Wayward: Toni Collette and Mae Martin Channel Intimidating Characters in Netflix Psychological Thriller

Wayward, a Netflix psychological thriller created and written by Mae Martin, centers on Evelyn, a mild-mannered yet deeply unsettling headmaster at Tall Pines Academy, and a Vermont police officer who relocates to the town with their wife. The eight-episode series blends teen-trouble drama with possible supernatural elements, and its development stretched over six years, anchored by a real-life friend who helped shape its tone and atmosphere.

Speaking about Evelyn, Toni Collette said the role felt 'intimidating' and described her as 'a really fascinating human' who is highly complicated, with elements that butt up against each other. Collette noted that Evelyn is controlled on the surface, but her mood shifts as events escalate, a dynamic that gradually reveals a more disturbing core as the story unfolds.

Mae Martin, who writes and stars as a police officer who moves to the sleepy Vermont town with their wife, played by Sarah Gadon, described the project as rooted in a dual impulse: the intense friendships of adolescence and the humor that can persist even in life-and-death scenarios. Martin said the heart of the germination was the friendship between Abby and Lyla and the sense that teenage bonds can endure even when the world turns perilous or surreal. The writing aimed to capture that balance of urgency and absurdity that defined many earlier teen stories.

In discussing tonal influences, Martin cited a mix of David Lynch’s dreamlike sensibility and more canonical genre touchstones. 'There are moments from Twin Peaks that will be with me my whole life, really dreamlike and tapping into some universal subconscious,' Martin said, adding that Rosemary’s Baby, Get Out, and Stand By Me informed the project’s atmosphere and pacing. Martin specifically highlighted Stand By Me as a reference for the long, two-shot walk sequences and the way the film tracks young characters as they navigate fear, friendship, and identity—and then shows them at their most vulnerable when things go off the rails.

Collette and Gadon described the collaborative process as revealing new layers the more material they received. Collette said she was initially shown three scripts and requested more to understand how Evelyn and the town would evolve, while Gadon recalled Mae sending notes that helped her reinterpret her character beyond a surface-level damsel-in-distress portrayal. The cast and creators emphasized that Wayward aims to portray young people with lived-in realism while maintaining a hypnotic tonal texture that blends thriller mechanics with character-driven drama.

The series' production timeline reflects its ambition: Martin began with a vivid concept that evolved over six years, drawing from personal experiences, a real-life friend’s influence, and a desire to create something that lingers with viewers after the credits roll. As the final eight episodes unfold, audiences are invited to parse how Tall Pines Academy’s world operates—what is learned, what remains hidden, and how the town’s secrets shape Evelyn, the officer, and Abby and Lyla’s uneasy alliance.

Wayward is now streaming on Netflix, with all eight episodes available for binge or for careful, scene-by-scene viewing. The Creators and cast have described this as a project that invites repeated watching, revealing new textures and connections on subsequent viewings as the mysteries deepen and the characters’ facades crumble. DECIDER’s interview with Collette, Gadon, and Martin provides additional context on the collaboration, tonal choices, and the emotional core that anchors the show.