Nestled in the dense forests of Tall Pines, Vermont, lies a seemingly normal institute for troubled teens, albeit one where secrets are buried, children are pitted against one another in psychological games, and the seeds are sown for what seems like Netflix’s reprise of Twin Peaks and True Detective.
Created by and starring Canadian comedian Mae Martin, the new Netflix original Wayward is a gripping mystery set in the early 2000s that follows two girls trying to break out of the militaristic, brainwashing Tall Pines Academy.
Martin shows their range as a cop posted to the town of Tall Pines, while Toni Collette brings her Hereditary A-game as the spine-chilling, bespectacled director of the boarding school.
Equally integral to the series is the sleepy town itself, a pine tree-lined locale populated by tight-lipped adults and silenced teens. If you were wondering how the miniseries set the stage for a dark and gritty cop thriller-cum-teen drama, here’s your guide to the locations of Wayward.
How Wayward created the world of Tall Pines
Even though Wayward mostly takes place in Tall Pines and its ominously creepy academy, the Netflix series was filmed in creator Mae Martin’s native country, Canada, mainly in the province of Ontario. In fact, Tall Pines is a fictional location in the script that serves as a stand-in for a sleepy town in Vermont’s countryside.
While some scenes were filmed in Ontario’s capital city, Toronto, most of the crew set up their stations in the nature reserves and villages on the outskirts for the eerie, sinister atmosphere of Tall Pines. Expect plenty of sets and real-world locations in Millbrook, the Ontario village an hour’s drive from Toronto, that previously housed productions like Reacher and Anne with an E.
Christie Lake Conservation Area
This 336-hectare conservation area in Dundas, Ontario, contributed to Wayward’s world-building with forested trails and towering pines. Christie Lake’s woods provide the exterior for the cabin where Mae Martin’s on-the-edge cop Alex Dempsey moves in with his Tall Pines Academy alumnus wife Laura (Sarah Gadon).
Alex often jogs here with his dog Toast, and later also joins the search party for runaway teen Riley, who is believed to be bleeding and surviving within these woods. The lake itself features as a pond in an emotionally intense scene where Alex finds Laura in the water, the latter fighting off hallucinatory memories of her troubled past from the Academy.
Hy-Hope Farm, Ashburn
A family-operated golf course and farm, Hy-Hope traces its origins all the way back to the 1970s. In Wayward, it features as the interior of the Tall Pines general store, where Alex sniffs out something strange among the town’s inhabitants. In typical neo-noir fashion, Alex draws awkward glances from the shoppers and has the mandatory conversation with the questionably friendly store clerk.
Ted’s Restaurant, Toronto
Posing as a journalist for a local paper, Alex’s investigations lead him to a whistleblower who is ready to spill the Academy’s deep-hidden secrets. Their rendezvous takes place at this Toronto diner dating all the way back to 1954, a culinary spot that still preserves its 50s décor.
Aristotle’s Steak & Seafood House, Mississauga
Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind), one of the show’s teenage protagonists, has a lot on her plate when she finds herself confined within the walls of the ever-suffocating Tall Pines Academy. But a dramatic flashback involving her drug-addled past and her ill-fated sister adds more depth to her arc, with the sequence playing out in this Greek-themed restaurant and the exteriors of its parking lot.
Alexandra Park Pool, Toronto
Leila’s flashback with her sister continues in a swimming pool, utilising the exteriors of Alexandra Park’s swimming pool in downtown Toronto. This is one of the few scenes that is also actually set in Canada, given that Leila is a Canadian high-schooler before she’s trapped in the hellish Vermont town.
The Peddler, Millbrook
Driving out of Toronto, the Wayward crew filmed at The Peddler Bistro and its accompanying Peddler Pastry café to set up the Tall Pines Diner that hosts a confrontational meal too many. The cyclist-friendly restaurant, once a biker repair shop, is a cosy spot in Millbrook. The Peddler also features in exterior shots of a street in Tall Pines.
Allen Lane and Needlers Lane, Millbrook
Other Millbrook filming locations included streets like Allen Lane and Needlers Lane that feature as exteriors of the Tall Pines Farmers Market and the local police station, where Alex drives to work.
Rockwood Conservation Area, Guelph
Another forest hotbed featured in Wayward is the Rockwood Conservation Area in Guelph, where the Tall Pines students partake in a group competition. This is quite the historic spot in Ontario, boasting some of the region’s oldest trees and a serene limestone cave system. Of course, in Wayward, Rockwood provides yet another haunting backdrop to the loss of innocence of its displaced youths.
Who stars in Wayward?
Mae Martin leads the charge in Wayward as idealistic cop Alex Dempsey. This is quite a different rodeo for Martin, who was last seen in a variety of stand-up comedy specials and the Netflix comedy-drama series Feel Good. Meanwhile, Toni Collette continues her post-Hereditary resurgence as the Academy’s cultish director Evelyn Wade. More recently, the Sixth Sense and Knives Out actress was also seen in Mickey 17 this year.
Other cast members of Wayward include Alyvia Alyn Lind (Chucky, Daybreak) and Sydney Topliffe (Doin’ It) as teenage best friends Leila and Abbie while Brandon Jay McClaren (Snowfall, Power Rangers SPD) plays Alex’s fellow policeman Dwayne Andrews.
Suits star Patrick J Adams also has a brief appearance as Leila and Abbie’s uptight teacher and an ex-Tall Pines student. Martin and Adams have known each other since their early 20s, with Wayward marking a collaboration that was a long time coming.
Where can I watch Wayward?
All episodes of Wayward are streaming on Netflix now.
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