Troubled youth Link (Phillip Lewitski) can’t stay out of trouble and he’s completely disconnected from his Mi’kmaw roots, leaving him without a sense of identity. Living with his abusive father Arvin (Joel Thomas Hynes) and his half-brother Travis (Avery Winters-Anthony), Link is subject to physical and emotional abuse. After finding evidence that Arvin has lied to him about the death of his mother, Link sets fire to Arvin’s truck and flees with Travis in tow to try and find the woman he’s long thought to be dead. Along the way they meet drifter Pasmay (Joshua Odjick), a fellow Mi’kmaw who offers to accompany them on their journey and help Link connect with his Indigenous roots.
‘Wildhood’ from writer and director Bretten Hannam tells a familiar coming-of-age story, albeit from a slightly different view point that audiences have seen before. Centred around Link, a young man who can’t seem to break out of a cycle of trouble and violence, the film is a combination of self-discovery and a road movie. At the beginning of the film Link has no idea who he is in any sense thanks to being disconnected from his heritage and unable to express himself in a way that’s authentic. His violent father ensures that Link tows the line he wants him to and there’s no room for Link to become his own person.
When Link makes the decision to run away from home to find his mother, taking his half-brother Travis with him, the audience is given a front row seat to the youngster’s journey of discovery. His first step comes in the form of Pasmay, a kind young Mi’kmaw who wants to help him be comfortable in his own skin and teach him the ways of the people that are very much a part of his bloodline. As is to be expected from a film of this nature, there are plenty of bumps in the road as Link fights against the expectations that have been placed on him in a bid to find out who he really is.
It’s obvious that Pasmay, regardless of how convenient his arrival is, is going to be a love interest for Link but admirably Hannam doesn’t rush their romance. It’s a slow build that finds Link pushing away his new friend, worried about what letting him in might result in. Even when the two become more intimate, Link’s internal battle boils over to the surface and it’s anything but smooth sailing. Interestingly, it’s Link’s little brother that seems to be more perceptive about what’s going on.
Both Phillip Lewitski and Joshua Odjick give breakout performances. Their chemistry is palpable and their scenes together are the best in the film. As Link and Pasmay, they have a sensitivity around each other as a fast bond forms, and it’s sweet to watch unfold. For Link, it’s the first time he’s had anyone really care about him and it’s interesting watching him learn how to accept that. The two actors are believable together and they very much form the heart of the film.
‘Wildhood’ is a solid film with an emotional core but it hits a few too many familiar beats to be a truly satisfying experience. Well-acted and well-directed, I admire the representation of Mi’kmaw people on screen but it’s a shame the story didn’t dig a little bit deeper into that conflict. That being said, I never found myself bored and the story reached a conclusion that felt fitting to the story that had come before.
Cast: Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick, Avery Winters-Anthony, Joel Thomas Hynes, Steven Lund Director: Bretten Hannam Writer: Bretten Hannam Certificate: 18 Duration: 99 mins Released by: Peccadillo Pictures
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