What is Wildflower about? Plot, where to watch & more
HuluWildflower has taken off on TikTok — here’s everything you need to know about the movie, including plot and where to watch.
Regardless of whether it’s on social media, Rotten Tomatoes, or the Netflix streaming chart, plenty of movies gain a second wave of popularity years after they are first released.
In the case of Wildflower, the sudden surge of interest is thanks to TikTok, with clips sprouting up all across the platform.
First released in 2022, here’s everything you need to know about Wildflower, including its plot and where to watch it.
What is Wildflower about?
Wildflower is based on a true story, following Bea Johnson from birth to graduation as she navigates life with two intellectually disabled parents.
The full synopsis reads “Bea is the daughter of two intellectually disabled parents Sharon and Derek, and during her senior year in high school Bea is left comatose. Through flashbacks, the story explores aspects of her life, including a romantic relationship with fellow student Ethan.”
In an interview at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival [via Borrowing Tape], director Matt Smukler explained that the story is based on his own family, starting life as a documentary.
“The documentary is actually about my niece, Christina,” he explained “And, so she’s this exceptional kid. And obviously, I’m biased, but I think everybody started to come to that same conclusion after seeing some of this footage. And, I wasn’t planning on doing this, I wasn’t planning on taking the documentary and making it into a feature.
“I think at the end of the day, this is really a coming-of-age story about a girl who just happens to be in a fairly unique family dynamic, but really going through all the same things that lots of us go through.”
Wildflower cast: Who’s in it?
The Wildflower cast includes Kiernan Shipka, Charlie Plummer, and Jean Smart.
The full cast list includes:
- Kiernan Shipka as Bambi “Bea” Johnson
- Dash Mihok as Derek Johnson
- Charlie Plummer as Ethan
- Jean Smart as Peg
- Brad Garrett as Earl
- Alexandra Daddario as Joy
- Samantha Hyde as Sharon Johnson
- Jacki Weaver as Loretta
- Erika Alexander as Mary
- Reid Scott as Ben
- Victor Rasuk as Mr. Vasquez
- Kannon Omachi as Nia
- Chris Mulkey as Hal
Debut actor Samantha Hyde told the Mary Sue about her character Sharon: “I think a lot of us actors can focus on the dark parts of the world, and playing a character who is able to see the bright side so much of the time helped motivate me to push myself to be a better person.”
Is Wildflower worth watching?
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Wildflower has a rating of 63%, with an audience score of 93%.
Wendy Ide at Screen International wrote: “The picture explores the chaos and confusion of extended families which find themselves with a common goal but no consensus on how to achieve it. It practically vibrates with the force of its good intentions.”
John Serba at Decider agreed: “Wildflower navigates the thornier aspects of its subject matter reasonably well, which balances out its corny sentiment and broad characterizations. As heavy-handed coming-of-age stories go, it could be worse…”
However, Teo Bugbee at the New York Times differed: “Wildflower is a nervy sit, a movie that eventually makes its way toward acceptance, but only after putting its disabled characters through the trial of dehumanizing questions.”
Where to watch Wildflower
Wildflower can be streamed directly on Hulu.
You can also rent or buy the movie on Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV+.
For viewers outside of the US, Wildflower can still be accessed on both Prime Video and Apple TV+.
Check out even more amazing movies to stream this month, horror classics, and what’s happening in the world of true crime.
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