closer to Beasts than Pan, while its celebration of dirty, outdoor play and prepubescent ferocity delivers a dose of Spike Jonze’s Where The Wild Things Are. There is also a strong Herzogian vibe to the film; it is both naturalistic and nature-revering. Standing in for Neverland is the West Indian island of Montserrat, where much of the handheld-shot action plays out in the shadow of the terrifyingly active Soufrière Hills volcano. This not only makes Wendy and the Lost Boys’ antics visually distinct and impressive, but also gives them a keen edge of jeopardy. We’re not watching a gang of kids prancing about consequence-free on an obvious soundstage; those cliffs, forests, lava fields and ocean are all injuriously real and intensely palpable.
While Wendy lacks Beasts’ crisp focus and narrative momentum — its loose plotting, fractured narration and dream logic sometimes test your attention — it does once again prove Zeitlin’s eye for raw talent, with fiercely captivating performances from its young cast, in particular six-year-old Yashua Mack as Peter and Devin France as Wendy. As the title suggests, this is Wendy’s story foremost and France carries the film without breaking a sweat. With her at its heart, it’s hard not to love this refreshingly grown-up take on an awfully big adventure.
