Netflix’s Wayward Is a Creepy Genre-Bending Thriller With Mae Martin and Toni Collette

A picture-perfect small town. A school for troubled teenagers. A charismatic woman who seems to know far more than she should.

That is the unsettling setup behind Netflix’s eight-part thriller Wayward, created by and starring Mae Martin. Set in the seemingly idyllic town of Tall Pines, the limited series promises a dark mystery built around secrets, suspicion, friendship and the uneasy divide between generations. Netflix describes it as a thriller in which a small-town police officer begins to suspect that the local school and its dangerously charismatic founder are hiding something much darker.

Martin, known for the Netflix comedy-drama Feel Good as well as stand-up, takes the lead as police officer Alex Dempsey. Opposite them is Toni Collette as Evelyn Wade, the mysterious leader of Tall Pines Academy, a school supposedly designed for troubled teens.

The combination gives Wayward an unusual tone. It has the ingredients of a psychological thriller and mystery, but Martin has also described the series as a genre-bending story, with humor alongside its darker material. Netflix likewise classifies the show as a thriller, mystery and drama.

Watch the trailer for Wayward

The official trailer offers a first look at Tall Pines and the disturbing secrets hidden beneath its welcoming surface. As Alex settles into the community, the town’s carefully maintained image begins to crack, while the students at Tall Pines Academy appear increasingly desperate to get away.

The trailer was released by Netflix on August 28, 2025, ahead of the series premiere on September 25.

What is Wayward about?

At first glance, Tall Pines looks like the kind of quiet, picturesque town where nothing particularly troubling could happen. But that impression quickly begins to unravel.

The story follows Alex Dempsey after he moves to Tall Pines with his pregnant wife, Laura. Soon after arriving, Alex encounters Abbie and Leila, two students at the town’s school for troubled teenagers. Both girls desperately want to escape, and their experiences may hold the key to understanding what is really happening in the community.

Alex becomes increasingly suspicious after a series of unusual incidents. His investigation eventually leads back to Evelyn Wade, the enigmatic figure running Tall Pines Academy.

The school is presented as an institution for troubled teens, but the further Alex looks, the more questions emerge about Evelyn and the methods used at the academy.

At the center of the story are Abbie and Leila, whose attempts to break free become intertwined with Alex’s investigation. Their experiences could expose the darker side of Tall Pines and reveal secrets that the town has managed to keep buried.

Netflix describes Wayward as a story about the ongoing conflict between one generation and the next, while also exploring what happens when friendship and loyalty are pushed to their limits.

Mae Martin leads the cast

Martin stars as Alex Dempsey, the newcomer to Tall Pines whose suspicions set the investigation in motion.

Toni Collette plays Evelyn Wade, the school’s mysterious leader. Collette’s role is particularly central to the show’s unsettling atmosphere, with Evelyn positioned at the heart of the mystery surrounding Tall Pines Academy.

Sarah Gadon plays Laura Redman, Alex’s pregnant wife. Sydney Topliffe and Alyvia Alyn Lind play the teenagers Abbie and Leila, respectively.

The main cast also includes Patrick J. Adams as Wyatt Turner, Tattiawna Jones as Rabbit and Brandon Jay McLaren as Dwyane Andrews.

Other cast members include Isolde Ardies, Joshua Close, Patrick Gallagher, Gage Munroe and Byron Mann. Netflix’s official cast listing also identifies Isolde Ardies as Stacey, Joshua Close as Duck, Patrick Gallagher as Chief Bartell, Gage Munroe as Riley and Byron Mann as Brian.

A darker side of adolescence

Although Wayward is built around a mystery, its central ideas reach beyond the immediate events in Tall Pines.

The series examines the relationship between adults and teenagers, particularly the tension that can develop between generations. The troubled-teen school sits at the center of that conflict, with Abbie and Leila attempting to maintain their independence while dealing with an institution that has its own ideas about how they should change.

Netflix describes the series as exploring the darker side of the troubled-teen industry, while the show’s genre mix allows the story to move between thriller, horror and comedy.

The result is a story where the idyllic setting of Tall Pines contrasts sharply with the increasingly disturbing events taking place inside it.

When was Wayward released?

Wayward premiered on Netflix on September 25, 2025, with all eight episodes forming a complete limited series. Netflix’s official listing confirms the eight-episode structure, beginning with “Tall Pines” and concluding with “Leap.”

The series was created by Mae Martin, who also stars as Alex Dempsey. Ryan Scott served as co-showrunner and executive producer alongside Martin, while Euros Lyn joined the project as a director and executive producer. Renuka Jeyapalan and John Fawcett also directed episodes.

For anyone drawn to unsettling mysteries, sinister small towns and stories where the people in control may not be what they seem, Wayward offers an intriguing trip to Tall Pines.

And judging by the trailer, getting out may prove considerably harder than getting in.