James Charm (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a Portland youth learning to deal with the death of his father. He doesn't like the guy his mom hangs out with and he has become obsessed with death, predicting the death of people and animals sometimes to the hour and day. He is socially inept and his mom (Virginia Madsen) takes him to a psychologist ( Danny DeVito). James "rebels" and meets a group of other misfit children in Portland's nightlife.

This is another slow moving indie style film almost as boring as "Boyhood." "Wilderness" is yet another metaphor for "Life." (Ugh!) About an hour into the film we find out "the secret" that haunts young James, something he has held in and I would have thought come out long ago. Now I will say the acting in the film was fine. Plot and character development was good. I just didn't find the production entertaining in a sea of indie films about screwed up kids trying to figure out life. I spent the whole film waiting to see if Cory, the guy he predicts will die, does so or not. I really needed closure.

Good view of the Vista Bridge. Indie lovers, go ahead and watch it, you know you want to.

Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

James Charm (Kodi Smit-McPhee) gets into a fight with a schoolmate. He's obsessed with death and infuriates others with predictions of their deaths. His frustrated mother Abigail Charm (Virginia Madsen) sends him to psychiatrist Dr. Pembry (Danny DeVito) who wants him to attend a special school. He falls for fellow patient Val (Isabelle Fuhrman). He's in the city at night where he's befriended by Harmon (Evan Ross).

Kodi's gawky weirdness is interesting. Isabelle's darker edge is also pretty interesting. There are some surreal touches that could be interesting but it needs to be more consistent. Harmon and the street kids have potential. It's all potentially great. The main missing ingredient is intensity. Other than the delusions, there is a lethargy to the movie. I guess it's the sense of depression coming from James due to his family issue. Despite the fights, I may need him to scream.

This indie story revolves around the teen James Charm, portrayed by Kodi Smit-McPhee, who's very intelligent, likes to read, sketch in a notebook, and listen to Chopin. However, since his father passed away, some 6 months before, he's been extremely withdrawn and uncommunicative, and we will only learn very late in the film the shocking details of his father's death.

Seemingly unable to express himself to his mother (Virginia Madsen) or even his therapist (Danny DeVito), he will befriend both Val (Isabelle Fuhrman) and Harmon (Evan Ross) in two separate chance encounters, and they will help to draw James out of his shell somewhat.

The movie was written and directed by Michael Johnson, and is only 1 hour and 16 minutes in length.

In summary, although the acting here is solid, the script doesn't allow for the viewer to really know anything below the surface about the characters they're depicting. Thus, for me, they became sort of clichéd caricatures and I couldn't totally "buy into" their individual stories. One of the plot elements near the end of the movie is quite shocking, but it came across as rather gimmicky as well. Thus, all in all, a fair rating here.