From the moment this film begins, we are thrown into a world of mystery and beauty. James (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a troubled young man who’s plagued by darkness and his own grim imagination. He’s a quirky guy struggling with the absence of his father, from who comes this film’s rather odd title. He spoke of a wilderness in which we all live, a metaphor James becomes fascinated and consumed by. Writing down post-mortem reports of dead creatures he finds lying around isn’t exactly a social or normal activity; he’s barricaded himself away from the world and locks horns with his now-single mother (Virginia Madsen).
All the Wilderness is most definitely a classic coming-of-age story, and the narrative perhaps lies a little too heavily on coincidence and well-worn clichés to move forward, but it feels so different to the many films out there that follow a similar storyline. It’s a beautiful movie, stunning in fact and as you submerge yourself into the visuals, you can easily forget about the tropes that it is trotting out.
It wouldn’t be amiss to compare the visual fidelity with that of a Terrence Malick feature; every shot is perfect and seems purposeful. The whole film feels like a neo-noir punk explosion with vibrancy and harsh colours illuminating the world in almost every frame. Comparisons to Drive and last year’s excellent Nightcrawler may seem lazy but are nevertheless perfectly justified; nightlife has never looked so good and it is hauntingly captured here. Johnson wields his camera with terrific effect and therefore evokes a lot of emotion through the darkened surroundings.
Nevertheless, All the Wilderness is wonderful indie fair and it’s a shame that only a small amount of people will probably see it. It may not be an exercise in narrative sophistication, but it’s a beautiful, sweeping picture that’s more than skin deep.
All the Wilderness hits US cinemas this weekend. There is no UK release date yet but it'll make its way around festivals.