But despite its unclear message, there is a certain charm to Wild that smooths away its thorny exterior to reveal a broken character...

For all of the trouble 'Wild' takes to get into Strayed's head, you'd think they might've drafted filmmakers with a little bit more experience living in a place like that.

It captures an emotional memoir without making it feel like a didactic tale of triumph over adversity.

While there is a conventional backbone to the story, it keeps us rooted in the experience of a single woman taking on a challenge that some veteran hikers fail to complete, never forgetting the vulnerability of doing it alone.