The fear surrounding the institutions where children are sent has been rising in recent years, especially with renewed discussion of incidents from the past. Wayward, a new series from Netflix, explores this idea and pushes it to its limits, with striking effect. Created by Mae Martin, who also serves as co-showrunner alongside Ryan Scott, the eight-episode limited series transforms the picturesque town of Tall Pines into a chilling study of how institutions can twist care itself into something truly sinister.
The story centres on Alex Dempsey (Mae Martin), a police officer who relocates to Tall Pines with pregnant partner Laura (Sarah Gadon), seeking a fresh start in what appears to be an idyllic community. The illusion shatters when Alex meets Abby (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind), two 16-year-old students desperate to escape from Tall Pines Academy, a correctional facility posing as therapeutic care. Their struggle becomes the driving force behind Alex’s investigation into the town’s most guarded secret: a system that preys on vulnerable teenagers under the guise of rehabilitation, twisting them under the control of its enigmatic leader.
Toni Collette takes on the villain role in Wayward and delivers a striking performance as Evelyn Wade, the academy’s terrifying leader who presents herself as a pioneering youth counsellor with “ground-breaking therapeutic techniques.” Collette transforms what could have been a straightforward villain into something far more unsettling: a figure who genuinely believes in her mission to solve the problem of adolescence, with no concern for what is truly good for those she claims to help. Her scenes are chilling, carrying the weight of institutional authority wrapped in maternal concern. The horror is all the more potent because it operates through systems designed to heal, destroying anyone who resists.
“Wayward delivers where it matters most, offering a series that is both thrilling and socially resonant.”
It may surprise some viewers to see Martin’s name attached to the project, as they are known mostly for comedy. But Wayward shows how their understanding of human vulnerability translates seamlessly into psychological thriller territory. The series draws inspiration from sources as varied as Girl, Interrupted, Get Out and Fargo, while still feeling fresh—brimming with ideas and conflicts that are both timeless and, in unsettling ways, timely.
Wayward succeeds thanks to its strong cast, with Collette as the standout. At its emotional core, though, are the kids and the struggles they endure. Abby and Leila’s friendship becomes the anchor that prevents the series from slipping into exploitation, with Topliffe and Lind delivering performances that capture both the resilience and fragility of adolescence under extreme pressure. Their bond offers the audience hope and shows how found family can be the only armour against a system built to break you down.
The production’s attention to atmospheric detail creates an environment where beauty turns sinister through implication rather than explicit revelation. The rural Oregon setting is more than a backdrop: it becomes complicit in the conspiracy through its very perfection, suggesting how communities can protect their darkest secrets behind carefully maintained facades. The visual language reinforces themes of surveillance and control while maintaining the surface appeal that initially attracts families seeking help.
Wayward is a series I didn’t know how to feel about going into it. As the story unfolds, it reveals a complex narrative that runs deeper and darker than the trailers or synopses suggest. Yet the series avoids documentary-style exposition in favour of psychological exploration. Instead, it delivers a more personal story, focusing on the characters and the town while striking at the heart of a system built to exploit the vulnerable. The horror emerges not from graphic violence but from the slow realization of how completely systems can manipulate both victims and their families through the language of care and improvement.
Wayward delivers where it matters most, offering a series that is both thrilling and socially resonant. It uses genre conventions to examine how institutions can corrupt the very concept of help itself. Even with plot holes and minor missteps, Wayward proves greater than the sum of its parts. Thanks to strong performances and a twisted mystery that pulls viewers deeper, it is an endlessly watchable addition to the Netflix catalogue.
