The nominees officially in the run for the Academy Awards 2024 were announced this week, so naturally, it has stirred people to catch up on other Oscar-winning and nominated films from before. In a surprising resurgence, the Reese Witherspoon adventure biopic Wild has stormed Netflix.
At the 87th Academy Awards, Witherspoon Laura Dern received nominations for ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Supporting Actress’, respectively, for their roles in Wild. And now the 2014 autobiographical wilderness drama has claimed the ninth spot on the streaming giant’s top ten films list worldwide. It has secured a place in the top ten in 39 countries, from Hong Kong to Honduras.
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, who was fresh off the success of Dallas Buyers Club, and adapted from Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, Wild follows Strayed’s gripping journey as she embarks on a transformative trek along the Pacific Crest Trail, seeking solace and redemption after personal tragedies.
Nick Hornby, author of Fever Pitch and About a Boy, did a tremendous job adapting Strayed’s book for the screenplay. Tiny Beautiful Things by Strayed has also made it to Witherspoon’s famous book club and will soon be adapted into a Hulu original series.
Receiving widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences, Wild proved to be a box-office success as well. It grossed an impressive $52.5million against its modest $15million budget. Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter lauded Witherspoon and Dern’s performances, highlighting Vallée’s direction, describing it as a “vivid wilderness adventure film that is also a powerful story of family anguish and survival.”
Reese Witherspoon’s portrayal of Cheryl Strayed was hailed as a career-defining performance. The film’s success on Netflix is an indication that powerful biopics are always going to be in favour.
You can watch Wild on Netflix and catch the trailer here:
