WHAT YOU WISH FOR
Starring: Nick Stahl, Tamsin Topolski, Penelope Mitchell, Randy Vasquez, Juan Carlos Messier, Brian Groh, and Ariel Sierra
Director: Nicholas Tomnay
QUENTIN
All in all, What You Wish For has several flaws. It moves a little too slowly (especially at the start), some of the acting is extremely wooden, and it could have used a lot more tension and suspense once the second act hits. Having said all that, I still enjoyed it, even if it did often remind me of better movies like The Menu. Plus, and maybe this is just me, but it’s nice to see Nick Stahl working again. I wouldn’t call it necessary viewing, but it’s a decent indie thriller, and probably one of the more surprising offerings I saw at Fantastic Fest.
NICK
The Menu was one of my favourite films last year, and while What You Wish For doesn't live up to it, it’s still a serviceable addition to the underrated culinary horror genre. Although the darker storyline shows potential, it’s hurt by average performances and pacing issues throughout. The message (as alluded to in the title) of your wishes not being what you expected would likely have had more impact with a more likable lead, but that doesn’t fall on Nick Stahl. Combine this with the lack of suspense and intrigue, and you have a film that I unfortunately expect to forget before long.
PRESTON
Be careful What You Wish For, indeed. Conceptually, director Nicholas Tomnay’s streaming feature is extremely clever, but requires some forgiveness of its somewhat cut-rate execution. The car green-screening looks like 1970’s era technology, the dialogue is stilted, and overall editing could have been better. Having conceded those points, the story’s originality and amusing plot carries you along for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It’s easy to see why comparison to The Menu is warranted and deserving, even considering its faults. I had no expectations going in and had a great time, which is probably the right approach.
KATIE
I knew very little about What You Wish For going into it, which is undoubtedly the best way to experience this taught indie thriller. The film is the latest addition to a growing genre of social satires targeting the rich, and it's solidly entertaining and fun, even if it lacks the satirical bite of films like The Menu. Although the dialogue leaves much to be desired and some of the performances fall flat, the concept is engaging, it's darkly funny, the setting is gorgeous, and there is some interesting camerawork. Whilst it doesn’t serve up the sharpest satire, it's still worth trying.
This film was reviewed by Quentin and Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of Fantastic Fest 2023.