"One of the superpowers of television is how a series can take a real-life terror and make it into a horrific threat with only a little exaggeration. This is especially clear in Netflix's miniseries in particular. Stalkers in Baby Reindeer, scammers in Inventing Anna, liars in Apple Cider Vinegar: these are all true-ish stories taken from real life and turned into chilling TV."
"Both storylines are tied together by the same strange institution: Tall Pines Academy, the mysterious boarding school where "wayward" teens are sent for therapy. Tall Pines is inspired by the real schools across the troubled teen industries, where things like late-night parent-sanctioned abductions, aggressive therapy, and abuse and assault are all too real. Paris Hilton even testified before Congress about the abuse she faced in similar institutions."
Wayward is a Netflix miniseries created by Mae Martin that reimagines abuses from the troubled teen industry as a cult-tinged horror. The narrative alternates between 1997 storylines: teen Abbie is abducted from her bed and best friend Leila searches for her, while police officer Alex Dempsey (Martin) and his wife Laura move into Laura's hometown to start a family. Both plots intersect at Tall Pines Academy, a mysterious boarding school where 'wayward' teens receive therapy. Tall Pines dramatizes real practices such as late-night parent-sanctioned abductions, aggressive therapy, abuse, and assault. Toni Collette plays Evelyn Wade, the charismatic academy leader.
Read at Inverse
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