The Wild Boys

released 14 september 2018 | sVOd Director bertrand mandico Cast Vimala pons, anaël snoek, diane rouxel, elina lowensohn

Some films feel like they’ve been unearthed rather than made. Bertrand Mandico’s feature debut combines black-and-white and colour footage, practical effects and a strikingly eerie soundtrack to create something that somehow feels both thrillingly modern, and like it could be a newly discovered art movie from the ’60s.

A group of young boys, seemingly in thrall to a spirit called Trevor, rape and murder their drama teacher. As punishment, they’re transported to an island via a long and arduous sea journey, where one by one they succumb to its mysterious properties.

The Wild Boys starts with an act of horrifying brutality and explicit imagery, but it’s not the film you may fear. For a start, the boys are all played by women – something that’s key to the second half of the film. And while this is most certainly an art film with a capital A, there’s both a strong narrative arc and decent characterisation. It’s surreal, but not incomprehensible.

It’s also an incredible visual experience. Mandico’s world is as perfectly formed and hermetically sealed as anything by Wes Anderson or Anna Biller. It has a real physicality (including a few moments where you’ll wish it didn’t), while the occasional colour scenes pop with psychedelic beauty. Remarkable and disturbing.