Wayward: What inspired Mae Martin to create the upcoming Toni Collette Netflix thriller?

Wayward is Netflix's new thriller about a sinister town called Tall Pines that is brimming with secrets. All set to release on September 25, 2025, the series will pull back the curtains on these secrets, revealing what lies behind it.

Produced by Mae Martin, who also co-stars alongside Toni Collette, the eight-episode limited series delves into the ugly side of the “troubled teen” industry. The story follows a local police officer, Alex Dempsey, played by Martin, and the mysterious head of a school for troubled teens, Evelyn Wade, played by Collette.

This upcoming show marks a departure for Martin, who is famous for their work on the comedy-drama Feel Good. This time, they are exploring more complex, darker themes.

In addition to being a thriller, it is also a deep insight into adolescence, conflict between the generations, and the brutal truth about the so-called therapeutic institutions of troubled youth. But what was the motivation behind this vivid and subjective story? The answer is deep-rooted in the teenage life experiences of Mae Martin, which is the origin of the chilling yet empathetic heart of Wayward.

---

What inspired Mae Martin to create Wayward?

Wayward’s creative genesis is strongly associated with the personal history of Mae Martin. Martin has been open about the fact that they were inspired by their own teenage years and disturbing accounts of their best friend.

Martin grew up in the early 2000s, and was described as a “wayward teenager,” and their friend went to a troubled teen institution when they were 16. This friend, on coming back, shared the terrifying and wild experiences at the institution that had a great impact on Martin.

Speaking with TheWrap, Martin revealed:

“My teens were so visceral, and I remember forensically every moment of that period of my life, and I particularly remember feeling a keen sense of injustice at the world. I wanted to explore how young people know who they are and they have a strong moral compass, and then we all, as we get older, have to suppress our critical thinking to participate in the world. So I wanted to make a thriller out of that and explore the troubled teen industry. I had a best friend who got sent there.”

Speaking about how the show balances the tense moments with a lot of laughs spread throughout the show, Sydney Topliffe, who stars in Wayward as Abbie, chimed in to say:

“I think that’s just human nature. I don’t think you are always super serious or incredibly funny all the time. I think that shows the complexity of these characters. I mean, it’s the reason you cry at a wedding and you laugh at a funeral. It’s that beautiful dichotomy of life.”

Martin further added:

“Especially with teenage girls, I think you could be in a life-and-death situation and get the giggles. I remember that kind of hysteria. So, it’s kind of if you took the girls from ‘Booksmart’ and put them in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Martin, co-showrunner and executive producer, created this series alongside Ryan Scott. They were inspired together by such masterpieces as Girl, Interrupted, Get Out, and Fargo.

What is achieved is a darkly metaphorical tale exploring the systems of control, the repression of empathy, and the difficult relationships between the teens and adults who maneuver through emotionally complicated worlds.

---

Wayward: A dark, intriguing narrative in Tall Pines

Wayward drops us in Tall Pines, the textbook small town that looks all cozy, but there’s something terrible concealed underneath. Alex Dempsey (Martin), who is a cop, comes into the town with his pregnant wife, Laura (Sarah Gadon), hoping for a fresh start.

Alex soon meets two runaways, Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leile (Alyvia Alyn Lind), of a local school of troubled teens, who have crucial information regarding the dark secrets of the school.

In their investigation, Alex starts to believe that the mysterious head of the academy, Evelyn Wade (Toni Collette), is at the center of the disturbing happenings that are taking place in the town.

The show combines psychological tension and thrillers with a more profound examination of generational conflict, teenage rebellion, and bonds of friendship, loyalty, and survival. The story unveils the oft-concealed reality about organizations that purport to serve troubled youth.

Through abundant symbolism and dense metaphor, Wayward invites viewers to reconsider the systems within society and the emotional compromises that people must make to survive or avoid them.

The actors add gravity and depth to the narrative, the protagonist of which is Mae Martin, with Toni Collette revisiting the thriller genre after her award-winning film Hereditary. As Collette revealed in conversation with TheWrap:

“That’s one of the most delicious things about this character and the town: Nothing is as it seems. I just cherish playing characters that feel real and complex.”