Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Wild Indian

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Powerful, violent drama about Native American identity.

Movie NR 2021 87 minutes
Wild Indian Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In WILD INDIAN, Ojibwe teen Makwa (Phoenix Wilson) is abused at home and bullied at school. While hanging around with his best friend, Teddo (Julian Gopal), in the woods and playing with Teddo's father's gun, Makwa shoots and kills a fellow student, whom he perceives as a romantic rival. Teddo, afraid of the repercussions, helps Makwa bury the body and keep the secret. Years later, Makwa has moved away from the reservation, taken the name "Michael" (Michael Greyeyes), and is married to Greta (Kate Bosworth). He's become callous and slick, obsessed with money and power. Meanwhile, Teddo (Chaske Spencer) has just been released from jail, his face covered in tattoos. What will happen when Teddo decides he can't keep their secret any longer?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.'s feature debut may leave viewers feeling a little displaced by its disquieting turn of events, but the movie's dedication to The Way Things Are is both powerful and lasting. Wild Indian challenges any assumptions viewers might make about how the two boys in the 1980s sequence will turn out; many may expect that it will turn out like all those movies about one brother/friend who becomes a cop and the other who becomes a criminal. But writer-director Corbine, who comes from an Ojibwe background himself, surprises with his storytelling choices.

This allows viewers to imagine tons of unspoken backstory. Could Teddo have been so shattered and disillusioned by the events of that day that he just gave up? Is Makwa/Michael's transformation into a California mover and shaker all an attempt to run from his past? Two-thirds of the way through the movie, things take an even more drastic turn, and it may feel unfair. But if you resist, you may miss the point of Wild Indian: to embrace the idea that, yes, things are sometimes unfair. Though it ultimately has some debut-feature drawbacks, this is still a potent story of identity and perception that's worth seeing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Wild Indian's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • What does the movie seem to be saying with its story about a "bad" character who turns out successful/powerful and a "good" one whose life is ruined? What is the final message?

  • How does the movie depict the Ojibwe experience? How are Ojibwe identity and perception tied to the story?

  • Can a movie offer positive representation even if the characters aren't particularly admirable? Why is diverse representation in the media important?

  • Are smoking or drinking glamorized in any way? Do the images of teen smoking make it look cool? Are consequences shown? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate