Wayward Kelly (Nika McGuigan) returns home after several years away. Her sister Lauren (Nora-Jane Noone) isn’t as welcoming as one would expect considering how worried she has been. Slowly, the iciness between them melts, and the pair are closer than ever, but revelations about their mother’s death will see both women spiral into a collision course with disaster.
Set in modern Ireland amidst the backdrop of Brexiting Britain, Wildfire is a thoughtful study of shared trauma and how it manifests itself in different ways within different people. Lauren is the more sensible and responsible of the pair; Kelly more of a manic carefree spirit. It doesn’t take long however, for Kelly to influence her sister, and their codependence takes on a dangerous life of its own. Their appetite for destruction is their shared coping mechanism, but is ultimately one that causes them further damage.
Sadly, Nika McGuigan passed away in July 2019 whilst Wildfire was in post-production. Luckily, her performance as Kelly offers a brilliant legacy, demonstrating that her talent was worthy of going much further than she was given the opportunity to. The character has a vast amount of mystery surrounding her. Kelly’s disappearance is mentioned throughout the film, but the circumstances of her vanishing, and just what she got up to in the time away, is never fully explored. As Kelly, McGuigan is a melting pot of emotion and anarchy, with her vulnerability always bubbling just under the surface.
McGuigan is just one half of the film though, with Noone taking on the equally challenging Lauren. Whereas Kelly is unchanging, we see Lauren morph from one form to another. When we first meet her, she is quiet, focused, and practical, but her proximity to Kelly sees her true form revealed. Being the sister that has been left behind has taken its toll on her, being the constant source of gossip and ridicule from the small-minded townsfolk around her. She has been drowning in the pressure to keep up appearances and it is only when reunited with her sister that she feels empowered enough to stand up and speak out. The pair make for excellent scene partners and could very easily pass for sisters.
Wildfire has an engaging beginning as we see estranged sisters reunited. The story then becomes even more intriguing as we uncover family secrets and hear the whispers around town about the pair. It maintains this engagement for much of the film, but just falls short during the concluding chapter during which the drama gives way to a smidge too much melodrama. It also frustratingly feels like it’s five-to-ten minutes off of a more satisfying ending. A few further tweaks here and there and Wildfire has the potential to be something uniquely arresting. As it stands though, it can’t quite rise above being a solidly average drama.
Wildfire
Summary
An engaging study of shared emotional trauma, Wildfire’s interest ultimately wanes, and ends weaker than one would hope.
