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The Wonder is thoughtful. Some will find it stagnant because it emphasizes its delicate emotions over a thrilling plot. Plus, the acting is slightly one-note yet provides layers, vulnerability, physicality, and a specific dialect. It requires patience, but the drama is potent with substance. Themes explore ideological conflicts, free will, family dynamics, mental disorders, and women's suffering for men's folly. Its momentum is questionable as its tension plateaus, supporting characters are fairly flat, and the romance feels tacked on, yet The Wonder delivers strong reveals and a unifying ending. It has its drawbacks, but The Wonder also brings heavy insight and ambition.
Technically, The Wonder is diligent. Its lighting is motivated and significant. Visually, there's also relevant movement, composition, and colors. The editing is slow but adds inserts, dissolves, a powerful match fade, and an easy runtime. The symbolic sound uses split cuts, silence, stings, and atmosphere. Meanwhile, the production design is detailed, the direction eloquently breaks the fourth wall, and the effects are suggestive. Finally, the music steals the show with mystical droning, unsettling chants, and trans-diegetic ambiance. Overall, The Wonder has confident filmmaking and messages which will polarize some, but should be generally respected.
Writing: 8/10
Direction: 8/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Acting: 8/10
Editing: 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 9/10
Production Design: 8/10
Casting: 7/10
Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 7.9/10
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The Wonder is a slow methodical mystery/thriller film on Netflix about a small rural village and their immensely special gift supposedly acquired from God himself. We are thrust upon 1860s Ireland in a heavily drab atmosphere where everyone is at first glance friendly, but almost all of them have something else developing in the background.
To go more in depth, The Wonder is a film about religion (to be honest doesn’t matter which one specifically) and to what extent it can enlighten a person, or almost destroy a life. The main selling point is about a child called Anna (Played by Kila Lord Cassidy), and how supposedly through religion and or purely mystical forces she doesn’t need to eat anymore. The people couldn’t believe that such a thing can actually happen and even more to just specifically them. From that point on we meet an English nurse called Lib (Played by Florence Pugh) who is sent out to this particular village all in an attempt to find out what is actually causing this miracle. From that point on forward each character meets with our miracle child and helps in each way they can either through care or by sharing information.
Each and every one played their role graciously, but a stand out was without a doubt Florence, there is always something magnetic about specifically her. Lib, as a character, is a very closed off person with much compassion for the needy. From day one she is going above and beyond in trying to find out what is actually causing this and in fact is this miracle actually plausible. Each character offers her just enough info, but at the same time barely any, as everyone sees her as an outsider and nothing more. As time passes by and weeks become months, characters loosen up around her, but as she is sent there only for a limited time, the mystery needs to be solved in a timely manner.
With it being set in the 1860s in Ireland each location looks well lived in and in need of constant repair. Each clothing option is era specific and, as well as the buildings, is heavily well lived in. The overall atmosphere is absolutely perfect and added to the beautiful but dreadful representation. Thanks to it being slow and you gathering information as slow as the main character, The Wonder keeps you heavily engaged throughout its almost
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