
I went into Wildcat expecting a very straightforward documentary about wild cats but instead it ended up being something quite fascinating. The documentary follows Harry a young British veteran who got back from Afghanistan who is struggling with PTSD he meets Samantha an American scientist where they both foster baby Ocelots. The first bit of the documentary is about an Ocelot named Khan who sadly suffers from a tragic fate which completely destroys Harry emotionally, then the rest of the documentary follows another Ocelot named Keanu. The way Harry’s PTSD is connected to his love for these animals is truly gut wrenching at times, there’s moments where he completely breaks down and describes what he saw in Afghanistan that completely destroyed him. He also deals with self-harm saying he wants to be happy and that Samantha (the founder of the non-profit organization that helps these animals) plus Keanu makes him happy. It’s truly heartbreaking seeing Harry in pain, luckily he really helps Keanu get released back into the wild. Wildcat is a such a beautiful documentary that’s also really heartbreaking as well, Harry really pours his heart into Keanu even when he’s at his lowest point mentally, being alone in the jungle for a long period of time could most definitely affect someone’s mental health especially given Harry’s PTSD and suicidal thoughts. As far as filmmaking goes the documentary is beautiful, the jungle is truly wonderful to look at, the many close up shots are personal and add so much power to the documentary. Despite some of the heavy topics discussed in the documentary, it leaves as a very hopeful one, the documentary leaves the viewer with this inspiring and pretty satisfying energy that really matches the film. At it’s core the documentary is very heartwarming, it gave both Harry and Keanu a second chance to adapt and come out on top.
Wildcat is available on Amazon Prime Video.
9/10 A