By reimagining the 1994 original, director and co-writer Ben Katai understands that the premise alone is compelling enough for an action horror thriller. Anyone who has been whitewater rafting before knows how crucial it is for everyone to be on the same page and work together. When that energy is thrown off and communication goes south, an extreme adventure can quickly become perilous. Add old friendships and past trauma into the mix, and suddenly the raft you’re in seems a lot smaller. That’s the dynamic taking shape in “River Wild” that starts to become more and more worrisome to Gray and Joey as Trevor becomes more unhinged. Without complicating things too much out on the water, dark secrets from the past start to bubble up to the surface, which offers up just enough mystery to keep “River Wild” from sinking.
By sticking to a strictly basic action formula, there’s a little more attention paid to the relationships between the characters that continue to deteriorate as their situation becomes even more desperate. Although Meester gets saddled with a mostly predictable arc, casting Brody and Killam against type injects a lot more energy into their performances. Both actors are clearly having a blast trying to outdo each other’s best tough guy impression.
It’s also obvious that no one here is trying to do a straight-up remake of a ’90s thriller that, for most moviegoers, has fallen into relative obscurity. Netflix’s “River Wild” is a solid backwoods thriller, to be sure, and hopefully it will drive some people to discover the joys of seeing Meryl Streep in one of the very few action roles she’s ever taken on.
Source From: www.slashfilm.com
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