The Wonder
Set in the Irish Midlands in 1859 as an English nurse, Lib Wright, goes to a tiny village to observe what some see as a medical anomaly and others a miracle, that a girl has survived without food for months. Tourists flock to see 11-year-old Anna O’Donnell, and a journalist has come to cover the sensation as two strangers transform each other’s lives in a story of love pitted against evil.
- Released: 2022-11-02
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- Genre: Drama, History, Mystery
- Stars: Florence Pugh, Tom Burke, Niamh Algar, Elaine Cassidy, Kíla Lord Cassidy, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Dermot Crowley, Caolan Byrne, Brían F. O'Byrne, Josie Walker, David Wilmot, Stephen Ball, Mary Murray, Niamh Finlay, John Burke, Emer Casey, Graeme Coughlan, Abigail Coburn, Ava May Taylor, Janet Grene
- Director: Sebastián Lelio
Comments
- averagedeveloper - 10 March 2024
Those who like movies that deal with the relationship between human mind and reality should watch it.
Movies about consciousness, mind, reality, and belief, if they are made properly, blow my mind. There are no direct dialogues about these in this movie. The characters do not convey to the audience what is intended to be conveyed in the film by telling each other. But with each character and with their different backgrounds, you see them experience the same reality in different ways. And that their perceived reality cannot exceed their beliefs.
Although the movie explains this very well, the producer included scenes where she breaks the 4th wall to emphasize this more. In order to convey her message , she tried to include scenes in which he destroyed the reality of the film with our worlds reality. But I think it's more like jumping on stage and trying to convey the message to the audience by making hand and arm movements, as if she wasn't sure if she could convey the message properly. In the end, this is a movie and the audience's immersion is still important, and by doing this, you take the audience out of the flow.
Also, this movie put Florence Pugh on my radar for the first time. This actress is very good at her job, and either she is very good at choosing the scripts that come her way, or she has a very high chance of which movie she finds herself in. After this movie, I never came across her in an average job. - cliew5473-107-917925 - 15 July 2023
Slow but worth it...
I really enjoyed this film -- more so than I expected to. Although, admittedly, I did go into it without any expectations. So I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Florence Pugh is one of my favorite actresses now, and she never seems to disappoint. The plot is a bit slow, but it builds over time and draws you in, to increasingly wonder what is really going on beneath the surface. The ending was satisfying but refreshingly unpredictable. I appreciate that the film deals with underlying themes of religion/faith and the indoctrination (brainwashing) of children into one's own beliefs, etc. This film does require patience. As long as you have that, it should not disappoint. - TheNamelessCzar - 14 May 2023
The more I think about it, the less it makes sense
The film features a lot of very interesting ideas about loss, religious fervor, grief, and belief. It certainly had a lot of potential, and the cinematography is beautiful. However, the more I think about it, the less sense it makes. If in reality, the girl has been getting nutrition, and then all of a sudden she's not doing the watch, how does she last as long as she did in the movie without water? Also, why would a reporter give up his life to help two strangers leave the country? And how did the girl all of a sudden believe that she was a different person? The more I think about it, the lower I rate it Interesting, but could've been a lot better. - brentsbulletinboard - 6 January 2023
Tries Too Hard But Misses the Mark
Though atmospheric to a fault, writer-director Sebastián Lelio's meditation on reason vs. Spirituality/mysticism struggles to effectively capture the innate essence of this age-old debate, frequently leaving viewers "wondering" where this story is headed. Set in 1862 Ireland, the film follows the experience of an English nurse (Florence Pugh) assigned to observe a spiritually oriented 11-year-old "miracle child" (Kíla Lord Cassidy) to determine how she has been able to survive in seemingly good health for months without eating, a claim that has made her the object of considerable public curiosity and scrutiny. The investigation subsequently raises numerous theoretical, philosophical and religious questions (many of which aren't satisfactorily answered) while simultaneously revealing much about the past of both nurse and patient and documenting the inquisitiveness of the outside world as seen through the lens of a determined journalist (Tom Burke). However, the narrative underlying this ambitious undertaking doesn't come across as being completely convincing; it often feels thin and underdeveloped, with an uneasy sense of its own inherent viability. That becomes especially apparent in several strange, out-of-place filmed segments and voiceover narrations in which the audience is being urged into believing in the merits of this story to the same degree as the performers who have signed on to appear in the movie (talk about a hard sell). Given the strength of Pugh's fine performance and the picture's excellent production values, it's disappointing that the filmmaker seems so obviously unsure about what he has come up with in this picture, and, in light of Lelio's track record with fine works like "A Fantastic Woman" (2017) and "Disobedience" (2017), I can't help but "wonder" what drew the director to this somewhat flimsy material in the first place. Indeed, considering my interest in the subject matter, I probably cut this one more slack than I realistically should have, and my overall rating could be seen as generous. Here's hoping better projects are in the works moving forward. - moviesknight - 29 December 2022
Loved every bit of it.
Beautiful beautiful film. Wonderful acting. Florence pugh is brilliant once again. The sound in the background just complements the story. Good story, hooks you up. I do know few people who would just staft and close it midway because they dont have the patience anymore. They want everything ready to be served. But for this film, the wait and stretching the story works and then it hits you in the face with the reveal. Happy ending to the story. Superstition and the things we dont understand. A lot about grief and how it strengthens you. She is not ready to lose another child. What constitutes a family, a mother, a father? I dont think so. Blood is not the only reason to be a family. It takes more. Naivety of people and not having an open mind to the things they dont understand. Look closer you will see everything. The set design seems a bit wierd to me. The long dresses covered in mud was cherry on top. Highly recommend... - david-meldrum - 22 December 2022
Weighty, Serious And Moving
It's a well-rehearsed truism to say that the act of observing a thing changes the object of the object being observed. That's just one of the weighty questions at the heart of this meditative historical drama, one that's also concerned with the interaction of science and faith, free will, when or if to stage an intervention with people bent on self-destructive paths, and the sometimes overwhelming power of guilt - both false guilt and that which has more reason.
To call it patient - despite its under 2-hour running time - is an understatement, but it's never dull thanks in large part to the haunting score and soundscape, and Florence Pugh's truly remarkable central performance (she seems to be packing a few of those into her still young career). A strange and potentially alienating device opens the film, drawing attention to its artificiality, but in doing so it highlights that question of observation changing the observed and encouraging us to do what we're told the characters are doing - believing their own stories as we experience them.
There's a thesis to be written here on the film's theological allusions, one I won't attempt to start here. But it has caused me to reflect on my own experience of over twenty years as an ordained Anglican (i.e. Episcopal) priest. I've seen many people do a wide variety of things in that time, things done in the name of their faith, for reasons of guilt or redemption, that are destructive to themselves or those around them. I've even, sadly, met and listened to people who have been forced to experience precisely the horrific thing, the hidden secret of the past on which the plot turns. If it seems too awful to be true, I can assure you it isn't - for all this film's deliberate artifice, it's a deeply truthful one.
Dealing with almost as many fundamental questions as you might care to bring to it, this is a weighty, serious, but still moving film that's carried by Pugh's brilliance and the production's patient tone. You will likely think on it for days. - Coffee_in_the_Clink - 13 December 2022
Pugh is superb, but the film as a whole can't match her
Something is missing from this one. While I enjoyed "The Wonder" and admired its cinematography and performances, there was something not quite right by the end. The breaking of the fourth wall was an interesting stylistic choice, and there is a lot to be discussed in the essences of the story, penned by "The Room" author Emma Donohue. A lot can be said about the symbolism of the Great Famine present throughout the film, which is rather fitting as the story takes place less than twenty years after that traumatic period in Irish history, and many of the characters had lived through it and have the horror etched onto their faces. Florence Pugh is superb in the lead. She strikes a tough cut of an English nurse who has seen the Crimean War first hand , and is now in an Irish village, investigating the story of a young girl who has reportedly not eaten in four months, yet is perfectly fine, and the locals are either, at the very least exploiting her for a tourist attraction, or else declaring her a miracle. "The Wonder" ultimately fails to create any tension or wonderment throughout its runtime and by its conclusion, I felt myself nodding off. To conclude, I'd like to point out the talent that was present at the table of the elders, with Ciaran Hinds, Toby Maguire and Brian O'Byrne all present. - rhiannoncharlotteclark-05144 - 4 December 2022
Authentically Represented and Expressed Historical piece.
A lot of period dramas from Britain and Ireland have become misrepresented, revised in factuality, propagandist, and culturally appropriated to fit politics of the time. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM. A delicate, enchanting, multi-layered story made for those want to engage in novel-like experience which is slow-paced but fulfilling. You will need an attention-span for this or a box of pop-corn. It revels in human error and traits of the psyche, it's engagement with life-strife-and hope. It beautifully expresses a period of Irish history without any gimmicks but a watchful and deep respect. It is incredible with such a lack of change of scenery it is able to capture a full-bodied tale and be successful in that. Pugh's acting is sensitive and powerful, showing how acting doesn't have to be loud. - mslulucao - 30 November 2022
Best movie of all time
I can't believe this movie. I am in complete awe. I just finished it and came to register and leave this review.
It's amazing. It started kind of plain, but as the story continues, you can't stop wonder. My brain didn't stop for one second. All the way amazing from start to finish. This movie has to get an Oscar, it is just way too good. I am so lucky to have watched it.
The movie didn't give you a clear reason but it doesn't need to. It's such a refreshing way of telling the story. If you watch the movie, make sure to watch until the very end, the very last second. You don't want to miss it. - reisenachjerusalem - 28 November 2022
A film for Irish Florence Pugh fans with low iron levels
This is the first film I've seen in Florence Pugh's filmography where she doesn't completely outshine the rest of the cast - there's no doubt that she's great in this but the other actors match her and I'd say that it's the wonder herself (Anna) who steals the show. Big award nominations would be flying out the door for her if the film had more attention.
On a thematic level the film is interesting - it discusses religion, grief, loss, abuse, you name it. Not to mention the visuals of Ireland are stunning. I think everyone will have a different takeaway from this film but not to spoil anything but, like with all her characters, I am of the opinion that Florence Pugh did nothing wrong!
The only downside is that the film can be a bit slow but once it gets somewhere, then the direction makes sense. It gets very close to stepping over the pretentious line but thankfully it doesn't quite cross it. A worthwhile watch.
