Created by Mae Martin.
Wayward was released on September 25, 2025.
Distributed by Netflix.
Series Review
Wayward is a slow and chilling thriller that keeps you guessing.
The story is about two teenage girls sent to Tall Pines Academy, a place that looks perfect on the outside but hides dark secrets.
Toni Collette shines as the powerful and unsettling leader of the school, giving the show its strongest moments.
Alyvia Alyn Lind and Sydney Topliffe also do a great job, showing the struggles of girls trying to survive in a place that feels more like a trap than a home.
The show is full of suspense, with dark woods, creepy silence, and tense scenes that make you uneasy.
At times, the story moves slowly, and the ending tries to explain too much at once.
Still, it leaves a lasting impact with strong characters and haunting moments.
If you enjoy mysteries and psychological thrillers that build slowly, Wayward is a must-watch.
Ratings
• IMDb: 5.9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
• Google Audience Score: 58% liked this TV show.
Wayward Actors
Mae Martin as Alex Dempsey
DOB: May 2, 1987.
Bio: Canadian comedian, writer, and actor best known for creating and starring in the acclaimed Netflix series Feel Good.
Their work combines sharp comedic instincts with emotional honesty, often drawing from personal experiences.
Wayward marks a shift into darker, suspense-driven storytelling while showcasing Martin as both creator and lead actor.
Role: Alex Dempsey is a newly appointed small-town police officer who, along with their pregnant wife, moves to Tall Pines.
As Alex investigates the elite academy, they slowly uncover its sinister secrets.
The character’s outsider perspective is central to unraveling the mystery.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (8 eps).
What to Expect: A performance that balances wryness with fear and moral urgency, Mae pulls a skeptical cop into quietly terrifying territory.
Interesting facts: Martin created and showran the series; Wayward grew out of their interest in institutions that claim to “fix” youth.
Notable Works: Feel Good (creator/star), Taskmaster, stand-up comedy, writing credits (Can Everyone Please Calm Down?).
Alyvia Alyn Lind as Leila
DOB: July 27, 2007.
Bio: American actress who began her career in early childhood and has steadily built a strong résumé across daytime TV, horror, and teen dramas.
Known for The Young and the Restless and Chucky, she has earned praise for bringing depth and emotional maturity to complex roles far beyond her age.
Role: Leila is a troubled teen whose attempted escape and subsequent arrival at Tall Pines sparks the show’s central events.
Haunted by grief and defined by her stubborn independence, she becomes a catalyst for the unraveling of the academy’s carefully maintained façade.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (8 eps).
What to Expect: A raw, brave performance grounded in lived adolescent terror and fierce loyalty to friends.
Interesting facts: Lind has said in interviews she’s protective of Leila and worked closely with Martin on the character’s look and voice.
Notable Works: The Young and the Restless, Chucky, Daybreak, Blended.
Sydney Topliffe as Abbie
DOB: N/A
Bio: Sydney Topliffe is a Canadian actress whose background in theatre and dance helped her transition into screen acting.
After early stage work and smaller screen credits, she landed her breakout role in Wayward.
Role: Abbie is Leila’s best friend, reluctantly sent to Tall Pines by her parents.
Rebellious, impulsive, and quick to challenge authority, she embodies the teenage resistance to a system designed to control and “reform.”
Her friendship with Leila adds heart and urgency to the series.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (8 eps).
What to Expect: Naturalistic, brave teen acting that anchors the show’s peer dynamics.
Interesting facts: Topliffe trained in dance and theatre and has described the role as physically and emotionally demanding.
Notable Works: Wayward (breakout), Doin’ It (2024).
Toni Collette as Evelyn Wade
DOB: November 1, 1972.
Bio: Australian actress celebrated for her versatility across film, television, and stage.
She has earned an Academy Award nomination (The Sixth Sense), an Emmy and Golden Globe (United States of Tara), and widespread acclaim for her fearless performances in intense dramas (Hereditary) as well as comedies.
Role: Evelyn Wade is the enigmatic and authoritarian head of Tall Pines Academy.
Outwardly charismatic and persuasive, she hides a deeply controlling and dangerous nature.
Evelyn’s presence is central to the series’ exploration of power, secrecy, and institutional abuse, making her both a formidable antagonist and the linchpin of the mystery.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (8 eps).
What to Expect: A committed, chilling turn, Collette makes Evelyn magnetic and terrifying in equal measure.
Interesting facts: Collette has spoken about choosing work that challenges audiences; here she leans into a role that looks at institutional power.
Notable Works: The Sixth Sense, Hereditary, United States of Tara.
Sarah Gadon as Laura Redman
DOB: April 4, 1987.
Bio: Canadian actress known for her elegance, subtlety, and emotional depth across film and television.
A former National Ballet School student before turning to acting, she has built a career defined by nuanced performances in both Canadian and international projects.
Role: Laura Redman is Alex Dempsey’s pregnant wife and a former student of Tall Pines Academy.
Her return to the institution carries hidden scars and unresolved trauma, making her one of the show’s most emotionally complex figures.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (8 eps).
What to Expect: Tender but haunted scenes; Gadon’s performance reveals slow-burning memories and moral complexity.
Interesting facts: Gadon is a frequent collaborator on Canadian features and often mixes indie projects with larger series work.
Notable Works: Alias Grace, Enemy, A Dangerous Method.
John Daniel as Rory
DOB: N/A
Bio: John Daniel is a rising Canadian actor whose work on Wayward marks his first major screen role.
With a background in smaller regional projects and training, he has quickly transitioned into Netflix’s international spotlight.
Role: Rory is a student at Tall Pines who befriends Abbie and becomes both an ally and an emotional anchor as she and Leila navigate the academy’s dark environment.
His perspective adds weight to the students’ collective experience, and his vulnerability makes him a crucial witness to the school’s secrets.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (7 eps).
What to Expect: Honest young-actor work that adds real stakes to the students’ world.
Interesting facts: Filmed near his hometown; Daniel has noted the surreal shift from school to major set life.
Notable Works: Wayward (breakout).
Elizabeth Adams as Ello
DOB: N/A
Bio: Elizabeth Adams is a Canadian stage and screen performer who trained at Toronto Metropolitan University’s BFA Theatre program.
With strong roots in stage performance, she has recently begun transitioning into screen roles, with Wayward marking her first breakout television appearance.
Role: Ello is Leila’s roommate at Tall Pines, offering both friendship and friction as the pressures of the academy intensify.
Through her character, the show reveals how peer dynamics and subtle hierarchies shape the students’ survival inside the institution.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (4 eps).
What to Expect: Grounded ensemble work that lends the student body texture and authenticity.
Interesting facts: Adams comes from Toronto’s theatre scene and brings stage-honed presence to TV.
Notable Works: Wayward (breakout).
Milton Torres Lara as Daniel
DOB: July 1, 2001.
Bio: Milton Torres Lara is a first-generation Latino-Canadian actor whose career is on the rise.
He has built a foundation through indie projects and emerging television credits, with Wayward serving as his most significant early breakout role.
Role: Daniel is a Tall Pines student whose backstory becomes entangled with Leila’s arrival and the mystery of the academy.
His perspective provides key insight into what life inside Tall Pines is like, adding emotional depth and a sense of realism to the narrative.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (5 eps).
What to Expect: Authentic, young-actor groundings that convey the school’s pressure and fear.
Interesting facts: Torres Lara has spoken about representing first-gen experiences onscreen.
Notable Works: Wayward (early breakout).
Joshua Close as Duck
DOB: August 31, 1981.
Bio: Canadian actor with a steady career across film and television.
Known for his ability to disappear into roles, he has portrayed everything from troubled everymen to icy authority figures.
Role: Duck is a senior staff member at Tall Pines, overseeing the boys’ side of the academy.
While he presents himself as stern but fair, his loyalties to the institution and its abusive practices make him a subtle but dangerous antagonist.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (7 eps).
What to Expect: Controlled menace, Close’s Duck exemplifies the show’s theme that “nice” adults can be complicit.
Interesting facts: Close has worked in both indie film and larger TV productions and often plays ambiguous authority figures.
Notable Works: In Their Skin, The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
Tattiawna Jones as Rabbit
DOB: November 30, 1984.
Bio: Canadian actor and playwright with a diverse career spanning television, film, and stage.
She is known for her ability to bring grit, empathy, and intensity to her roles, often playing complex authority figures or women under pressure.
Role: Rabbit is the head staffer responsible for the girls at Tall Pines Academy.
She embodies the institution’s strict, ritualized discipline, enforcing its codes with severity while serving as a key instrument of control.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (7 eps).
What to Expect: Hard-edged scenes that reveal how the school polices girls’ bodies and behavior.
Interesting facts: Jones has also written for stage and is an outspoken advocate for representation in Canadian media.
Notable Works: Murderbot, Strange Empire.
Patrick J. Adams as Wyatt Turner
DOB: August 27, 1981.
Bio: Canadian actor best known for his acclaimed role as Mike Ross on Suits.
Trained at the University of Southern California, he has since broadened his range with theatre and television roles that challenge his “good guy” image.
Role: Wyatt Turner is a guidance counselor from Abbie and Leila’s former school who reappears in connection with Tall Pines Academy.
Outwardly kind and trustworthy, he hides manipulative tendencies and deeper ties to the institution’s network of control.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (2 eps).
What to Expect: Polished, unsettling work, Adams leans into the creepiness of a trusted adult who is not what he seems.
Interesting facts: Adams had a long friendship with creator Mae Martin and was cast because Martin wanted to play against his typically “nice guy” screen image.
Notable Works: Suits, Luck, Old School (stage), various Canadian and American TV credits.
Patrick Gallagher as Chief Bartell
DOB: February 21, 1968.
Bio: Canadian actor with a long career spanning film, television, and stage.
Known for his versatility, he often plays tough, pragmatic characters and has appeared in projects ranging from prestige dramas to comedies.
Role: Chief Bartell is the small-town police chief whose quiet alliance with Tall Pines ensures the academy’s secrecy is preserved.
He embodies the complicity of local institutions, showing how power structures collude to suppress truth.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (3 eps).
What to Expect: Gruff, world-weary angles on town authority and the moral compromises officials make.
Interesting facts: Gallagher’s long resume in film and TV adds a reliable gravitas to the small-town power structure.
Notable Works: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Sideways, Glee.
More Actors
• Tricia Black as Mule.
• Feaven Abera as Kendall.
• Brandon Jay McLaren as Dwayne.
• Gage Munroe as Riley.
• Byron Mann as Brian (Abbie’s father).
• Isolde Ardies as Stacey.
FAQ – Wayward TV Series
What is the Wayward series about?
Wayward is about two teenage girls who escape a strict academy and uncover dark secrets in a small Vermont town.
Is the story based on a true incident?
No, the series is fictional, though Mae Martin has said it was inspired in part by real concerns about troubled-teen institutions and some real experiences.
How many episodes are in Season 1 and how long are they?
Season 1 is an 8-episode limited series, with episodes running about 40–50 minutes each.
Where was Wayward filmed?
Although set in Vermont, it was filmed in Ontario, Canada, locations include Millbrook, Toronto and nearby conservation areas.
Is Wayward a limited series or will there be a Season 2?
It was released as a limited series, but the finale leaves room for more.
Creators and cast have expressed interest in continuing, and Netflix has not officially renewed it yet. More from People
Conclusion
Wayward delivers a tense and unsettling story that blends mystery, drama, and psychological suspense.
With strong performances and an eerie atmosphere, the series pulls viewers into its dark world while keeping them questioning what is real and who can be trusted.
Though the pacing may feel slow at times, the payoff is worth it for those who enjoy character-driven thrillers.
It’s a show that lingers in your mind long after the credits roll.