Wildflower

This movie may not be a major thriller, but it is a Christian film with a good story. The Christian theme is not over-bearing either. It is a good story about a woman dealing with some rough experiences, and the faith is the underlying piece that gives the characters strength.

It deals with an unsolved murder and traumatizing childhood experiences, but ultimately it is a movie about hope even in the worst of circumstances.

Got off to a slow start and almost gave up watching. But wanted to see how story incorporated "faith based" into the plot and it was basically using the same tropes seen over and over.

I wasn't sure if this was a traditional drama almost like the old "ABC Afterschool Specials" of the 70's. But then it dove into this tension- filled, suspenseful section that almost alluded to a supernatural element to the plot (trying to not give any spoilers). So was a bit confused. I think directors/producers wanted to go for a faith-based story with more meat to it but it falls short. Actors performances lacked depth and didn't rise above material. Some of the writing was trite and very "on the nose" - a screen writing no-no.

BUT good points: well shot. Good cinematography and liked small town America location.

Overall, this movie is well done- not a blockbuster hit, but worth watching. I would say it is a drama much more than it would be a thriller. It reminds me of a TV show soap opera but a lot more wholesome. It has a sense of balance between dialogue, thrill, and redemption. If you look past the stale screenplay, it turns out to be a pretty decent movie. This would be a great movie for all those people who flip on the TV and start watching the first soap opera they come across- I know you're out there! Instead, you can watch this and feel a lot better about yourself :) I appreciate how realistically dark the subject matter gets, and how it doesn't force God into the whole business like an unrealistic band-aid to the problems that are happening. It gets at the confusion we feel when faced with issues like death, anxiety, lack of trust etc. and shows how difficult/ impossible it is to see God in all of it.

Plot twists kept me on my toes and guessing, and I found myself drawn into the rising action toward the end. The movie left me feeling good that I had watched it.

First things first, Wildflower is a good movie that has fallen victim to misrepresentation. As some of the other reviews have indicated, this movie has been mislabeled under the thriller category on netflix. Once you get past that, you will see that this isn't a thriller that missed it's mark, but rather it's a faith based drama that is well directed with some great cinematography.

The film was recommended by Netflix as part of thriller Friday... not entirely sure why.

The film gets off to a slow start and never really picks up and speed. It's starts with a random half story of the male lead which is loosely referee back to at points. All of a sudden it gets to the female lead with no introduction or back story.

It's a very safe film and somehow they manage to solve a 12 year old missing person case when we all know from cold case about the hard evidence you need before you can make any arrests.

It was all very miraculous, possibly aimed at Christian youth ministry movie nights, with plenty of moral story and no sign of ethnic minorities, no alcohol, swearing or even the faintest suggestion of sex.