Vince Gilligan’s Forgotten Dark Fantasy Wilder Napalm Deserves a Second Look

Before he reshaped television with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, writer Vince Gilligan experimented with genre in unexpected ways. One of his earliest screenplays, the 1993 film Wilder Napalm, was critically dismissed upon release. More than three decades later, the oddball movie feels worthy of reappraisal. With Gilligan back in the spotlight thanks to his Apple TV+ series Pluribus, interest has renewed in his lesser-known work — including this strange, romantic dark fantasy that hints at the thematic obsessions he would later perfect.

A Script Written Before Fame

Gilligan wrote Wilder Napalm shortly after college, long before his acclaimed work on The X-Files and his rise as a defining voice in prestige television. While the film was widely panned at the time, it offered an early glimpse of Gilligan’s fascination with moral ambiguity, damaged characters, and tonal risk-taking. Not everything in the movie lands. But its ambition — and willingness to blend romance, comedy, and supernatural elements — makes it an intriguing artifact of Gilligan’s creative evolution.

A Love Triangle Fueled by Fire

Directed by Glenn Gordon Caron, Wilder Napalm centers on brothers Wallace and Wilder, played by Dennis Quaid and Arliss Howard. Both are pyrokinetics, capable of starting fires with their minds — a premise that immediately pushes the film into surreal territory. After a childhood accident drives them apart, the brothers grow into stark opposites. Wilder suppresses his abilities and becomes a firefighter, while Wallace embraces spectacle, performing as a clown in a traveling carnival. Their rivalry reignites when they both fall in love with Vida, portrayed by Debra Winger.

Absurd, Grounded, and Tonally Unruly

On paper, the film’s concept promises eccentric magic. On screen, it often struggles to balance whimsy with emotional weight. Caron’s grounded direction sometimes clashes with Gilligan’s offbeat screenplay, creating abrupt tonal shifts that feel jarring rather than playful. Yet flashes of brilliance shine through. Unexpected musical moments, sudden bursts of fire, and Vida’s refreshing agency as a romantic lead add texture to an otherwise uneven experience. Winger’s performance, in particular, anchors the film with warmth and charisma.

Early Signs of Gilligan’s Voice

Despite its flaws, Wilder Napalm reveals Gilligan’s early interest in characters wrestling with guilt, power, and accountability — themes that would later define his most celebrated work. The brothers’ contrasting responses to trauma mirror the moral divergence seen in Gilligan’s later anti-heroes. The film’s humor also stands out. Even as chaos unfolds, moments of levity punctuate the narrative, underscoring Gilligan’s knack for finding comedy amid dysfunction.

Why It’s Worth Revisiting Now

Viewed without expectations of a conventional romance or fantasy, Wilder Napalm plays better today than it did in 1993. It’s messy, strange, and occasionally inspired — a bold early swing from a writer still discovering his voice. For fans of Gilligan’s later work, the film offers a fascinating glimpse at the creative DNA that would eventually redefine television storytelling.