Sundance 2020: “Wendy” is a lyrical and wondrous retelling of “Peter Pan” from the director of “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

Sundance 2020: “Wendy”

Eight years ago, storyteller Benh Zeitlin burst on to the filmmaking scene with a lyrical, youthful, and wondrous little film called “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” That movie would go on to win major awards at both Sundance and Cannes before garnering a handful of Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Now, Zeitlin — who had many big Hollywood projects to choose from following the success of “Beasts” — is back with another lyrical, youthful, and wonderous film, this one… A reimagining of “Peter Pan,” aptly titled, “Wendy.”

In this offbeat and often fantastical modern retelling of the classic J.M. Barrie story, the majority of the action follows young, adventure-craving Wendy as she and her twin brothers flee their impoverished rural south home town by way of a train where they meet Peter, an energetic youngster who eventually whisks them away to an island where they can be free to “never grow up.” Shortly thereafter, Wendy finds herself on a sometimes magical sometimes harsh odyssey of self-discovery in which she learns about the value of family, the importance of mothers, and the truth about adulthood. Her youthful adventure also brings her face to face with a familiar foe — but not necessarily in the way you might be expecting.

And this is one of the most intriguing aspects of “Wendy.” It is not a straightforward adaptation of “Peter Pan.” The familiar beats are certainly there, but Zeitlin takes some pretty interesting liberties with the source material, particularly when it comes to some of the inhabitants of the island and even more so when it comes to the origin of a famed character from the original text. And while “Wendy” is acceptable for younger audiences, it should be noted that this film is a little dark (and rough) around the edges. In other words, there are a few moments that might scare the under-10 crowd.

As was the case with “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Zeitlin works with fresh faces here.  The predominantly juvenile cast is simply wonderful, and since the majority of these little ones are new to the scene, they bring a naturalistic vibe to the proceedings — most notably lead Devin France. She carries this film by bringing the prerequisite rambunctious spirit of youth in spades but also by fashioning a Wendy who is wise beyond her years.

From a directing standpoint, Zeitlin does some pretty creative stuff in this picture. “Wendy” has a vibe that recalls the work of Terrence Malick and Spike Jonze’s take on “Where the Wild Things Are.” Further props to this imaginative storyteller for actually creating a tactile environment, allowing these kids to be kids on screen.

“Wendy” isn’t perfect. There are moments that feel a tad rushed. One unexpected character arc in particular might have benefited from a little more development. Additionally, the ending of the picture doesn’t quite pack the emotional punch it seems to be going for, partly because it feels a tad contradictory to Wendy’s thought process during her final moments on the island. Finally, it should be noted that the second half of the picture doesn’t quite live up to the magical and whimsical setup. Still, Zeitlin has fashioned a gorgeous production with real locations, intimate cinematography (the underwater photography is particularly breathtaking), a colorful score (even if it is a little derivative of Zeitln’s own “Beasts of the Southern Wild” score), and a wonderfully appealing cast of fresh faces who are simply alive in every sense of the word.

Ultimately, “Wendy” might not be as effective as a whole as Zeitlin’s debut. But it’s still a worthy followup and suggests that we’ll be seeing a lot more from this terrific filmmaker in the future. And quite frankly, for my money, this reimagining works where movies like Steven Spielberg’s beloved “Hook” and Joe Wright’s little-seen “Peter Pan” came up short.

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