Cancel Your Plans: Netflix’s Wayward Is the Unsettling Thriller You’ll Devour in One Sitting

Netflix and thrillers – two things that rarely let me down, especially when they land together. Ever since 'You' first turned up in 2018 and made me mildly obsessed with all things Joe Goldberg, I'm always sniffing around for the next show to scratch that itch. And honestly, Netflix has been delivering this year (if you know where to look). Amongst the latest crop of moody thrillers and offbeat oddities, the one that's really stuck with me is 'Wayward'.

It crept onto Netflix last autumn – not with a bang, but with a sort of unsettling smirk. Eight episodes, a strong cast (including a certain Oscar-nominated legend), and a premise that's equal parts unnerving and intriguing. 'Wayward' is what you'd get if you mashed up small-town secrets, troubled teens, and just enough weirdness to keep you guessing, but never slipping fully into horror territory. In other words, the ideal weekend binge if you enjoy a healthy dose of brilliant actors doing odd things for reasons that aren't obvious straight away.

Here’s the Setup

The bulk of 'Wayward' unfolds in Tall Pines, a quiet little place that you probably wouldn't want to visit in real life. The local star is Evelyn Wade, played by Toni Collette, who’s at her unsettling best running an academy for so-called troubled kids, even though she’s got a list of her own issues that’s longer than the roll call. Enter Alex Dempsey (Mae Martin) and Laura Redman (Sarah Gordon) – they're new in town, they’re expecting a baby, and as you'd hope, they begin to peel back the layers on this very bizarre community.

There's no shortage of compelling performances. Toni Collette, having already proved she can dominate TV in 'The United States of Tara', is simply electric here. Mark McKinney makes an impression, and Patrick J. Adams gives us a deeply unlikeable high school guidance counsellor – you’ll be surprised how much you want to shake him by episode three. But for me, the show belongs to the teenagers: Sydney Topliffe’s Abbie and Alyvia Alyn Lind’s Leila, whose journeys through the academy deliver some of the sharpest character work I've seen in a while.

This One’s Proper Odd… and That’s the Point

If you like your thrillers just a touch bizarre, 'Wayward' is bang on. It’s tackling heavy subjects: dodgy boarding schools, damaged families, pregnancy shocks, what it means to be young and desperate for a bit of hope. But for all that heft, it's genuinely eccentric – not in a wacky way, just… odd. Expect toads. Expect awkward secrets. And an ending that’ll have you pondering (or arguing) about it for days afterwards.

Evelyn herself might be one of the most unapologetically weird characters on telly right now. She basically waltzes through the academy like she’s in her own musical, ignoring everyone around her, hiding quite a lot, and somehow remaining just likeable enough that you want to find out what makes her tick. The writers give her a proper backstory too – so you never feel like the show’s just being strange for the sake of it.

"I love that 'Wayward' is partly set in my hometown of Toronto, but truthfully, the real draw is how it manages its tone – smart, off-kilter, and laser-focused on the nightmare of having adults run (and ruin) your life."

Despite the age difference, it’s not just a 'troubled teens' series – adults Alex and Laura are struggling to start over, the kids are fighting for a future, and everyone’s dragging some sort of personal baggage. No one's coasting through life here.

Cast List (Pay Attention – It’s a Who’s Who):

• Toni Collette as Evelyn Wade (the unflappable head of Tall Pines Academy)
• Mae Martin as Alex Dempsey (moving in, expecting a baby, not a local… yet)
• Sarah Gordon as Laura Redman (Alex’s partner, just as in over her head as Alex)
• Sydney Topliffe as Abbie (one of the more intriguing teen residents)
• Alyvia Alyn Lind as Leila (another standout from the academy)
• Mark McKinney (as… something of a scene-stealer, role worth watching)
• Patrick J. Adams (the guidance counsellor with not much guidance to give)

Why I’m Fine with Zero Season 2

Look, Netflix is as likely to cancel your new favourite show as they are to renew it, especially if it’s not a mass-market smash. Sometimes that’s infuriating, sometimes it’s just how it goes (see: every conversation I’ve had since 2018). With some recent thrillers still in renewal limbo (like 'Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen', another Duffer Brothers special), I genuinely didn’t expect 'Wayward' to return. That might sound odd, given how much I enjoyed Abbie and Leila in particular, but honestly, I don't think it needs a second season.

'Wayward' knows how to stick the landing. It wraps up most of what it sets up, does justice to its central figures, and still leaves the door ever-so-slightly ajar if someone at Netflix ever fancies a revisit. For once, I’m not clamouring for more. The binge is worth it as is. If you haven’t given it a go, set aside a weekend and thank me later.