A down-on-his-luck chef with gambling problems flees to a Latin American villa, where he assumes the identity of another man.A down-on-his-luck chef with gambling problems flees to a Latin American villa, where he assumes the identity of another man.A down-on-his-luck chef with gambling problems flees to a Latin American villa, where he assumes the identity of another man.
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Not the best thriller out there but I'm so happy I found this little gem. I advise everyone to go into this movie not watching the trailer or reading too much about the movie. The idea is a never-seen-before one (this is low-key what I expected from the Netflix movie 'Hunger') and the major plot twist made my jaw drop. The cinematography was so much better than I'd normally expect from a low-budget movie, and the ending was incredibly satisfying too. I admit that near the end I didn't like the way things were going, but upon reflexion I don't think another ending would have been more satisfying. I wish more thrillers were made like this. And while you watch the movie, remember... be careful what you wish for.
I don't think I've ever watched a movie this good that I haven't heard buzz for beforehand. I watched this as a complete fluke because the poster image was cool and 6.8 is a decent score on IMDb. The acting besides the friend at the beginning, is excellent. The story is tightly paced and ultimately very logical which is always a surprise in this type of movie.
I watch a lot of movies in particular a lot of horror, and I haven't felt this tense in a movie and quite a while. This movie was evocative to me of The Gift, so if you enjoyed that I believe you will also like this movie. Highly recommend overall!
(Hunter Hunter is the last movie I've seen starring Nick Stahl and it is also very tense and memorable. I would recommend watching that if you enjoyed his performance here.)
I watch a lot of movies in particular a lot of horror, and I haven't felt this tense in a movie and quite a while. This movie was evocative to me of The Gift, so if you enjoyed that I believe you will also like this movie. Highly recommend overall!
(Hunter Hunter is the last movie I've seen starring Nick Stahl and it is also very tense and memorable. I would recommend watching that if you enjoyed his performance here.)
And the premise is either entirely improbable by any stretch of the imagination. Or...this is a very true-to-life "fictional" depiction by insiders of this one hundred percent (100%) totally happening international thing of people like this.
Regardless. It is good fun. And once we are clued in as to what is really occurring, things get nicely tense and unpredictable. Do a lot of those things always make sense? Naw. Who cares. Are there so many things not cool with the entire deal and not just that one ingredient in the dessert? Yep. But hey, it's a crazy, carefree world these days.
It was great going into this movie totally unaware of what it's about. And that made for a nicer experience.
Oh and it has some dark humor in spots too.
Regardless. It is good fun. And once we are clued in as to what is really occurring, things get nicely tense and unpredictable. Do a lot of those things always make sense? Naw. Who cares. Are there so many things not cool with the entire deal and not just that one ingredient in the dessert? Yep. But hey, it's a crazy, carefree world these days.
It was great going into this movie totally unaware of what it's about. And that made for a nicer experience.
Oh and it has some dark humor in spots too.
I was sucked into this film by the preview ('trailer' as the US calls it). It hooked me.
But, previews are easy to make, and often - far, far too often, these days - make the usual junk look good.
To my amazement, this isn't junk. What You Wish For is a competently written, well organised, pacey little thriller.
Actually, the start seems a little slow, but there's a reason. It's actually setting up the knockdown.
Rather than just showing you the rest of the film is going to be slow close-ups on people's faces and droning fake orchestra music over nothing actually happening.
No, this is NOT one of those films. This is a proper film, written and directed by someone who can write and direct.
Is it a masterpiece? What does that even mean anymore? It's not going to change anyone's life.
Does it stand OUT, like RIGHT OUT, in the sea of boredom we now live in? Yes, yes it does!
Good film. Recommended!
But, previews are easy to make, and often - far, far too often, these days - make the usual junk look good.
To my amazement, this isn't junk. What You Wish For is a competently written, well organised, pacey little thriller.
Actually, the start seems a little slow, but there's a reason. It's actually setting up the knockdown.
Rather than just showing you the rest of the film is going to be slow close-ups on people's faces and droning fake orchestra music over nothing actually happening.
No, this is NOT one of those films. This is a proper film, written and directed by someone who can write and direct.
Is it a masterpiece? What does that even mean anymore? It's not going to change anyone's life.
Does it stand OUT, like RIGHT OUT, in the sea of boredom we now live in? Yes, yes it does!
Good film. Recommended!
If I were you, I would give it a go and not even read the plot because for me, it's what made me kept watching (I get easily bored) I'm going to be honest that I've read some of the reviews on here and the "bad reviews" were pretty silly.
Some say it should have been labeled a horror; some say the acting was subpar and some say it was disgusting etc. They all sound like Karens. First off, the acting is GOOD, and you wouldn't even notice it because this movie is obviously not aiming for some acting awards really. But maybe if your purpose to watch a movie is to look for flaws from the get-go?
However, it does have some plot holes and improbabilities/unusual coincidences, but it's overshadowed by how effective it is to keep the viewer engaged as the story unfolds and that in itself, I find it a pretty worthy watch!
Some say it should have been labeled a horror; some say the acting was subpar and some say it was disgusting etc. They all sound like Karens. First off, the acting is GOOD, and you wouldn't even notice it because this movie is obviously not aiming for some acting awards really. But maybe if your purpose to watch a movie is to look for flaws from the get-go?
However, it does have some plot holes and improbabilities/unusual coincidences, but it's overshadowed by how effective it is to keep the viewer engaged as the story unfolds and that in itself, I find it a pretty worthy watch!
Did you know
- TriviaFilmed in the fall of 2021 over 23 days.
- GoofsThe phone's messages has different times through multiple shots at around the 27 minute mark.
- How long is What You Wish For?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- La proie des ombres
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $6,279
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,587
- Jun 2, 2024
- Gross worldwide
- $59,064
- Runtime
- 1h 41m(101 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.20 : 1
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