‘River Wild’ Review- Flawed But A Good Friday Night Flick
This film streamed in 2023.
River Wild is a survival thriller directed by Ben Ketai who co-wrote the script with Mike Nguyen Le. It is meant to be a “standalone sequel” to a 1994 film written by Denis O’Neil.
Dr. Joey Reese (Leighton Meester) meets her brother and river rafting expert Gray (Taran Killam) to go down the water trail with him and some of his tourists. Their childhood friend Trevor (Adam Brody) tags along, much to Joey’s chagrin. During the night, Trevor causes an injury to one of the tourists, prompting him to take the rest hostage so he can escape to Canada. As they travel, he becomes more unstable, and Joey and Gray try to figure out a way to escape.
As of the writing of this review, I have not seen the 1994 film, so I cannot speak on its status as a remake. I will just focus on its status as a standalone cinematic experience… that I streamed on Netflix.
The movie is not perfect. There were a few scenes that I thought were too long and I felt the sequence where the hiker stumbles on the hostages was completely unnecessary. Also, Trevor just happens on an extra set of bullets that seem to come from nowhere as he is holding the other hostages.
That being said, I actually found it very entertaining. The underlying theme of the movie is misguided loyalty. Gray is estranged from his sister, but seemingly stands with Trevor early on. You find out that Trevor went to prison for Gray, so they have a forced bond. As such, the hostage situation reaches the point of desperation. If Gray had put aside this and prioritized safety, it may have turned out differently.
I also liked the cast. Everyone does a good job of making you feel the tension. Meester did a fantastic job as the film’s lead, especially since the filmmakers did not give her character magic powers. She used the skills she had, sought help when it was needed, and did not come off as some sort of forced girl boss who was better… than everyone. She was relatable, and props to Keester for doing such a good job.
Whenever I stumbled on this movie, I did not know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Was it a “blow me amazing” flick? No, but it was a good film for a Friday night. It kept the tension ramped up, and you felt it through until the end.
Bottom line, River Wild has a few flaws, but it is an enjoyable movie in which you can pop popcorn and have a good time.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Violence, Some strong foul language
FAVORITE QUOTE: I thought you were coming back Sunday.
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or anime you would like me to review.