Review: Wild Indian

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Makwa (Michael Greyeyes) had a rough life growing up on the Reservation. So much so that he's done everything he can do leave it behind. He goes by Michael now and has a successful job and family. When his old friend Teddo (Chaske Spencer) is released from prison, he brings with him a secret from their past that Makwa will do anything to keep it that way.)

I had read a few reviews of this film months ago, then it completely fell off my radar. No theatrical release near me. No DVD release. I had forgotten about it until it came up as an option to watch on a recent flight I took. I was happy to re-discover it there.

Wild Indian is not going to be for everyone. It's a very deliberately paced movie that doesn't offer a ton of answers or resolutions. Ultimately, I found it very sad. At its heart, Makwa's neglectful and abusive parents shape him into the man he becomes. And even though he and Teddo take very different turns in life, they're both still affected by that trauma. Greyeyes and Spencer are wonderful in their roles. Both solemn, both full of questions, and Greyeyes in particular can be very scary.

So it this for you? It should be, I'm glad we're seeing an up kick in films with Native American leads in the U.S. If you don't mind a bit of ambiguity, you'll enjoy this.

Grade: B-

Comments

  1. thevoid99February 16, 2022 at 6:15 PM

    The film is currently available on Starz! as I hope to watch it and get it on my DVR.

    ReplyDelete

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