Wildwood: indie adventure film captures that childhood wonder

Wildwood is a short drama from writers Chloe Chippendale and Tami Snodgrass that taps into something a lot of us miss: that feeling of real danger and wonder you got watching adventure films as a kid. It's about kids in the woods, which is about as simple as it gets—and that simplicity is the whole point.

What is Wildwood?

A short film, not a feature, so you're looking at around 20 minutes. It premiered in August 2025 and stars Luca Apple, Brian Beckmann and Cherie Chetyrbok. Chippendale directed it, with Chippendale and Snodgrass writing—which matters: this is a personal vision, not a studio product with notes from five producers.

Watch it: The Goonies (1985) Blu-ray on Amazon (The story directly compares Wildwood to Goonies-style adventure; this is the spiritual predecessor that defined the genr)

Why is it getting buzz?

In an era where most films feel like they're selling you something or teaching you a lesson, Wildwood just lets kids be kids in a woods and trusts the audience to feel it. No voiceover. No moral. Just the real tension of being young and in over your head. That's rare enough now that people are talking about it.

What's the story?

Kids in the woods facing a situation. The premise is straightforward, and the film doesn't complicate it with exposition or messaging. It respects the material and the audience in the same way the best adventure films of the 80s and early 90s did—the kind that made Jonny Quest and those after-school adventures feel real because the danger was real and the kids felt like themselves.

Is it worth your time?

If you've got 20 minutes and you're tired of bloated, effects-heavy films that forget what made adventure feel genuine, yes. Wildwood reminds you why you loved those old adventure stories in the first place: because they trusted you to understand the stakes without spelling them out.

Quick answers

Is Wildwood a full movie or a short?

It's a short film, around 20 minutes long. Directed by Chloe Chippendale and released in August 2025.

What's it about?

Kids in the woods. That's the premise. It trusts the audience to feel the tension and wonder without spelling it out.

Does it have a message or a moral?

No. It's straightforward storytelling about kids in a situation, which is part of why people are responding to it.

Who wrote and directed it?

Chloe Chippendale directed and co-wrote it with Tami Snodgrass. Stars Luca Apple, Brian Beckmann and Cherie Chetyrbok.