‘Wayward’ on Netflix: A smart, creepy thriller with strong LGBTQIA+ representation
Alyvia Alyn Lind attends Netflix's "Wayward" world premiere on September 09, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. Picture: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Netflix/AFP
Image: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Netflix/AFP
There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good, mysterious thriller, and Netflix’s Wayward delivers on all those fronts and more.
Written, created, and starring in the main role is Mae Martin, who plays trans man Alex, who returns to his pregnant partner Laura’s hometown of Tall Pines.
The eight-episode series explores themes of LGBTQIA+, self-acceptance, coming-of-age, cult ideology and mind control in a small town set in 2003.
We soon learn that there is a prison-like institution in the town for troubled teens called Tally Pines Academy.
Evelyn Wade’s Menacing Cult Leadership and Leila’s Close Bond with Abbie in the Series
This is run by Evelyn Wade, who appears in every sense to be less of a principal and more of a menacing cult leader, played by the quite brilliant Toni Collette. Her performance alone makes this a series worth watching.
One of the main protagonists of the series, Leila (played by Alyvia Alyn Lind), comes from a broken home with just her mother around. Leila has an extremely close bond with her best friend Abbie (Sydney Topliffe), who comes from a stereotypical rigid Asian upbringing.
Abbie’s parents naturally don’t want her hanging around Leila, and the pair swiftly find themselves ‘locked up’ at Tall Pines Academy.
Unraveling the Mystery: Alex’s Battle Against Evelyn at Tall Pines Academy
Meanwhile, Alex, who joins the local police force, whose fears of not fitting in due to his sexual identity as a trans man are surprisingly quickly allayed by his cop partner Dwayne.
That lulls Alex into a false sense of security, as there are far more sinister forces at work in the town.
As Alex becomes involved with investigating Tall Pines Academy and its 18 children that have ‘disappeared’ over the years.
From there, the storylines of the various characters are interwoven, with a focus on the many children at the academy and how they are forced to conform against their every instinct. The symbolism of this and what LGBTQIA+ have to go through in their lives is clear.
The history of the academy is also explored, and how a young Evelyn took over a new cult through co-ordinating violent acts to transform into a following that deals solely with adolescents, under the guise of a school.
With Alex pitted against Evelyn, it’s a constant struggle to find out what happened to all the missing children and what actually goes on behind closed doors at the academy.
While the pacing at times throughout the series can be slow, it’s never boring and a story that’s quite addictive. There are also a number of twists, that make it an entertaining watch.