The Weirdest Psychological Thriller of 2025

Netflix’s Wayward is definitely the weirdest TV present you’ll watch this yr. The psychological thriller, which premiered on the streaming platform on September 25, 2025, was created by comic Mae Martin, who doubles because the sequence’ star. Martin seems alongside Toni Collette, Sarah Gadon, Sydney Topliffe, and Alyvia Alyn Lind, every of whom contributes fantastically to Wayward‘s weird story.

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Wayward follows Martin’s Alex, who strikes to a brand new city along with his spouse, Laura (Gadon), for a contemporary begin. Their new residence of Tall Pines initially seems to be idyllic. The residents assist each other and appear to prioritize the betterment of the troubled youth who attend Tall Pines Academy. Nevertheless, Alex rapidly discovers that there is one thing really bizarre happening on this city, and all of it comes again to Evelyn Wade (Collette).

Netflix’s Psychological Thriller Wayward Takes Bizarre To A New Stage

Evelyn Wade looks sinister while sitting in a chair in episode 2 of Wayward — Evelyn Wade seems to be sinister whereas sitting in a chair in episode 2 of Wayward

Psychological thrillers and weirdness go hand in hand. Nevertheless, Wayward actually takes this to a brand new stage. When Alex and Laura first arrive at Tall Pines, it is clear that the residents are a bit too good. Nevertheless, that is solely the start of it. Issues solely get more unusual as episodes of Wayward go on.

This Netflix sequence challenges the characters’ and viewers’ understanding of actuality.

This Netflix sequence challenges the characters’ and viewers’ understanding of actuality. By the tip, we aren’t solely certain what did or didn’t occur. It is attention-grabbing that Wayard pulls this off with none supernatural components. Set in 2003, the miniseries makes use of actual psychological ideas and controversial therapeutic strategies to twist the story into weird loops. Then, there are these unsettling cult features.

Cults are one other widespread function of psychological thrillers. There’s one thing each fascinating and unsettling about the way in which a bunch of individuals will be manipulated into even probably the most damaging methods of considering. Wayward explores this with unusual subtlety till, rapidly, we’re watching individuals carry out violence and intimacy with the identical kind of unsettling relish.

Wayward Makes use of Its Weirdness To Discover Highly effective Themes

Alex kneeling in the woods in Wayward — Alex kneeling within the woods in Wayward

Wayward does not use weirdness only for the sake of chills and thrills. The sequence’ themes revolve considerably round the way in which adults consider and behave towards youngsters, not simply in fiction, however in the actual world as properly. Martin has real experience with institutions meant for troubled teenagers, and included those that had been subjected to such abuse of their youth in Wayward‘s inventive workforce.

Although Tall Pines Academy is a fictional faculty, the abuse confronted by these college students and the overarching lesson that they’re broken and dangerous may be very actual. Such remedy goes underneath the radar, since, simply as in Wayward, the therapies utilized are offered as serving to and bettering teenagers’ lives. Disgrace is a software of manipulation in these establishments, simply as they’re in real-world cults.

Total, Wayward explores how simply ideas and even recollections will be manipulated, using weird imagery and character actions to take action. It is thrilling and entertaining, however poignant in its themes and classes. Suffice it to say, Wayward will repair itself in your thoughts in a means that different exhibits this yr are unlikely to attain.