Start with a story about a horny teenager and a conservative religious family, and you’d generally wind up with the broadest possible social satire—so perhaps Chilean co-writer/director Marialy Rivas’ debut feature feels stronger because of its distinctive approach. With her everyday life controlled by her strict evangelical Christian mother (Aline Kuppenheim), 17-year-old Daniela (Alicia Luz Rodríguez) channels much of her sexual frustration into her autobiographical blog—until her friendship with a pair of co-workers at a Christian television station (María Gracia Omegna and Felipe Pinto) begins a complicated triangle. Rivas’ visuals capture the spiky energy of Daniela’s rebellion, as well as the uncensored world of online anonymity, all while providing a multi-layered view of the believers from whom Daniela feels so disconnected, though the supporting characters are never developed in quite the depth that would have made the film truly exceptional. For all the jabs at repressive creeds voiced through Daniela,
Young and Wild ultimately comes around to a clear-eyed look at the potential consequences of unrestrained acting-out, and the often necessary step of screwing up on the way to growing up. (Scott Renshaw)
