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Young and Wild (2012) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Young and Wild (2012) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2012 · 96 min · English
JustWatch #16,384 3
Directed by
Marialy Rivas

Daniela is a slender, attractive teenager growing up within a strict, affluent religious family in Santiago, Chile. As a 17-year-old, she discovers that her burgeoning sexuality clashes with the values of her upbringing. Seeking an outlet, she begins blogging and connects with other teenagers experiencing similar struggles, finding solace and shared experiences in their online community.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (3)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Young and Wild
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Young and Wild (2012)

Where can you watch Young and Wild? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on AMC+, Philo and Sundance Now: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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3 main characters · contains spoilers

Young and Wild Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Young and Wild (2012), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Daniela

    Daniela is a spirited 17-year-old girl on the cusp of adulthood, wrestling with her sexual identity and familial expectations. Her rebellious nature drives her to explore her desires openly, contrasting sharply with her conservative upbringing. Throughout her journey, Daniela experiences profound growth as she seeks to understand love, faith, and herself.

    • 🌟 Protagonist
    • 🔥 Passionate
    • 💔 Conflicted
  • Tomás

    Tomás is a charismatic character who represents the tension between faith and desire, as he upholds strong abstinence beliefs while being pursued by Daniela. His struggles with their relationship highlight the challenges young people face in balancing personal desires with traditional values. His eventual hurt reflects the repercussions of interpersonal conflicts spawned by hidden truths.

    • ❤️ Love Interest
    • 💔 Tormented
    • 🚫 Abstinent
  • Antonia

    Antonia embodies freedom and emotional complexity in Daniela's life, as she becomes the object of Daniela's affection and represents a safe space for exploration. Her longing for public acknowledgment of their relationship illustrates the desire for validation in love. Antonia's journey is intertwined with Daniela's, impacting her sense of self and belonging.

    • 🌈 LGBTQ+
    • 🌹 Supportive
    • 💌 Romantic

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:05

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Setting

Where and When Does Young and Wild Take Place?

The setting of Young and Wild (2012): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

The film takes place in contemporary times, reflecting the current struggles and societal norms surrounding issues of faith, sexuality, and self-expression. It explores the complexities faced by young individuals in a rapidly changing world where traditional beliefs often clash with personal desires.

Location

Santiago, Chile, Christian school, local Christian television station, tranquil lake

The film is primarily set in Santiago, Chile, a vibrant city known for its rich culture and history. It contrasts the modern urban environment with the conservative values of a Christian school, illustrating the clash between tradition and emerging freedoms. A significant location also includes a local Christian television station, which represents the intersection of faith and media. The story culminates at a tranquil lake, symbolizing reflection and the serenity desired amidst turmoil.

  • 🇨🇱 Santiago
  • 📺 Television
  • ✝️ Christianity
  • 🌊 Nature

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:05

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3 major themes

Young and Wild Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Young and Wild (2012) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Love and Desire

    The theme of love and desire permeates the film, as Daniela navigates her feelings for Tomás and Antonia. This duality complicates her journey towards self-discovery and acceptance of her identity, leading to both joyous and painful encounters. It highlights the struggles of young individuals exploring their sexuality against societal expectations.

  • Faith and Redemption

    Faith and redemption are central to Daniela's journey, with her internal conflict between her sexual liberation and upbringing. The film questions the rigidity of religious beliefs while portraying Daniela's quest for acceptance and understanding. Her eventual desire for baptism symbolizes a search for forgiveness and a fresh start amidst personal chaos.

  • Self-Expression

    Through writing and her blog, Daniela expresses her innermost thoughts and emotions, creating a powerful commentary on the importance of self-expression. Her blog serves as a sanctuary where she confronts her experiences and challenges societal norms, highlighting the significance of finding one's voice in the face of adversity.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:05

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Character & theme questions

Young and Wild Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Young and Wild (2012): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the film set?

The film is primarily set in Santiago, Chile, a vibrant city with rich culture and history. The story contrasts the modern urban environment with the conservative values of a Christian school, illustrating the clash between tradition and emerging freedoms.

  • santiago
  • chile
  • setting
  • locations
  • christian school
Q2

When does the story take place?

The film takes place in contemporary times, reflecting current societal norms surrounding faith, sexuality, and self-expression. It explores the complexities faced by young individuals in a rapidly changing world where traditional beliefs often clash with personal desires.

  • contemporary
  • modern
  • time period
  • era
Q3

What are the main themes of the film?

The film explores three major themes: love and desire as Daniela navigates her feelings for two different people; faith and redemption, with her struggling between sexual liberation and her religious upbringing; and self-expression through her blog, which serves as a sanctuary where she confronts her experiences.

  • themes
  • love
  • desire
  • faith
  • redemption
  • self-expression
Q4

Who is Daniela?

Daniela is a 17-year-old girl wrestling with her sexual identity while growing up in a strict, affluent religious family. Her rebellious nature drives her to explore her desires openly, contrasting sharply with her conservative upbringing. She experiences profound growth as she seeks to understand love, faith, and herself.

  • daniela
  • protagonist
  • main character
  • teenager
Q5

Who is Tomás?

Tomás is a charismatic character who represents the tension between faith and desire. He upholds strong abstinence beliefs while being pursued by Daniela, highlighting the challenges young people face in balancing personal desires with traditional values. His struggles illustrate the broader conflict between religious convictions and romantic feelings.

  • tomas
  • character
  • faith
  • abstinence
Q6

Who is Antonia?

Antonia becomes the object of Daniela's affection and represents freedom and emotional complexity. She embodies a safe space for Daniela to explore her identity. Her longing for public acknowledgment of their relationship illustrates the desire for validation in love within a restrictive environment.

  • antonia
  • love interest
  • character
  • freedom
Q7

What does the faith and redemption theme explore?

The faith and redemption theme centers on Daniela's internal conflict between her sexual liberation and her religious upbringing. The film questions the rigidity of religious beliefs while portraying her quest for acceptance. Her eventual desire for baptism symbolizes a search for forgiveness and a fresh start amidst personal chaos.

  • faith
  • religion
  • redemption
  • baptism
  • forgiveness
Q8

How does the film address self-expression?

Through writing and her blog, Daniela expresses her innermost thoughts and emotions, creating a powerful commentary on the importance of self-expression. Her blog serves as a sanctuary where she confronts her experiences and challenges societal norms, highlighting the significance of finding one's voice in the face of adversity.

  • blog
  • self-expression
  • writing
  • voice
  • identity
Q9

What is the love and desire theme about?

The theme of love and desire permeates the film as Daniela navigates her feelings for both Tomás and Antonia. This duality complicates her journey towards self-discovery and acceptance of her identity, leading to both joyous and painful encounters. It highlights the struggles of young individuals exploring their sexuality against societal expectations.

  • love
  • desire
  • sexuality
  • relationships
  • identity
Q10

How does the religious environment shape the story?

The story takes place within a strict Christian school and involves a local Christian television station, representing the intersection of faith and media. This conservative environment creates constant tension with Daniela's emerging sexuality and desire for self-expression, driving much of the film's internal and external conflict.

  • christian school
  • religion
  • television
  • conflict
  • environment
Q11

What is the significance of the lake in the film?

The story culminates at a tranquil lake, which symbolizes reflection and the serenity desired amidst turmoil. This location represents a turning point where Daniela seeks peace and clarity, contrasting with the chaos of her internal struggles and the rigid environment she has navigated throughout the film.

  • lake
  • symbolism
  • reflection
  • ending
  • serenity

Movie threads

More Movies Like Young and Wild, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Young and Wild tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Melancholic Self-Discovery Dramas like Young and Wild

Introspective stories of young individuals grappling with identity and desire. If you liked the introspective journey in Young and Wild, you'll find similar movies here. These dramas focus on characters navigating the conflicts between personal desire and external pressures, often with a steady pace and a bittersweet emotional core.

  • introspective
  • yearning
  • conflicted
  • melancholic
  • searching
  • lonely
  • Tone: melancholic, introspective
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically involves a protagonist, often a young adult, embarking on a quest for personal truth. The central conflict is internal, pitting newfound feelings or beliefs against a rigid upbringing or community. The journey is one of emotional exploration rather than physical action, culminating in a resolution that acknowledges growth but often carries the weight of loss or sacrifice.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the internal emotional landscape of a character coming of age. They possess a similar reflective, melancholic mood, a steady pacing that allows for character depth, and a thematic weight centered on the universal struggle for self-definition.

Bittersweet Forbidden Love Stories like Young and Wild

Stories where youthful passion clashes with tradition, leaving a bittersweet mark. Find movies similar to Young and Wild that explore the theme of forbidden first love. These stories often feature teenagers or young adults whose romantic and sexual explorations are complicated by strict family rules, religious doctrine, or social stigma, leading to bittersweet conclusions.

  • sensual
  • rebellious
  • yearning
  • bittersweet
  • romantic
  • conflicted
  • Tone: sensual, melancholic
  • Pacing: steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows the arc of a nascent romance that flourishes in secret. The relationship serves as an act of rebellion and a path to self-discovery for the characters. The plot is driven by the tension between stolen moments of intimacy and the looming threat of discovery, often resulting in an ending that is poignant and realistic rather than conventionally happy.

Why they belong together: This thread connects films through their central theme of taboo romance and the specific emotional mix of sensual excitement and melancholic consequence. They share a high romance score, a medium intensity fueled by conflict, and a bittersweet ending feel that resonates with the complexities of real-life young love.

If you liked this

Movies Like Young and Wild

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Every angle

Young and Wild (2012) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Young and Wild in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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