By Seth Lukas Hynes
This week, Seth Lukas Hynes reviews The Wonder, starring Florence Pugh, Kíla Lord Cassidy and Tom Burke
Rated M
3.5/5
The Wonder is an intriguing historical mystery film that shoots itself in the foot with one idiotic creative decision.
In 1862, Elizabeth Wright (Florence Pugh), an English nurse who served in the Crimean War, is summoned to Ireland to observe Anna O’Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy), a girl who has supposedly not eaten for four months.
The Wonder has echoes of Ingmar Bergman’s classic Persona, which also features a nurse and a patient, the latter holding much of the power in a macabre relationship. Pugh and Cassidy deliver subtle yet powerful performances, the film has sumptuous set design and costumes, and the visual style contrasts food and faith as means of sustenance. The film draws tension from Anna’s deteriorating condition and Elizabeth’s professional instincts and atheism clashing with the O’Donnells’ fervent faith, and the plot delivers well-paced clues on Anna’s condition and her family’s motives.
Unfortunately, The Wonder kills any possibility of immersion through a baffling prologue, which explicitly describes The Wonder as a film. Verisimilitude, or the appearance of reality, is important, but some films, such as Deadpool, Alfie and Enola Holmes, break the fourth wall effectively for humour, commentary or to challenge the audience. ‘The characters believe in their stories with complete devotion… So we invite you to believe in this one,’ the narrator says as the camera pans across a modern set. It’s a wonder how anyone thought this prologue was a good idea, as no matter the quality of the drama or production, you are constantly aware in the back of your head that the events portrayed are not real.
A theoretically engaging, atmospheric and well-acted historical drama that sabotages itself in the first few minutes, The Wonder is streaming on Netflix and has a limited cinema release.
– Seth Lukas Hynes
