Wild Indian

Abused Makwa grows up on a troubled Reservation in Wisconsin with his cousin Teddo in the 80s. Over three decades later they meet again and the contrast is glaring. Michael Greyeyes and Chaske Spencer head the cast while Jesse Eisenberg and Kate Bosworth have peripheral roles.

"Wild Indian" (2021) is a slow burn drama about modern AmerIndians and the challenges of life on a Reservation, plus the ins & outs of life beyond. It has the melancholy, mundane tone of "Leo" (2002), "The Woodsman" (2004) and "First Snow" (2006). Although it may not be on the level of "Woodsman," it's arguably superior to the other two.

Writer/director Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr. Grew up on Reservations in Wisconsin & Minnesota so the movie obviously depicts things that he witnessed. He respects the intelligence of the viewer without spelling things out. It's a mixture of glaring clarity and vagueness that provokes you to reflect and put the pieces together.

What's going on with a certain character at the beach at the end? I'm part Abenaki and perfectly understand what was going on because I've done the same thing, but you don't have to be any particular race/tribe to relate.

The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Oklahoma with bits done in SoCal.

GRADE: B.

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Being this an Indigenous film and a feature directorial debut for Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr., I really didn't know what to expect. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. Wild Indian takes a tragic, dark moment in an early phase of two characters' lives and follows an unconventional path to demonstrate how surprising someone's future can be, especially considering the younger-self personality. Everyone changes parts of themselves throughout life, even more during childhood and teenage years.

Despite the overall slow pacing - slower than what I believe to be necessary - an efficient "twist" instantly raises the level of interest in the main narrative, which takes a while to overcome the fundamental yet formulaic character build-up. Then, Michael Greyeyes and Chaske Spencer bring their A-game, delivering engaging performances that kept me invested in the story. Greyeyes might portray the protagonist and have more screentime, but Spencer steals the spotlight with an emotionally devastating display.

A solid debut from a writer-director to put an eye on during the next year, but I can't escape my main issue with the central character. Even though I fully understand the commentary that Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr. successfully transmits to the viewers about so many important matters, I couldn't connect with the protagonist, much on the contrary. It's a frustrating feeling to have, but I find Greyeyes' character extremely unlikeable not only due to his actions in the past but mainly his attitude in the present. In addition to this, Jesse Eisenberg's casting choice feels out-of-place and weird, to say the least.

Beautifully shot by Eli Born.

Wild Indian is a strong feature directorial debut from Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr., who I recommend following closely for the next few years. Boasting a compelling narrative, Michael Greyeyes and Chaske Spencer take the viewers through a dark, emotional journey of understanding that life isn't always fair and that making amends only works for people who can actually feel guilt or remorse. Both actors offer notable performances, but it's Spencer who really impacts me at an emotional level, elevating the only character I truly cared about. On the other hand, the protagonist is an incredibly unlikeable person who tries his hardest to forget the tragic past through deplorable actions. Jesse Eisenberg sadly sticks out like a sore thumb. The short runtime partially compensates for the slow pacing, but overall I still had a good time.

Rating: B-

I usually dont complain a lot about endings. Good, bad, it's the writer's story and they have a reason for that. The ending here is ok and I would have accepted if we have had a bit more moments of tension, more dialogue, more development of his PTSD, more something. I felt everything undercooked. When it finished, I asked to myself: "Is that it?".

A shame because I was really liking the first two acts of the film until I realised that...it was already the end of the third one.

I really enjoyed this film but felt the trailers I'd seen were cut to make the movie seem different than it really was. Adding stars like Kate and Jesse but giving them a few minutes of screen time wasn't necessary for this film to still be a great slow burning drama.

How do you portray generational trauma on the screen? Watch this movie and see Michael Greyeyes do this brilliantly. Has any actor attempted to do this let alone so masterfully? Difficult storyline but beautiful and much appreciated.