Netflix’s Disturbing New Thriller Exposes the Dark Truth Behind ‘Troubled Teen’ Programs That Parents Don’t Want You to Know

Canadian comedian and actor Mae Martin departs from the autobiographical comedy of Feel Good to deliver Wayward, an eight-episode limited series that unflinchingly examines the troubled teen industry. Debuting exclusively on Netflix, this production marks one of the platform’s first original series developed in Canada, and signals Martin’s evolution from personal memoir to social thriller.

A Seemingly Idyllic Facade

Wayward situates its drama in Tall Pines, Vermont—a town whose gentle landscapes and tight-knit community belie the horrors within the Tall Pines Academy. Detective Alex Dempsey (Martin) and their pregnant wife Laura (Sarah Gadon) arrive seeking refuge from urban life. Laura, a former academy resident, hopes to reconnect with her roots before their child’s birth. Yet the academy’s headmistress, Evelyn Wade (Toni Collette), wields her authority through a blend of maternal warmth and coercive control, subjecting troubled adolescents to psychological regimens masquerading as therapy.

“The series explores what happens when the characters from Booksmart are placed in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, as Martin described their conceptual approach”.

Protagonists and Antagonists

Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind), two academy wards, catalyze the narrative when they attempt a harrowing escape. Alex, compelled by professional duty and mounting paternal concern, uncovers evidence of systemic abuse. Evelyn’s influence over both the students and Tall Pines’ residents complicates any straightforward exposure of the academy’s methods.

Martin’s Alex navigates a dual conflict: the protective instinct of an expectant parent and the investigative rigor of a detective. This role demands a performance that balances vulnerability with resolve—qualities Martin mastered in Feel Good and now applies to a character confronting institutional malfeasance. Collette’s Evelyn draws on her distinguished thriller résumé—her trauma-infused turn in Hereditary and her restrained authority in The Sixth Sense—to craft a villain whose benevolence conceals predation. Gadon’s Laura, whose polished exterior hides lifelong manipulation, embodies generational trauma as both cautionary tale and emotional anchor.

Wayward

Unpacking the Troubled Teen Industry

Wayward’s narrative springs from Martin’s research and personal connections: a close friend’s experience in a wilderness program during adolescence shaped the story’s core. The troubled teen industry—encompassing wilderness therapy, therapeutic boarding schools and residential centers—operates largely unregulated in the United States, facilitating practices ranging from coercive group therapy to physical restraint. High-profile advocacy, notably Paris Hilton’s legislative testimony, and investigative documentaries such as Netflix’s The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping, have illuminated abuses, yet survivor voices often struggle against institutional opacity.

“Critics describe Wayward as a series that demands to be binge-watched, noting its compelling examination of institutional abuse through thriller conventions”.

By exposing the mechanisms these facilities use to enlist parental anxiety—promising “safety” while inflicting trauma—Wayward achieves a blend of thriller suspense and social critique. The series interrogates how definitions of “problematic behavior” are weaponized to justify extreme therapeutic interventions, and how entire communities become complicit in perpetuating harm.

Crafting Suspense Through Design and Structure

Wayward capitalizes on contrast: Tall Pines’ pastoral exteriors, filmed in Toronto and Millbrook, Ontario, hide a labyrinth of corridors, surveillance and locked doors. The production, under its original title Tall Pines, leverages Toronto’s varied locales to evoke both Americana and psychological unease. The symbolic absence of interior doors in local homes underscores the erosion of privacy—an echo of the academy’s invasive protocols.

Spanning eight episodes, the series maintains a tight thriller pace while allowing character arcs to deepen. Directors Euros Lyn, Renuka Jeyapalan and John Fawcett orchestrate a visual language of shadows and unsettling wide shots, reinforcing the narrative’s thematic focus on surveillance and masqueraded benevolence. Writers including Evangeline Ordaz, Kim Steele and Misha Osherovich contribute distinct voices, ensuring thematic coherence without sacrificing episodic originality.

Cultural and Industry Significance

Wayward arrives amid Netflix’s strategic expansion into local-language and regionally produced content, with over half of its 2024 production budget allocated outside North America. The series exemplifies this approach: Canadian talent crafts a story with universal resonance, addressing systemic abuse in a format accessible to global audiences.

“Wilderness therapy programs alone enroll approximately 12,000 children annually, operating with minimal regulation despite documented cases of abuse and at least 10 deaths attributed to these programs”.

As public scrutiny intensifies and survivor-led campaigns seek stricter oversight of troubled teen facilities, Wayward’s fictionalized exposé underscores the urgency of reform. By dramatizing real-world patterns of coercion and trauma, the series amplifies advocates’ calls for transparency and regulation.

Wayward

Final Thoughts

With Wayward, Mae Martin cements a new creative era, merging psychological thriller conventions with incisive social commentary. Toni Collette’s commanding performance elevates the series’ critique of institutional power, while Martin’s multifaceted role as creator, showrunner and lead anchors the drama in lived experience. As Netflix subscribers confront the chilling realities behind adolescent “reform,” Wayward challenges viewers to question the cost of so-called salvation. The series premieres on Netflix on September 25, 2025.