---
title: "Wild: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/wild/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/wild"
critics_score: 73
critics_reviews: 27
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Wild (2014): what the critics said

Critics' score 73 from 27 reviews: 21 positive, 5 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics come away won over, and the praise gathers almost entirely around Reese Witherspoon. Review after review calls the performance raw and unvarnished, a deliberate step away from the roles she is known for, and several name it among her best. Laura Dern, seen only in flashback as the mother, is singled out nearly as often, and a few think she leaves the stronger impression. Nick Hornby’s script is credited with wit and a refusal of easy sentiment, and Jean-Marc Vallée’s fragmented cutting between trail and memory is generally admired.

The reservations gather around that same fragmentation. The Playlist finds the flashbacks repetitive and manipulative, Slant thinks Vallée is outmatched by his material, and The New Yorker calls the film literal-minded rather than poetic. Time Out alone considers Witherspoon miscast. Little White Lies goes furthest, dismissing the whole thing as synthetic and calculated. The spread is wide, though the dissenters are few.

## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2014. 

Vallée and Hornby balance the inner and outer journeys while Witherspoon delivers a raw, emotionally naked performance.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-wild-review-reese-witherspoon-20141203-column.html)

## Variety

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2014. Festival review. 

Witherspoon delivers her finest performance in years in this ruggedly beautiful saga of perseverance and self-discovery.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/telluride-film-review-reese-witherspoon-in-wild-1201294437/)

## Vulture

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2014. 

The critic praises the remarkably fluid fragmentation of memories and the trail journey, along with Witherspoon's edgy, brainy performance that captures the character's self-centered processing of trauma. Strong supporting turns and an appealing take on women's liberation stories round out the positive verdict.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/12/movie-review-wild.html)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2014. Festival review. 

A thoughtfully rugged awards vehicle for Witherspoon that makes great use of striking locations and a resonant script; her excellent performance anchors the inner journey alongside the physical trek.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/wild/5077986.article)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Farber

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 2014. Festival review. 

The critic praises the film as a vivid wilderness adventure and powerful story of family anguish and survival, highlighting Witherspoon and Dern's performances and the honest mother-daughter portrayal. The fractured storytelling is handled well, making it compelling despite being episodic.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/wild-telluride-review-729047/)

## Empire — Nev Pierce

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2014. 

The film is a quietly moving coming-of-age story that resists formula or easy redemption. It is driven by a strong, unvarnished performance from Witherspoon.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wild-3-review/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2015. 

Nick Hornby's adaptation is heavy on wit and gross-out moments. Witherspoon is incredible in the lead role.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/wild-film-review-reese-witherspoon-is-incredible-9982131.html)

## Film Comment — Jared Eisenstat

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 

The film follows Cheryl Strayed on her solo hike of the Pacific Crest Trail as she grapples with personal demons and memories of her mother. Vallée directs Witherspoon in a role against her usual type as a self-destructive woman seeking redemption in the wilderness.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/review-wild-reese-witherspoon-jean-marc-vallee/)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2014. Festival review. 

The film is a lean, energetic adaptation that creates a hallucinatory montage of the hike and backstory. It feels like a real journey despite some narrative ambiguity.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/09/wild-a-two-hour-hallucinatory-montage-toronto-film-festival-review)

## The New York Times — A.O. Scott

Rating Critic's Pick. 3 December 2014. 

The film respects Strayed’s free-associative narrative and reveals that images and emotions can carry meaning more effectively than conventional plotting.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/movies/wild-stars-reese-witherspoon.html)

## The Times

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2015. 

The film is a story of rebirth and its agonies with a raw performance from Witherspoon. It has wit and avoids excessive sentimentality.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/wild-zglmtwx588g)

## The New Yorker — David Denby

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2014. 

The film has an admirable heroine and focuses on material details of the hike, but often feels literal-minded rather than poetic.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/12/08/outsiders-5)

## Radio Times — Stephen Carty

Rating 3/5. 

The film has an appealing authenticity from handheld camerawork and natural light but lacks emotional weight overall, undermined by heavy-handed moments despite Witherspoon's committed performance.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-9d9rux/wild/)

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 3/5. 10 September 2014. 

Witherspoon is miscast as the troubled hiker, though the film succeeds more as a gender drama; Laura Dern is the soul of the film in flashback scenes.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wild)

## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2014. 

The critic finds the film efficient in its storytelling but lacking inventive visual expression from the director, who is outmatched by the material and performers. It never quite matches the blunt audacity of its title despite strong work from the screenwriter and lead actress.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/wild/)

## Little White Lies — Trevor Johnston

Rating 4/2/2. 15 January 2015. 

The film is synthetic and obvious Oscar-bait, with Witherspoon overplaying her redemption arc; Laura Dern leaves the strongest impression as the mother in flashbacks.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/review/wild)

## Collider — Adam Chitwood

Rating A-. 3 December 2014. 

The film is an honest and surprising chronicle of determination and rebirth, driven by Reese Witherspoon's fearless lead performance. Vallée keeps the story dynamic through confident direction and a strong script that avoids stereotypes.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/wild-movie-review/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2014. 

The critic describes the film as a magnificent hike and praises Witherspoon as being as good as she has ever been. Laura Dern's supporting performance is also highlighted as terrific.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2014/12/wild-review-reese-witherspoon-cheryl-strayed-1201307798/)

## Paste — Andy Crump

Rating 7.3. 4 December 2014. 

Wild is a genuine and good redemption story that probes the degradation of the flesh and the salvation of the spirit. Witherspoon delivers a remarkable, nuanced performance as a complex, self-possessed woman.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/wild)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2014. 

The critic calls the film an exhilarating screen experience that avoids easy self-help tropes. Witherspoon's vulnerable and believable turn as the messy, self-destructive protagonist is singled out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/wild-review-reese-witherspoon-laura-dern-cheryl-strayed/)

## Consequence

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 4 December 2014. 

This is a somber and touching adaptation that emphasizes rumination over dramatization, with a showcase performance inviting viewers into the inner life of a lost young woman. Vallée's direction and editing help convey Strayed's gradual self-understanding through a patient, peaceful approach.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2014/12/film-review-wild/)

## Den of Geek — Mark Harrison

Rating 4/5. 19 January 2015. 

Witherspoon delivers one of her best performances as Cheryl Strayed on her grueling hike, with strong support from Laura Dern and solid direction and editing from Vallée. The result is an epic yet intimate and ultimately uplifting story of personal redemption.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/wild-review-2/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2015. 

Reese Witherspoon breaks out of her rom-com image with a raw, gutsy performance as Cheryl Strayed on her self-imposed purgatory hike. Vallée directs with restraint and employs dry humour alongside the emotional depth in this adaptation.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a619964/wild-review-reese-witherspoon-breaks-out-of-rom-com-rut/)

## NME — Nick Levine

Rating 4/5. 15 January 2015. 

Reese Witherspoon shines as Cheryl Strayed, who hikes the Pacific Crest Trail to overcome her demons after her mother's death and a spiral of self-destruction. Nick Hornby's script keeps the redemption story gritty and avoids cheesiness.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-15881-319898)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2014. 

The critic praises the film's immersive quality, Reese Witherspoon's committed performance, and the effective collage-style editing of flashbacks. She criticizes the script for some cheesy signposting and an unnecessary twee summation at the end.

[Read the review](http://eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/wild-2014-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## HeyUGuys — Lisa Giles-Keddie

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2014. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film an engaging spiritual journey of self-redemption with scenic beauty and strong performances from Witherspoon and Laura Dern. She notes some calculated heartstring-pulling but overall calls it empowering and worth the journey.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/lff-2014-wild-review/)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating C-. 1 December 2014. 

The critic calls the adaptation well-intentioned but misguided, with manipulative and repetitive flashbacks that undermine emotional depth. She finds Witherspoon's performance respectable but not transformative and the themes clichéd and unsubtle.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-jean-marc-vallees-wild-starring-reese-witherspoon-has-lots-of-dirt-little-depth-20141201/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/wild.md