Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Wild Boys Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 18, 2018

“The Wild Boys” is an art film, unencumbered by the rules of mainstream cinema. Even better, it’s a French art film, which is pretty much code for “all bets are off.” Working his hands through concepts of horror, gender, and fantasy, writer/director Bertrand Mandico makes his feature-length directorial debut with this odyssey into the unknown, attempting to conjure a phantasmagoria of sensorial highlights and film school itches. “The Wild Boys” lives up to its title, with a distinctly free range feel to the picture, which endeavors to be the weirdest movie in recent memory and nearly succeeds. However, issues remain, as a brief sampling of the bodily evolution presented here is far more appetizing than the full meal Mandico has prepared.

A pack of troublemaking boys has decided to turn on their teacher, sexually assaulting and killing her, living up to their reputation as privileged, feral teenagers. As punishment, Romulad (Pauline Lorillard), Hubert (Diane Rouxel), Tanguy (Anael Snoek), Jean-Louise (Vimala Pons), and Sloane (Mathilde Warnier) are handed over to The Captain (Sam Louwyck), who ties the boys up and brings them on a journey to a remote island. The destination is a place of proposed rehabilitation, but the trip is perilous, with revolt threatened by the prisoners, who are kept in place through force and intimidation. The island is a strange area home to pleasures and punishments, forcing the young men to undergo a metamorphosis of sorts. For The Captain, a return visit reveals changes to his body and soul, with resident Severine (Elina Lowensohn) there to make sure the process takes hold in full, awaiting the awakening of a new collection of island dwellers, and ones who offer submission to their god, Trevor, when in need of guidance.

“The Wild Boys” doesn’t waste a second wading into its pool of strangeness, and the oddity is striking. Imagery emerges from many influences, but the setting is turn-of-the-century, and Mandico turns to pioneers of silent cinema for guidance, creating an unexpected introduction for the feature, which loosely details the shared headspace of the teenagers. They are troubled bunch, guided by curiosity and sexuality, learning to weaponized their genitalia as a form of anarchy, fed imagined influence from Trevor, who instructs them to feast on their urges. The first act of the movie details this social breakdown, which results in a murder and a trial of sorts, though Mandico shows no special interest in following a traditional narrative, electing to get lost in the moment with the titular plague, embracing their carefree ways, interpersonal communication, and struggle with repentance when finally faced with consequences for their actions.

The gimmick of the feature is found with the boys, who are all played by women for reasons not entirely understood until the final act. There’s no magic trick here, as true gender is easy to spot, especially with scenes involving manipulations of the penis, with masturbation sequences hilariously uncharacteristic of natural male instinct (the actresses look like they’re trying to pull a lost puppy out of a drain pipe). Still, the idea is intriguing and obsessions are unmistakable, with a good portion of “The Wild Boys” slick with semen, urine, and spit, exposing Mandico’s fetishes as he tries to keep some sense of narrative momentum alert, with the prisoners soon stuck on a boat with The Captain (who has the map to the island tattooed on his penis), kept in place by rope and threats. Distinct personalities are lightly sketched out by the screenplay, as “The Wild Boys” is more interested in provocative imagery, not storytelling, leaving the viewing experience for those who enjoy a sense cinematic exploration.

The Wild Boys Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.65:1 aspect ratio) presentation encounters more than a few encoding challenges during the course of "The Wild Boys." Not only is the feature hazily shot to begin with, but it deals with plenty of smoke and water, which usually trips up most transfers. The viewing experience holds on the entire ride, doing well with grain, which remains filmic, and detail, capturing all the goopy, hairy details of the feature, along with strange appearances, giving facial textures some real presence. Island particulars are also dimensional. B&W cinematography handles with authority, delivering brightness and appealing shadow play, and colors, while showing up only periodically, retain lushness, contributing to the nightmarish realm.

The Wild Boys Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix does a fine job immersing viewers into the strange magic of "The Wild Boys." Surrounds aren't especially active, but they do well with atmospherics, communicating the feeling of chaotic weather and island trouble. Scoring carries circular as well, making for some heavier synth waves. Dialogue exchanges are crisp and clean, conveying mischief and panic without distortion. Low-end is softer, but some of the violence carries weight.

The Wild Boys Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Fold-Out Poster is offered.

• Deleted Scenes (17:38, HD) are more excised moments from the film, presented without production audio, scored to soundtrack selections.

• Behind the Scenes (11:44, HD) attempts to continue the dreamlike atmosphere of the "The Wild Boys" with a simple making-of, providing some intriguing footage of Mandico at work, organizing shots and operating the camera.

• A Teaser Trailer (:48, HD) and a Theatrical Trailer (1:33, HD) are included.

The Wild Boys Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Wild Boys" grows more abstract as its unfolds and finds its greatest inspiration on the island, which home to a sexualized playground that's borderline Henson-esque, giving the prisoners phallic fountains to pleasure and foliage to mount, with fluids altering them in unexpected ways. Pace is throttled by the arrival of Severine, who's handed a larger presence in the picture than necessary, but the overall idea of transformation, or liberation from gender assignment, is compellingly communicated. However, there's nearly two hours of the feature to work through, which is entirely too long for something this unreal. Mandico doesn't know how to get out of "The Wild Boys," so he plunges deeper into a filmmaking abyss, and the whole thing starts to become self-serving (a more natural rhythm of masturbation). Still, there are pieces of this puzzle that beguile, and the whole endeavor is commendable for its audacity.