Her unruly behavior instigated her transfer to Rust Bank's all-girls Catholic school, where she will be "reformed" according to the wicked priest who runs it, Father Bests (James Hong). Kat knows that there’s more to his intentions, but that’s not her problem.
Her problem is the school’s trio of determined it-girls, Siobhan (Tamara Smart), Sloane (Seema Virdi), and Sweetie (Ramona Young), who pester her. Sister Helly (Angela Bassett) and Raúl (Sam Zelaya) want to help her and be her friend, but that itself is a botheration. Her greatest dilemma turns out to be the marking on her hand resembling a skull as it connects her to two demon brothers, Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Jordan Peele).
Wendell and Wild live in a prison inside the nose of the monstrous demon, Buffalo Belzer (Ving Rhames). They spend most of their time putting rejuvenating hair cream on Belzer’s head, but their true desire is to build and manage their own amusement park. Since they couldn't make it in the underworld, they tricked the unsuspecting Kat into summoning them in the real world. In exchange, they will bring her dead parents back to life.
As expected, things didn’t turn out as Kat wanted. Wendell and Wild cannot "really" bring the dead back to life, and everything they said to her is a lie. Now she must stop them before they join forces with Father Bests and make a deal with corrupt politicians to carry out their plan at the expense of the whole town.
"Wendell & Wild" is Henry Selick’s return to directing after creating two of the most influential stop-motion movies of all time ("Caroline" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas"). Selick's movies stand out because they mix macabre and strange elements into stories for kids. They also have a constant theme of curiosity and exploration, which is done in a way that is impressive in design, form, and technique.
With that said, "Wendell & Wild" ticks all the boxes of a Selick stop-motion picture, from the horrid bugs and ghouls to the creepy atmosphere. It’s a Halloween bonanza with no shortage of imaginative ideas. In its 105-minute run, it’s able to mix clairvoyants, demons, and zombies into one and yet make the corrupt politicians the real enemy of the narrative.
Famous comedian, writer, and director Jordan Peele co-wrote "Wendell & Wild" with Selick. And his involvement in the film really shows, as it touches on cultural, social, and political issues. A surprising theme in a Selick film, but a familiar motif for Peele. His input gives the film a sense of purpose, and although it is not expected for kids to understand these problems in society, it sure opens discussion about trust, guilt, and standing up for what’s right.
"Wendell & Wild" actually has a lot of elements to it that would open a lot of discourse between parents and children. For starters, the story is literally about a kid making a deal with the devil. That itself is something to talk about, and it would really require a grown-up to rationalize Kat’s decision. In this film, no one is really good or really bad. There’s always a mix of both. And the topic of change can be a tangible point of discussion. Beyond that, it deals with death head-on. Denial, grief, fear, and acceptance are also tackled with a more mature perspective compared to Disney films. Hence, if you care about responsible media consumption, an adult eye is needed.
The structure is also a little messy. Towards the end, it feels like the film wants to tidy things up and rush all necessary lessons and developments into a short 10 minutes. It doesn’t help that most of the events happening in between oscillate between Father Best and Kat. Although both are equally entertaining, the flow of the narrative gets disrupted so quickly that you'd really have to pay attention all throughout to get the point.
For sure, "Wendell & Wild" can be devilishly fun to watch during Halloween nights in Netflix. But it is not something that is too cute to spook like other children's films. It would be challenging for younger viewers to understand it. And parents would really need to pay attention if they want their child to get something meaningful out of it rather than all of its mindless fun.
2.5/5
