The Wonder

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
  • jghbrown - 5 March 2024
    Well-acted, but...
    Unless I am misunderstanding it, this movie appears to have serious flaws in its plot. The idea that someone could keep an active young girl alive and well by passing food into her mouth through kissing her twice a day beggars belief, unless of course the mother managed to inject a three-course meal on each occasion. Unlikely? Then there is the idea of this same girl dying, only to "return" a few minutes later as a new person, with no memory of her previous experiences. More unlikely?

    However, the most serious flaw in my view is that the nurse seemed to take the worst possible course in dealing with the situation after realising that the child was being kept alive by the mother. If, instead of revealing "the truth", she had told a white lie and claimed not to have seen anything untoward (as the wise old nun did), while allowing the mother access to the girl again:

    • the girl would have regained her health and happiness
    • the family would have stayed together
    • the community would have been happy in the knowledge that a miracle was occuring
    • the church would have continued receiving payments from tourists
    • the inn-keeper would have continued getting extra income from those tourists
    • the house would not have been burned down
    • the brother would have gone to heaven
    • the nurse would have married her new-found lover, stayed in Britain, and had a cart-ful of children to compensate for the tragic loss of her own child, instead of becoming a (soon to be hunted) fugitive in a strange land


    These flaws are compensated for by excellent acting and photography, but only just, in my view.
  • yashhraaj - 10 July 2023
    The Wonder (2022) streming on Netflix
    The Wonder is a slow-burning, psychological thriller that explores the power of stories and the importance of truth. Set in 1862 Ireland, the film follows an English nurse, Lib Wright, who is sent to a small village to observe an eleven-year-old girl, Anna O'Donnell, who has not eaten in months but remains miraculously alive.

    As Lib begins to investigate Anna's case, she quickly becomes enmeshed in the community's web of lies and secrets. The villagers are convinced that Anna is a miracle, and they flock to the village to witness her. But Lib is not so sure. She begins to suspect that there is something more sinister going on, and she is determined to uncover the truth.

    The Wonder is a beautifully shot film with stunning cinematography. The film's atmosphere is both eerie and claustrophobic, and it perfectly captures the sense of isolation and suspicion that permeates the village. The performances are also excellent, with Florence Pugh giving a particularly memorable turn as Lib.

    But what really sets The Wonder apart is its exploration of the power of stories. The film shows how stories can be used to manipulate and control people, but it also shows how they can be used to comfort and heal. In the end, The Wonder is a film about the importance of finding your own truth, no matter how difficult it may be.

    The film is also a meditation on the nature of faith. Is Anna truly a miracle, or is she simply a victim of the villagers' superstitions? The film doesn't offer any easy answers, but it does leave the viewer with a lot to think about.

    The Wonder is a challenging film, but it is also a rewarding one. It is a film that will stay with you long after you have seen it. If you are looking for a film that will make you think, The Wonder is definitely worth watching.

    Here are some additional thoughts on the film:

    1. The film's title, The Wonder, is a reference to the miracle of Anna's survival. However, the film also suggests that the true wonder is not Anna's survival, but Lib's journey of self-discovery.

    2. The film explores the theme of truth in several ways. Lib is initially skeptical of Anna's miracle, but she eventually comes to believe that Anna is telling the truth. However, the film also shows how truth can be subjective and how it can be used to manipulate people.

    3. The film is a slow-burner, but it is well worth the wait. The film's atmosphere is both eerie and claustrophobic, and it perfectly captures the sense of isolation and suspicion that permeates the village.

    4. The performances are excellent, with Florence Pugh giving a particularly memorable turn as Lib. Pugh is able to convey Lib's growing sense of unease and her determination to uncover the truth.

    Overall, The Wonder is a thought-provoking and well-made film that is sure to stay with you long after you have seen it. I highly recommend it.
  • macc99 - 14 May 2023
    An intensely powerful story about the power of story.
    This film sets out its stall from the opening; it literally opens on a film set and tells you that you're about to watch a film with actors saying written lines. It's a very bold move and it works perfectly to introduce the theme of the power of stories.

    It unfolds slowly and thoughtfully, and pulls you in with an emotional power and depth. While it's set among a peasant community, it's not interested in judging their particular adherence to their (religious) narrative, it's interested in exploring the power of narrative that we're all subject to, whether we realise it or not.

    The performances are excellent, particularly the two leads whose gradually deepening friendship is touching and believable.

    A deeply-engaging and thought-provoking film.
  • jfgibson73 - 5 January 2023
    Watchable
    It think this story might have looked a little better on the script than what we got for a movie. Florence Pugh is always the reason to see any movie that she is in, but this is one of her more restrained performances. And that's how most of the movie is: it moves slow, holds back, and doesn't make the stakes feel as dire as they should. I was glad they chose to end the movie the way they did--I thought it was a clever way to resolve things--but the payoff didn't feel anywhere near as rewarding as it should have. It is not a movie that I discussed much afterward with the person I watched it with, and I don't expect either of us to remember hardly anything about it after a few more weeks have passed.
  • heidibokor - 29 December 2022
    Very Slow Burn
    I added this to my watch list because I am starting to really like Florence Pugh and the trailer looked like it could be a nice otherworldly type movie to watch. I am okay with slow burning types of movie, they are actually some of my favorites. But this movie is way too slow. The premise is simple....a nurse is hired to watch a girl that supposedly hasn't eaten in four months. The nurse slowly figures out a few things that leads to her getting the truth. I thought this movie was going to have witches or something like that, but don't get your hopes up. Acting good. Cinematography good. But this movie falls way flat in the end. It had massive potential, but I would not recommend it to anyone.
  • whytekt - 20 December 2022
    current day themes played out in 19th C Ireland
    The cinematography is outstanding setting a backdrop of broad, vast, barren, landscapes which contrast vividly with dark, brooding, claustrophobic interiors...evocative of flemish/dutch master painting, with contrasting light and dark atmospheres.

    Light and dark is the narrative theme....religion being interrogated as both a positive and negative force (whats changed siince). The family being oppressed and as such are the victims...their behaviours perhaps excused....but also exploited by local politics, values and necessities. The "committee" has the power, but not ultimately the consensus, to effectively manage the situation ( think current democratic governments) with the inevitable conflicts.

    Mrs Wright....great name for the protaganist who might save the day. She is played with skill and directly efficiently, walking the critical line of righteous saviour; and flawed freedom fighter....with modern day attitude and personal needs!...woke box ticked!!

    Story unravels...not slowly but steadily...the pace is appropriate and the coup de gras perfectly executed. Loved the final imput from religion via the nun's nod to pragmatism.

    Rather weak ending to a lovely parable....but brought migration into the arena of topical tropes.
  • josephpturner - 12 December 2022
    Very disappointing
    I know ya get into trouble when ya hope films make sense, so I guess I'm in trouble.

    So the young girl is an incest victim. That happens. But then the film suggests the mother and the victim concoct this business of trying to get the girl to pretend she doesn't eat? And the vehicle for it is trying to make the Catholic look crazy? Now sense is slipping out the window. The key moment is when the victim essentially says that by starving herself to death, the result will be that her brother is released from hell for his sins because the girl will have been to blame? Nonsense!

    If these are supposedly very conservative Catholics, they would NEVER believe anyone can be released from hell. I'm 72 years old and have never heard of any Catholic ever thinking that anyone can be released from hell. You'd think even a goofy, very conservative Catholic family like this one wouldn't believe souls can be released from hell by first tricking people into thing the girl isn't eating and then, when the mother can't regurgitate food, the mother decides to watch the victim starve herself? No way!

    Finally, the nurse comes up with the most unbelievable "solution" imaginable, a real deus ex machina moment. Wouldn't a nurse in a case like this threaten the mother to feed the victim or the truth will be told to that commission?
  • setgetsiin - 4 December 2022
    "This is a Song of Hope."
    S P O I L E R S .

    . .

    . .

    . .

    Sorry...was that pretentious...?

    Somewhere in the middle of the movie, this is the line (of the song Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin) that kept coming to mind. All the way to the end.

    Having read several (if not all) reviews, I came to the bitter expectation of NOT loving a movie with Florence Pugh. Even the trailer, I wasn't bubbling about it as I had been with let's say Little Drummer Girl or Midsommar.

    Well, I was wrong. The "pretentious" bit at the beginning and end, taking you out of the movie: That is the POINT. It dares you to NOT be drawn 100% into it, dares you to NOT be wowed and biting your nails with expectation to where it leads, what might be revealed...if you are a nail biter of course.

    So in SPITE of that beginning, I was all the way into it. I can't help it, but I LOVED this movie. A Lot. The idea of being reborn from such ugly tragedies...such HOPE. I'm crying again because I was abused as a child; I lost my youngest child. I lost my Mom and Sister--my only family left--within 7mos of each other (and my child a year later). I'd give anything to start over. In fact, that is how I spend all my time, wishing that death will be a do-over, only I want to know everything as I go, not make mistakes, avoid the pain...

    Isn't that what everyone wants? Hope for a new beginning, especially after concurring tragedies? Yeah, most of us don't get to this point till much later in life. For some of us, it begins while we are still single digit ages.

    So this movie happened to touch me, I got lost in the story despite the opening act (I didn't really care about the end--I was way too moved to give a rat's).

    Fun Fact: I didn't realize Laudanum was flammable. I had no idea it was a mixture that probably mangled more than a few brains back in the day. Women's Drug, if you research the history (as I just did). Fascinating.
  • SnoopyStyle - 30 November 2022
    good Pugh
    It's 1862. English nurse Lib Wright (Florence Pugh) is traveling to a small Irish town. She is one of three nurses hired to watch over Anna O'Donnell in eight-hour shifts for two weeks. Supposedly, Anna has not eaten for four months. The nurses are not there to force her to eat or even convince her to eat. They are there to simply watch and make sure that she is not sneaking in food.

    This is Florence Pugh in her costumed goodness. She excels in this genre. The story itself is pretty compelling although it needs a dose of mystery. The audience is never allowed to have a sense of wonder. It starts right from the opening where the movie suggests the fictionalization of people's story telling. It sets up the movie to doubt Anna's saintly premise. For that reason, I would cut out the opening. The movie needs some doubt injected into Lib's reasoned modernity. Sometimes, filmmakers try to be original. The opening is trying to say something about the stories we tell. It's more compelling to not do it in that way.
  • cgivmain - 28 November 2022
    It's a wonder The Wonder isn't given the credit it deserves.
    I will write this review by looking at several categories and then rate it overall based on a weighted average. The categories are plot, setting, theme, watchability, understandibility, casting, filmography, dialogue, and uniqueness.

    Plot: The plot for The Wonder is rather simple with a straightforward and consistent pacing. It goes through your main elements of plot although one could easily say that the climax perhaps show its face too far into the movie and thus does not keep the audience wanting to continue. Some of the "aha" moments themselves were foretold a little too harshly as well. However, the storyline is intriguing and there exists a small hope throughout the movie where you are excited to know "why". Plot deserves a 6.

    Setting: The setting of the film is spot on. The dialect, accents, clothing, accessories, and buildings reflected the time period quite well. The mix.of religion and science persisted and the medical knowledge seemed to equal what was known at the time as well. One thing I will give the director credit for is Florence Pugh's character consistently gathering more dirt on the bottom fringes of her dress, something that could be overlooked and wasn't. Setting deserves an 8.

    Theme: It is a rather dark and eerie movie with a few uncomfortable moments sprinkled amongst the story. It seemed to border along the Religion vs Medical vs Occult for much of the movie and while a fun idea it never really took a full dive into it. Theme deserves a 6.

    Watchability: You will undoubtedly lose viewers in the midst of the movie who originally were there to see what *looks* like a mystery, thriller, suspense especially from the trailer. If you don't have someone watching with you with an enjoyment to watch movies for their overall value they will quickly resort to being on their phone or just leaving the room. Simply put the story seems to drag on without very much reason to keep a normal viewer watching. Watchability deserves a 3.

    Understandibility: Avid movie watchers will find ways to enjoy this movie and the story it tells. On the other hand it shows a somewhat convoluted mantra within the movie about a caged bird where I believe many people would be lost. The simple narrative of the story is easy to understand and so is the majority of the story but any overarching pieces are very hit or miss to those not looking for them. Understandibility deserves a 5.

    Casting: I'm vaguely certain this movie only got the traction it did because of the use of Florence Pugh who is very obviously garnering fame and attention within Hollywood from her ever growing discography. That being said the character she portrays tends to lack emotional range and I'm not entirely sure if that's the writing or how it was represented but it did seem to be missing. On the other hand her acting showed poise and a stoic attitude in a beautiful way and for that I give her much deserved applause. In fact the casting of the family of the girl showed very good range in this specific instance even without a big name to carry the performance and had me believing they were who they were portraying. I found Tom Burke to be rather charming and respectable in his portrayal of the Leading Man and while his character seemed to be in it for a very simplistic reason I believe he delivered it well enough to look past that. Casting deserves a 8.

    Cinematography: Ari Wegner always shines in period pieces and always finds a way to transport you into the setting in a creative mix of filtering, fixed camera angles, lighting, and footage beyond the foreground. Coming from Lady Macbeth I had no reason to expect any different and found she delivered another grandiose watch. Cinematography deserves a 9.

    Writing: The writing was consistent throughout other than maybe when it came to Burke's character. I tend to enjoy writing that let's the actors and actresses portray a strong personality and I believe it does this well. Considering the backdrop of this film is a book that was equally filled with the drab and moor of the situation and period I think Lelio did a good job. Writing deserves a 7.

    Uniqueness: Where I believe this film gets some praise is the uniqueness. Movies adapted from books aren't terribly rare but the Indie feel with strong cinematography and casting shows an immense breakthrough in the world that is periodic dramas. I surprising entry into Netflix's top 10 also gives me the hope that movies like this will continue to grace bigger screens with bigger budgets. (The fire scene needed budget desperately.) Uniqueness deserves an 8.

    With a weighted average (things not heavily based on my opinion given more weight) this movie slides in at a comfortable 8. Expect to sit down to a slow but well done dramatic mystery that will make you feel that stories are both the things that destroy and nourish us.